Speculation and Rumors

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 6th April 2024

Characters: Elana
Description: Speculation over what happened to the Lord Holder runs wild through Emerald Falls Hold
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 11 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Corowal, Corofel, Alina

The Lord Holder was missing.

The news swept through the Hold like a thunderclap. The Lord Holder wasn't in his bed this morning. The Lord Holder was _gone_. Lost? Taken. Dead.

Nobody knew.

Elana left her great aunt's suite and locked it carefully behind herself, determined to find out what was going on before Aunt Panna did. They'd heard the rumor early that morning and the news got louder as the sun rose in the sky. Her aunt was going to speak with some of the other elderly ladies and Elana was off to gather news in the kitchens. It wasn't her usual place of work, but it was the best place to find out what was happening. All news came through the kitchens sooner or later. Guards had to eat.

Lord Holders simply didn't go _missing_. That was ridiculous. There had to be a reasonable explanation.

**The Lady Holder at Amber Hills Hold was kidnapped...** Elana bit her lip as she hurried through the halls. And it wasn't that long ago that someone had tried to poison the Weyrwoman at Dolphin Cove Weyr. If someone could hurt the Lord Holder, everyone at Emerald Falls Hold could be vulnerable.

She stepped through the kitchen doors into a stiflingly hot, absolutely packed room. Knives were flying, the ovens glowed red, and the air was thick with the scents of herbs, bread, meat and sweat. She pulled a clean apron off the wall as the harried-looking Headwoman's Assistant gestured for her to join a pair of other young women chopping meat for what looked like sausage.

"I heard that he just _disappeared_. Hi, Elana. Here, you take over chopping and I'll start on the herbs and seasonings." Gibella handed Elana a cleaver with a slight smirk. "I can't remember the last time I saw you in here. Don't cut your fingers off, seamstress."

"Ha, ha. I know how to use a knife." Elana rolled her eyes and plucked a handful of meat scraps, fat and what looked like half a kidney from the bowl in the centre of the table. Sausage making was absolutely disgusting, but maybe if she chopped slowly enough she wouldn't have to actually stuff the meat into the ovine gut casings. That was the worst part by far. "Are you talking about the Lord Holder?"

"It's absolutely frightening!" Tesha leaned forward, her pale blue eyes bright in her pasty face. "I think he was kidnapped. He must have been. He wouldn't have left right before his son came home."

"I forgot that his son was coming home..." Elana certainly hadn't forgotten. It was all the unmarried women in the Hold could talk about for sevendays.

"I don't understand how anyone could have kidnapped the Lord Holder," Gibella said as she started pulling leaves off a bundle of herbs. "There are guards _everywhere_."

Elana shook her head. "I went to the laundry a bit before coming here and I heard that his room is fine, it's just missing the Lord Holder himself." If anything had happened to stain sheets or rugs, the laundry would know first.

"I think that he has a secret mistress. He snuck off with her and then forgot to come back on time, and now he's too embarrassed to come back because now everyone will know." Gibella said, then rolled her eyes at Tesha's expression. "Oh come on, we all know that he's had a mistress or two. And a few extra children."

Elana couldn't help her smirk. "Maybe they'll find him naked behind a haystack."

"Oooo... I bet that's how he got kidnapped. He escaped his guards to fool about with his mistress!" Tesha's knife stopped as she thought about it. "I bet he's been taken by a bunch of Holdless folks. They'll ransom him back for a million marks."

"There aren't that many marks in all of Pern, you dimglow." Gibella rolled her eyes and turned to Elana. "If he was kidnapped, which I don't think he was, who do you think did it?"

"Oh... I don't know. I don't really pay attention to politics," Elana admitted. "But if he _was_ kidnapped, I bet that Tesha is right about the Holdless folks. They can't be trusted."

"See?" It was Tesha's turn to smirk at Gibella. "I bet you that's what happened."

Elana continued. "I don't like it, though. If the Lord Holder was kidnapped from his bedchamber, then any of us could be next."

Gibella rolled her eyes. "Who would want to kidnap you? Anyway, my cousin is a guard. He cares about his job, unlike guards at some _other_ Holds. That's why I don't think that the Lord Holder was kidnapped."

"You mean like the guards at Amber Hills Hold?" Elana asked.

Gibella nodded. "It's so embarrassing for them, that their Lady Holder got taken. I wouldn't feel safe there."

Tesha's knife stilled as her eyes widened. "We are safe here, aren't we?"

The proper thing to do would be to comfort her and tell Tesha a nice lie. Elana and Gibella exchanged a look and both women turned back to their work. If someone could make the Lord Holder go missing, then nobody was safe.

Tesha giggled, breaking the tension. "I suppose... kidnapping _is_ rather dramatic. Lord Corowal is probably just lost somewhere and there's nothing to worry about."

"Maybe a dragon ate him," Gibella said. "Or a wild feline. Or he fell into the river and drowned."

"Why are you talking like he's dead?" Tesha stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "I'm sure that Lord Corowal is fine. He's just... lost. Or something. And dragons don't eat people. Everyone knows that."

"Who says a dragon wouldn't chew him up and spit him out? They wouldn't have to actually _eat_ him." Elana once again thanked her lucky stars that nobody knew that her sister had Impressed. "Wild felines are more likely. Or maybe he got bitten by a snake and is too sick to call for help. He's lying in the trees somewhere hoping that he'll be found before he perishes."

"That's sad. I hope not," Tesha said.

Gibella rolled her eyes. "And wondering if he's been kidnapped is better? I don't wish ill on Lord Corowal at all, but I do hope that he's found quickly. I think him being kidnapped would be the worst possible thing to happen. Just think about how much chaos that would cause."

"Ladies! Less talking, more chopping." The Assistant Headwoman stomped over to Gibella's elbow and scowled at the three of them. "Idle speculation helps no one. Gibella, that's enough herbs. Go get some salt and pepper."

Gibella scraped her pile of herbs into a mortar. "Yes ma'am." She scurried off to the pantry with a wink.

The Headowman's Assistant left again after one last scowl. Elana turned back to her chopping as Tesha prattled on. As much as she hated to admit it, the Headwoman's Assistant was right. Idle speculation didn't solve the mystery of why the Lord Holder was gone.

Hopefully her great aunt was having better luck than she was. The sooner the Lord Holder was found, the sooner they could all feel safe again.

Last updated on the April 7th 2024

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Speculation and Rumors