Caught

Writers: Estelle, Stevie
Date Posted: 31st July 2005

Characters: Gilbek, Demel, Ryndel
Description: Demel discovers Gilbek leaving the Harper Hall after fire breaks out, and takes him to Ryndel
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 7, day 13 of Turn 3

It was the scent of smoke on the air that first warned Gilbek. Trudging back dejectedly from the Harper Hall after yet another awkward visit to his wife, he thought at first that it was coming from one of the Hold buildings, but it seemed odd that anyone should have started a fire on such a hot, dry night, and it was long past the hour when anyone should have been cooking.

The light breeze lifted the hair from the back of his neck - it was coming from behind him, back in the direction of the Harper Hall. Odd. He turned, glanced back over his shoulder, and thought he saw a flicker of light. Then another - not the soft light of a glow or the steady electric light of the Hold...but like a leaping flame.

Fire.

His insides turned to ice. Fire at the Hall - and Calenta was in there. Calenta, his wife - who was blind and would not know where to go. Turning, he began to run, jogging at first. Then, when he saw the clouds of dark smoke rising from the distant buildings of the Harper Hall, he began to run.

Once he got close he pulled up short, looking for the entrance. Dark figures were silhouetted against the flames, spilling out of the building, some leading others, others bent double and coughing. He didn't see Calenta anywhere. Surely one of them would have remembered her? She was their only female apprentice!

Just as he was preparing himself to make a run for it and dive into the burning building, looking for her, he saw a familiar figure emerging on the arm of another man and nearly collapsed, weak-kneed with relief. She was safe. He'd go to her and comfort her, reassure her...offer to help. His quarrel with the Harper Hall was unimportant now, just so long as Calenta was safe.

But when he started towards the group of harpers, a heavy hand fell on his shoulder, restraining him.

Demel had seen the man leave and then turn running back toward the hall that was now in flames, people fleeing the smoke and heat out of every door. It didn't take him long to realize that this man was looking for someone and noticed it when he spotted the one and only female apprentice at the hall. Demel could only assume with the way he'd been running that this man intended to go after Calenta and had even possibly started the fire to bring her outdoors and make for an easier target.

No matter what he'd intended to do Demel stopped him in his tracks. Though he didn't like to draw attention to his height it gave him an advantage, it was always easier to restrain someone who was shorter than you.

Gilbek shrugged his shoulder in a vain attempt to throw the other man off, feeling disconcerted by how small and slender he felt in comparison. It was not a situation he was used to as a member of the Hold's Guard! "Let me go! My wife is over there - I need to see her."

"If your wife is out of the hall already then I'm quite sure she's fine" It was the people still inside that would be worse off. Demel spotted Ryndel checking on a group of harpers and, it seemed, trying to keep people calm.

"I think right now it would be best we had a talk with the Hallsecond." Demel said as he all but dragged the man towards Ryndel.

Gilbek started to dig in his heels angrily, wondering why this man should want to bring him to the Hallsecond, of all people, who would surely be busy at the moment. Then the answer came to him and in his horror he hardly seemed to notice as he was led away. They thought that _he_ had set the Hall afire! And he'd argued with Calenta...

When Demel caught the Hallsecond's attention he was angry at first. Only minutes ago he'd been woken by a pounding on the door and Jerhani shaking him awake. He'd had only enough time to grab yesterday's discarded trousers before hurrying out through smoke-filled halls, still half-asleep. Out in the cold clear air he was frantically counting heads, trying to establish whether anyone still remained inside - though if anyone did their prospects were not good. Thick clouds of smoke were pouring out of the windows, and inside the glow of flames were clearly visible against the night's darkness.

"What is it, Demel?" he demanded, before he realised that the man with the big journeyman was unfamiliar and moderated his tone slightly. "Who's this?"

"I saw leaving the hall before just after the fire was discovered, and I caught him trying to go after Calenta." There was no need to be subtle at the moment, and it was only fair that the man knew what he was being accused of.

Ryndel's face darkened and he clenched his fists. A man from the Hold, who had no business sneaking around at this hour! It suddenly seemed obvious that that tyrant of a Lord Holder would order the Hall to be burned down rather than let it defy him.

"Did you set this fire?" he demanded.

"No!" Gilbek attempted again to shrug off the grip of the huge journeyman, his own temper aroused by the slight to his honour. How dare anyone imply that he'd attempt to burn innocent people in their beds? "I need to see Calenta. She's my wife!"

The Hallsecond opened his mouth to speak, but just then the roof of one wing of the Hall fell in with an almighty crash that drowned all words, and a cry of dismay went up from the watching harpers. Ryndel spared only an anguished glance for the burning Hall before turning back to Demel. "There's no time to question him now. I need you to keep an eye on him, journeyman, until the fire's put out. Then we'll get to the bottom of this."

Last updated on the September 6th 2005

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Caught