His first night to Braemar had been an experience. Never before had Vladimir traveled through a duchy of someone he knew and to say he was impressed was an understatement. Everywhere he looked, it reminded him of Sunnyglade, the hustle and bustle of small village life that was once so familiar to him and now just a vague shadow of the past. Riding through the worn roads, the warrior soon found himself at Adhelin’s manor. Even as the guards saluted him as he rode up, a stableboy was already rushing out to attend to the man’s horse. All of it left Vladimir feeling a bit bewildered and out of place as he made his way inside the stately home. A small cough ripped him out of his reverie as he turned to face the guard trying to get his attention.
“Excuse me, Captain Baustent. Her Grace is waiting for you in her quarters and asks you report there upon your arrival. She claims to have important information for you regarding the surveys you will be doing.”
Vladimir just answered with a stern smile and curt nod after being given directions to her chambers. Even as he made his way through the ornate halls, he found himself lost in a sense of wonderment. It was not until Adhelin’s townhouse had he ever really encountered finery and this place made her’s almost look like a hovel. Everywhere hung rich tapestries and paintings, side tables adorned with vases of freshly cut flowers and small statuettes. It was all a bit overwhelming he admitted to himself as he reached the door. A small knock, one designed for just the two of them, was all it took to announce him. Even behind the heavy wood he could hear the sultry purr to her voice as the Dutchess called him in. Closing the door behind him, a small smile crept onto his face as she stood there in naught but an open robe and a smile, already pouring him a glass. Coy smile playing upon her lips and the exaggerated sway to her walk was not lost on him as she approached promises of the night to come filling the air with her movements. Offering him the glass and tender kiss, she whispered softly into his ear and a grin crossed his scarred face…
The surveys had yielded little in the way of interesting results. Braemar was buried so deeply back in the mountains of Redridge that the landscape provided an adequate natural defense that was only further enhanced by the presence of the guard. The other Holt lands seemed to have similar natural defenses, either in the way of rivers, difficult terrain, or mountainous crags. Riding into Addlewood, Vladimir’s final stop, he quickly introduced himself again to the House guard, while garbed in his formal blues, before making his rounds. Despite never having done this before, the retired mercenary had already fallen into an easy routine of inspection. He began with the guardsmen, examining their armour as they greeted the man with quick salutes and bewildered glances to one another at what would cause the Captain of the Lionsguard to be making these sorts of inspections, before moving onto the manor. Walking with the head of each of the manor guards, they would crawl through nearly every portion of the building, looking for cracks in the mortar, areas sparsely patrolled, or even just places that seemed far too dark even in the late afternoon light. Once a list of issues and flaws had been drawn up for the building itself, the Captain rode out with one of the woodsmen or hunters employed for a quick overview of the surrounding lands.
It was clear that all involved were curious as to the Lionsguard Captain’s actions, but none sought to glean any information from him. A stern but polite demeanour left them realizing he was here for a reason and would not be gone until he was satisfied with the results. They would find Vladimir asking a great number of questions; everything from the mundane inquiries to the day to day activities in the house to asking about the construction of the buildings to even asking how prepared the stores were not just for the manor, but the surrounding area. His questions combined with his serious expression left more questions than he asked, often causing the men to question themselves or go searching for answers.
Having finished his examination of Addlewood, Vladimir went to the stables for the black stallion which he had borrowed for just this purpose. While tall and strong, he was a mild tempered, older stallion though his rich black coat did little to show his age. A slight greying around the eyes and an easy temperament of an old veteran were the only signs of his advanced age. He took to his new rider hesitantly at first, wondering if the heavily armoured man sought to ride him into battle, but was soon content in the fact they were just going for a long needed walk. Smiling to himself as he cinched the horse’s saddle, a small movement caught the corner of Vladimir’s eye. Without bothering to look up, he spoke in low, even tones so as not to spook the animal.
“Come on out, boy. I already know you’re there.”
Creeping out from behind the wood wall came a tall, skinny lad in his mid-teens with a mop of brown hair and an easy, albeit nervous, smile. Turning to the kid, Vladimir quickly gave him an appraising glance before settling on a look of confusion. Wide-eyed that he’d somehow offended the guard Captain, the boy quickly fell over himself, stuttering and stammering in apology until Vladimir just held up a hand to stop his babbling.
“Easy, boy, easy. Now then, why don’t we just start with you telling me your name.”
Swallowing nervously, the boy tried a smile as he answered but to no avail, “T-T-Tomen, my lord. I work in th-the kitchens.”
Chuckling, Vladimir moved to lean against one of the walls, hoping to put the nervous boy at ease, “I’m not Lord, Tomen of the Kitchens. In fact, I’m probably more lowborn than yourself. Call me Vlad.”
Tomen quickly nodded; so fast in fact that Vladimir was convinced his head was going to snap free and go flying into one of the hay bales behind them. Noticing the boy wasn’t offering any more information in this state, the Captain just gave him a gentle smile.
“I’m sure you didn’t just stray to the stables in search of a quick glance at another soldier, Tomen. Speak your mind.”
“Well, s-s-sir, umm…” he stammered, trying to explain himself. With a deep breath, he tried to relax but instead the words all came flowing out at once, “I-know-you-were-surveying-the-area-but-the-other-day-when-I-went-to-get-rabbits-for-dinner-I-saw-some-odd-tracks-deep-in-the-woods-and-no-one-believed-me.”
Brow furrowing as a frown crossed, his lips, Vladimir’s stance quickly shifted from one of relaxation to one of duty and purpose. “Show me,” he instructed, causing the boy to immediately scurry. They walked for some time to the fringes of Addlewood’s lands until they reached a dense thicket. Making their way carefully through, Vladimir quickly realized why no one had bothered to show him this area, it was nearly impassable. Bursting through the brambles and branches, he and Tomen discovered a small clearing, not more than five to seven meters wide at any spot. The area, however, was thoroughly trampled. Signs of heavy bootprints marred the earth and traces of quickly broken and hidden camps were all through-out the clearing. Moving to some soft earth, Vladimir quickly dug down and soon found the remains of a pit fire, still slightly warm to the touch. Face grim, he turned immediately to head back towards Addlewood, leaving Tomen scrambling to catch-up with the much taller man.
“Wh-what is it Vlad? Bandits?”
“No,” he replied with a small sneer, “Horde are hiding in Holt lands.”
( @kaideholt @householt @adhelin for mentions )
