More Trouble

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 19th May 2015

Characters: Corran, Zelanka, Tarvon
Description: Something else goes missing from stores.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 12, day 27 of Turn 7

Another kitchen worker had scurried into the guard's barracks,
mentioning that there was something to investigate. He'd taken a look
into it and found that this time, items more important than food had
been taken. This time, Corran knocked on the Headwoman's door, ready
to let her know about what was going on.

Zelanka's voice could be heard through the door: "For love of little
dragons, are you telling me that two bottles of very expensive liqour
has gone missing? Those reserved for the Turn's End?"

"I'm afraid so," a man's voice replied. "I checked the delivery from
the Hall when it arrived. Six crates, 12 bottles in each. Now two
crates have only eleven bottles."

"Yes? Who is it?" Zelanka called out when the knock interrupted her.

She sounded busy, and the guard winced. That didn't sound good...
"Guard Corran," he answered.

"Just the man I need. Do come in, Corran," Zelanka replied and came to open
the door for him.
"Halata told me you're investigating odd happenings around the hold."

"Including the storeroom trouble earlier this sevenday, yes ma'am," he
said as he walked in.

"I have more to add for your investigations. It's probably related,"
Zelanka said. "You do know Tarvon, one of Wirnan's assitant stewards?"
she checked, nodding towards the man in her office. Tarvon also
happened to be her son-in-law.

Corran nodded at the man, who he'd run into a few times. "Good to see
you again, though I wish it was better circumstances."

Tarvon nodded a greeting.

"So, you first," Zelanka asked and gestured Corran to sit down.

Corran took the indicated seat. "I'm here with a report about theft.
Not about food this time, either."

"Oh, not again," Zelanka sighed and gestured him to go on.

"I've heard report some tools have gone missing. Two axes and three long
belt knives. The kind of thing I don't think kids would be stealing just
for fun."

"People don't just leave things like that to lay around or misplace
them either," Tarvon noted with sharp look on his eyes.

"No, they don't. A good, sharp axe is valuable," Zelanka agreed. "Does
Wirnan know?" she asked.

"I understand it was taken from one of the locked rooms, and the guard
who checked it out didn't see signs of it being forced," Corran said.
"I came here to ask you if you'd known of anything missing from your
stocks before I take him a full report."

"Two bottles of very expensive liqour, reserved for the Lord's Table
during the Turn Over feast," Zelanka replied. "They went missing from
the winecellar, which is also kept locked."

"There might be other beweradges missing, I haven't done a full
inventory yet," Tarvon added with cautious tone.

"Food, beverages, and tools. What's the commonality?" Corran mused
aloud, wondering if the others had insights. "Two are annoyances -
significant ones, in the case of the liquor. Could they be trying to
resell it for marks?" That could be what they had planned for the
tools, but he wasn't sure.

"The liqours? Yes, probably, rest could have been taken to own use too,"
Zelanka
pondered. "In a hold of this size, you expect certain amount of
spoilage...things
get misplaced or stolen, or people just forgot to update inventory. I shall
check the
records if there is unusally high number of things uncounted for," she
promised.

"Thank you," Corran said. "I just wish I knew what they wanted. I don't
want to have to wait for more things to be taken before we can get a
pattern. I'll see if there are reports of more Holdless in the area."

"It's frustrating," Zelanka agreed with sympathy.

"I'm going to recommend to the Captain that we increase patrols of
areas that have valuables. Is there anywhere you'd want us to
concentrate on?"

"Well, I'm not worried about the food stuffs or linen closets" Zelanka
said. "The winecellar pops to mind, some of the beveradges are
valuable. There are also the storages where we keep the more expensive
ingridients, like Halata's store, or where the silverware and best
dishes are kept." She winced at the thought what damage the thieves
would do if they got their hands on the Hold's finest chinas.

"Wine cellar, specialty storage, valuables storage. Got it," the guard said.

"You have anything to add Tarvon?" Zelanka asked from her son-in-law.

"No, you two have well covered. I'll go and take a second look at the
winecellar," Tarvon replied with a shake of his head.

"Let me know if you find anything out," Corran said. "And I'm
genuinely sorry to have brought more bad news."

"I will," Zelanka promised. "And you keep me informed too," she asked.
They needed to work together in this.

Last updated on the May 21st 2015

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