A Wall of Silence (April 18th afternoon)

[Blackguard]

This Adventure Hook is available only to newer characters with less than 110 posts. The first player posting to it may choose the time stamp.

Walled Garden

The walls are covered with climbing roses and ivy, while also containing many other rare plants, including a weeping willow. The enclosed walls give the impression of being separated from court, almost in another world. Not surprisingly, the Queen used to favour this garden by day, often drawing comfort from its surroundings and the familiar scent of orange blossoms from the citrus trees scattered throughout.

By night, though, it is a different story. Due to its secretive nature, it is said to be frequented by less savory characters.

The walled garden held many secrets, for it was a place well-suited for clandestine meetings. It was not a place well-patrolled or visited, giving it an even more private advantage.

The orange blossoms were beginning to smell fragent. A pair of birds chirped away their leisure. The peacefulness of this place was disturbed only by the grunt of someone in obvious pain. Soft murmurs adding to the whisper of something gone wrong.

[Blackguard]

A soft and labored voice called "help."

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

After Alexandra's morning ride, she had cleaned up and decided upon taking a tour by herself around one of the gardens. She had decided upon a day dress made of cotton the color of pine needles. The underskirt was an icy grey color with tiny red rose buds as the decorative design. Two large emerald bows pulled away the overdress to reveal the underskirt. This outfit bringing out more of the green in her blue-green eyes.

Evelyn had decided to plait her hair once again with matching ribbons of icy grey and pine green and then wrapped both ends around her head to look like a coronet. Then she stuck daisies into her hair secured by pins and the ribbons.

When walking along she inhaled deeply taking in the scent of orange blossoms, Alexandra's eyes closed listening to nature's music until a grunt and soft murmurs disrupted the peace of this mystical place.

With her eyes opened, and a small frown on her face, the fiery haired young lady looked about and walked towards the origins of the voice. "Hello?" She called out in question as she followed the source of the disruption hearing the faint cry for help.



ooc: I hope afternoon is okay.

[Blackguard]

If there was any response, it was a quiet grunt of pain. As there was no one in view, the sound must have originated within the walled garden.

Alexandra followed the sound through the entryway into the stone structure. The ivy and flowers might be forgotten for a time, as there was a body of a man -- a servant by his attire -- that had dragged himself towards the entrance from inside. There was a trail of blood beneath and behind him. He had dragged himself perhaps ten or fifteen feet and now lay face down on the walkway. His head was moving, and his arms moved like turtle legs to try and propel himself further, largely unsuccessfully.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

The young lady had no idea what she was getting herself into as she followed the grunts of pain, but there was a concern look on her face as she continued on towards the stone structure. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. "Stop moving!" She ordered as she saw the man struggling on the walkway when it was evident that he could not move any longer.

"Where are you hurt?" She had no knowledge of the medical sciences, but Alexandra had a feeling that trying to push himself down the walkway was not a good idea. "Please stop moving or you may just make matters worse." Her voice more soothing now as if she was speaking to a hurt animal. Clear blue-green eyes took in the man to see what is causing all of the blood and what sort of wounds he had received and perhaps figure out what might have caused it. If she could calm him down the fiery haired girl will probably try to take his jacket off to see what she could do the stop the bleeding.

Even while trying to settle the man down, she looked about cautiously wondering if the poor man's assailant, if there was one, was still about but soon enough gritted her teeth knowing she would need to try to do something to stop the bleeding if that was even possible. All the while trying to NOT be shallow by thinking about another one of her beautiful dresses being ruined and wished she had the foresight to wear the bright golden yellow day dress that was ruined when she had an unfortunate accident close to the duck pond. Evelyn is not going to be happy. She thought in passing but was ready to tear up what she could of her chemise as makeshift bandages to help staunch the bleeding.

[Blackguard]

The man stopped moving, as if obeying her instruction. His head lifted slightly from the ground, which demonstrated that he was still alive.

Even as a servant, the man was dressed rather plainly. Perhaps he was a Puritan, or just one who had little money. He looked to be in his late 20s and was rather non-descript with dark hair, now unkempt with mud and leaves as adornment.

"St ... stabbed," he uttered with labored breath. He seemed to be in very bad shape. Based on the fact that he was lying on his stomach and there were no demonstrable wounds on his back, Alexandra might be able to speculate that his wound might be in his chest of stomach. He seemed out of breath in that moment, but there might be more he wanted to tell her. His lips kept moving, but no sound issued forth.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

"Stabbed!? By who?" Her eyes still wide as she looked about again trying not to panic. She attempted to turn the man on his back and sit him up to assess his wounds. "Who are you? What happened?" Alexandra tried her best to keep the man talking wondering how long he had been here dying by himself. "Sir? Please try to stay with me?" If the man had a jacket the young lady had a plan to use it to tie around the man's chest or abdomen to try to slow or stop the bleeding and the best bet to tighten it around the servant.

When hearing that he seemed out of breath, Alexandra figured it was from the exertion and the injury and thought that maybe sitting the man up and giving him a chance to rest might help him. The red-haired girl tried very hard to not cry in this situation and at least wanted to know the name of the man to try to find his family. If he was to die she would try to be there for him but hoped that someone else that knew more of these things came along to help them.

[Blackguard]

Alexandra turned the man over and confronted a bloody mess. Someone had opened a wound in his abdomen. Blood was on her hands and likely to find its way on her dress.

"Liar," he sputtered. "Shouldn't ... have ... come." His speaking was difficult, interrupted by coughing. "My ... sister ... Judith ... Judith ... St ... ills. Tell ... her ... ." He needed to pause for breath, his voice was wheezing. "Ben's ... tin." he pointed at himself feebly. "Ben ... Toff...er. You ... you ... must ... " his voice was losing strength and becoming little more than mumbling. "Can ...ter...bur...y," he mustered at last as his coughing evoked shivers. He was dying quickly. His voice was almost gone and his eyes seemed to be losing focus.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

"Oh my goodness." Her heart squeezed in pain as she saw the gaping wound in his abdomen. No one would survive that. She did her best to stop the bleeding with whatever she had available to her.

Liar? Who is the liar. Whoever stabbed the poor man... She let the man speak his last words. Judith Stills? Ben's tin? What does it mean? "Your name is Ben Toffer?" She doubted he would say much more and felt her heart sink feeling as she was the least likely candidate to figure this mystery out not knowing very many people here.

Canterbury? As in the Archbishop of Canterbury? What is going on? "HELP!!! HELP!! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!!!" She hoped her screams would find its way to someone close by knowing it was a risk as well because the culprit might also have heard her. Alexandra felt it was worth the risk hoping someone would come to their aid. "Please, Ben, please stay with me. Where can I find Judith?"

Tears were streaking down her cheeks as she watched the man die. "HELP!! HELP!!!" She screamed over and over again using her voice training to help carry her voice loudly and clearly.

[Blackguard]

The wounded man fought to stay alive. There was so much to tell, and so little time. There was a negligent nod as she asked him questions. "Here... bouts," he managed in answer to another.

The screams for help seemed to attract some notice as some running could be heard "Over here," came a man's voice. Into view at the entrance to the walled garden appeared a young man with grass shears. By his attire, he was likely a gardener. "Sweet mother," he exclaimed as another set of footsteps heralded the arrival of a soldier. "What's all this then?" the soldier cried out as he pushed his way past the gardener to get a better view.

The man in Alexandra's arms was wheezing and becoming incoherent. There was a movement of his lips, as if in silent prayer.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

With wide tear-filled eyes, Alexandra looked at first the gardener and then the soldier, "Please help, please...I found this man trying to crawl out from there." A trembling hand tried to point down the path where a blood trail could be seen. Her other hand was pressed against the stab wound to stop the bleeding but it seemed like a lost cause. "I do not know how to help him and I do not know how long he has been here." Her own face was white as a sheet as she looked at the two men her eyes pleading for either of the men to take control of the situation.

Her eyes were back on the dying man wondering if the shock would have hit her 100 times more if she had been clutching her dead father in her arms. At least, she remembered not to wipe her eyes with either hand, but she suspected that she looked quite frightening regardless. "Sir, please tell us your name." Alexandra already figured what it was, but she wanted the other two to know that she had no idea who the man was and that so far he had not been able to say much since she found him and not in danger of knowing the dying man's secrets.

[Blackguard]

OOC~ Now any PC may enter this thread if they wish.


The paleness of Alexandra's face was mirrored in the face of the dying man. The gardener moved forward and urged, "let me take him Miss. You'll ruin yer pretty things." He knelt by the side of the wounded man and sought to press a cloth over the wound. The soldier, too, gave the gardener his handkerchief.

Though the wounded man yet lived, he did not reply to Alexandra's entreaty to provide his name. Instead, the soldier sought to question the redhead now that she was being relieved of primary responsibility for care. "Did you see anyone come out of the garden, or lurk around here as you approached?" the soldier asked hopefully.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

The gardener's words fell on deaf ears not quite hearing but let the men take over. Alexandra let the gardener tend to the man as she moved further away and closer towards the soldier. "No, I did not see anyone, only a cry from help from this man. I was curious as to the sound and saw him on his belly crawling t-towards...I have no idea. I-is he going to die?" More tears started to fall, her body shuddered when she looked down at her bloodied dress and hands.

No words came out about what Ben said before she cried for help. She had no idea who to trust but maybe some more light would be shed as she listened and observed but the coppery smell was overwhelming her.

[Blackguard]

"Mores the shame," the soldier replied when he learned that no suspicious person was observed. "Could not have happened very long ago," he muttered more to himself.

As Alexandra's tears continued to fall, the trooper offered her his arm. "No lady should have to bear witness to anything this gruesome. Here, let me escort you a safe distance away," he offered. "Might I have your name? We might have questions later. I can have someone escort you to a place you might clean up. Maybe the laundry," he mused aloud.

The gardener continued to attend to the stricken man. There was was worried whispers about the man beneath him. Neither man thought it advisable to tell the redhead that the man would not likely recover.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

A trembling hand hesitantly moved towards the soldier's arm, "Are you sure, sir? I will ruin your sleeve." Still concerned about someone else's welfare, Alexandra wanted to make sure he knew that his sleeve was ruined as her dress seemed to be. If he insisted she would needing to steady herself.

"R-Rosewyck...Alexandra Rosewyck. Yes, please. Perhaps they can assist, it seems I keep ruining my dresses. May I have your name as well sir?" Her watery blue-green eyes looked at the trooper by her side. "I-is that man a doctor?" Looking back towards the gardener and then back up to her escort highly doubting it by the looks of him, but she has not seen many doctors personally.

[Blackguard]

"Of course," the soldier responded gallantly. "That is why they give us red uniforms ... to hide the blood," he jested lightly, hoping to break the somber mood. "Miss Alexandra is it?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had her form of address correct. "I'm John Farley, of His Majesty's Life Guard. I only wish we met under better circumstances.

Looking back at the gardner as they started to leave the walled garden, Farley added, "he's no doctor, but he can tend to plants, and maybe animals too." Turning his attention back to the redhead he asked, "now then, where can I be escorting you?"

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

The young lady gave a watery little smile at his attempt of a jest and placed her hand upon his arm. She did not correct him as he addressed her as an unmarried part of the gentry feeling it was no important to dwell on one bad thought after another. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Mr. Farley. I do wish it was under better circumstances." Alexandra murmured softly as she inhaled and exhaled gently to calm herself from going into continued hysterics. She knew she was never one to act so weak but in situations such as this she imagined it as a blessing to just be able to lean upon someone other than herself.

"If at all possible, somewhere that I can get cleaned up. I think my current residence will cause too many questions when I come in looking like...this." Oh the tears were starting again and she tried her best to will them away. "That poor, poor man. When you find out who he is, would you please inform me, Mr. Farley? I would imagine he had family that might also need comforting in such a time as this if he does not pull through." Her bright eyes meant to meet the soldier to gauge his reaction and to procure a promise of his findings in the future.

[Blackguard]

"My pleasure," Farley assured her. "Now then, somewhere to get cleaned up." He paused to think of such a place. "There is a small salon off the garden that is used by ladies in need of some privacy. A chambermaid is on duty there. Florence is her name I think. I'll take you there. If you have a maid, I can direct her there as well."

There was indeed a small salon just off the garden. It had a couch to lay upon, a table with mirror, and a nuber of chamberpots. Sure enough, there was a small heavyset maid waiting in the room. "Flo, this is Miss Alexandra. She's seen something awful in the garden. Might she freshen up here?" "Of course," the middle-aged woman replied. She looked the type to have seen it all.

"Yes, I shall let you know," Farley promised. "Where will I find you?"

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

"That would be wonderful, thank you for your thoughtfulness." She murmured softly to keep the trembling from still showing up in her voice as Alexandra followed along without any fuss. "Evelyn should be at my lodgings." They arrived at the small salon and she gave a watery little smile. It was nice that the older woman had not fainted dead away at the sight of her and moved a bit forward. "My maid should be found at the Red Lion Inn on the Second Floor, the one they call the East Mithras Room. If you could ask her to bring another day dress as well. Even if I could clean " Ease began to seep into her form at the soldier's promise and gave a grateful look. "Thank you once again, Mr. Farley."

"Florence, is it? May I have a wash cloth to start with the blood on my hands? I am not entirely sure what Evelyn can do to salvage this dress, but she does tend to perform miracles at times." The red-head gave a meek little smile as she looked about to settle down on something that she would not ruin with the sticky blood that have not quite dried off yet.

[Blackguard]

"I shall send a page to the inn," the trooper pledged. "Your maid will be here in no time, I am sure."

Florence moved to a basin of water that was always held at the ready. "Over here Miss," the older woman beckoned. She dipped a fresh cloth into the water and presented it to Alexandra to wash her hands. "Let's see if we can get some of that blood out of your dress. I have some soap and a brush. It may fade the color some."

"I'll take my leave then," Farley announced. With that, he turned and returned to the garden.

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

"Oh that is a marvelous idea, Florence." She went over to where the older woman indicated to wash her hands as there was an attempt to get rid of some of the blood out of her dress. "How long have you worked here Florence?" Not really one for pregnant pauses she decided to bring the attention to someone else instead of herself.

All the while, Alexandra soaked her hands in the basin to start washing away the blood. Maybe Florence might know this Judith?

[Blackguard]

Florence got right to work on Alexandra's dress, trying to do what she could with the dress still on the lady. As such, the rubbing of the brush was more gentle than it might have been otherwise.

"Aye, I've been here many years milady," the maid replied as she examined the dress to see if any blood was coming out. "The blood be stubborn milady. I don't know that I can get it all off without stains."

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

"Are you aquainted with a lot of the staff at the palace and the gentry households? My cousin had mentioned to meet with a woman named Judith St. something or hmm...Stills, or something like that. It was in passing and now I am so embarassed because now that I think of it it seems as if I have aboslutely no idea where to begin to find this person." Her voice remained light but quzzical as well as hopeful to perhaps find a piece of the puzzle. Lies mixed with truth. She decided not to come clean because honestly who could she trust in such a situation but Alexandra knew her mind would not rest if she just ignored the dying man's last wish.

A ghost of a pout appeared showing off the sadness in her eyes, "Ah, a typical conclusion to an interestingly horrifying day. Thank you for trying I figured it was to be a lost cause. Oh Evelyn will definitely not be happy, but I suppose it gives me a chance to go shopping."

[Blackguard]

"Oh, I knows a good number of the staff milady," Florence admitted, "though there's more I don't know. As to the ladies, I know a few that stop her. Otherwise, don't rightly know any lords or there men none."

The name Judith Stills caused the maid to ponder for a time. "Can't say I know her. Sorry maam." The less serious mention of shopping caused the older woman to present a toothy smile. "Just the thing to chase the blues." What women would not enjoy a chance at shopping along the Strand for fine things?

[Alexandra Rosewyck]

Florence did not seem too helpful but Alexandra nodded nonchalantly. Judith could be palace staff or part of the gentry, but why did her brother look as if he was a lower servant with the type of clothes he had on as he died. "Would you be able to direct me to someone who seems to be well versed in the staff and gentry households?" Maybe Florence may not know directly but could provide a name or two that might point her in the right direction.

"I have been meaning to go and get some new apparel, and I guess this cinches the idea." Alexandra's spirits did rise a bit allowing the thoughts of shopping take her mind off of the mystery of Ben as well as Judith. Her face needed a good scrubbing as well as a bath to make sure that any blood that had soaked through would be washed off but this would all have to wait until she was back in her room.