Suspicious Activity

Writers: Estelle, Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 27th April 2024

Characters: Arippa, Tasni, Reven, Renette, Pippa
Description: Tasni and Renette arrive at Green Valley to investigate the fire and are met by Reven and Arippa
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 20 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Coran, Jayala, Benani, T'ner, Corowal

Arippa

Reven

Vtols were fluttering in Renette's stomach as Green Valley's main
building came into view. It had been more than half a Turn since she'd
been home and seen her family. Even though they weren't returning under
happy circumstances, it was exciting nonetheless.

"Is this your first time visiting Green Valley?" she asked Tasni.

"Yes, I haven't been to this part of Emerald Falls before." This area
was generally known for being loyal to the Lord Holder, and Tasni had
focused her attention on areas with a less reliable reputation. The hold
looked prosperous, surrounded by fertile and well-tended fields - much
different to the arid landscape of White Hollow. She wondered where the
fire had burned. "It must have been a lovely place to grow up."

"It was," Renette said reflectively. "I'm afraid I didn't fully
appreciate it until I moved to the Harper Hall and began seeing other
parts of the territory."

"Are you and your brother close in age?" she asked, curious and
imagining them playing here together as children. If so, Reven would be
quite young to be running such a large hold.

"We're almost ten Turns apart in age. Reven becoming Holder was really
unexpected. He was fostering over at Red Rush when Namiren died
unexpectedly. The succession then moved over to our side of the family
and as oldest male, he was the one. I always wanted to tag along with
Reven and my other older brother, Coran, but as you can imagine,
fighting with wooden swords and riding runners in breeches was frowned
on for a young lady." Renette grinned a little at the memories. Reven
and Coran had always tried to include her, even when it made her
mother frown.

Arippa saw them arriving from an upper story window and went running
down the stairs even as she sent her flits to tell Reven that his
sister was coming.

"Renette!" she called as she came out onto the steps of the hold.

"Arippa," Renette exclaimed, rushing up to meet her sister-in-law.
They were close in age so Renette had loved it when Arippa had married
into their family.

"How are you," she smiled and hugged her sister-in-law.

"Auntie 'Nette!" Pippa squealed as she ran up behind her and hugged
her knees. Then she bounced and clapped with glee.

Arippa chuckled and grinned. "Think she's happy to see you?" She
turned her smile on the other young woman. "Welcome to Green Valley."

"Thank you." Tasni stepped forward and offered her hand, returning the
smile. "I'm Journeywoman Tasni, and I study with Renette at the Harper
Hall. It's very kind of you to allow me to visit."

A bronze firelizard appeared above the trio's heads, chittering
excitedly as he saw a person he recognized. Dive-bombing Renette, he
landed on her shoulder and dug his face into her ear, snuffling
loudly.

"Keeper!" she giggled, reaching up to pull the bronze flit into her
arms for a hug.

"He wouldn't wait for me. He was too excited to see you again." A
familiar baritone voice said behind her.

Renette spun, all smiles for her eldest brother.

Reven pulled his sister in for a hug. "It's good to see you," he
murmured in her ear. His eyes settled then on the visiting harper.
"Welcome Journeywoman, and thank you for accompanying Renette on her
trip."

She smiled and took Tasni's offered hand. "You are very welcome here
Journeywoman," Arippa smiled. Then she turned and started leading the
small procession back to the Hold building. "Shall we?"

Pippa bounced around the edges of the group and finally reached for
Reven's hand. "Da, carry my hand," she demanded.

Tasni followed Arippa, watching the little girl's excitement with a
smile. "Hi there. I'm Tasni - what's your name?"

"Hi Tasni," the little girl nodded as she'd seen her mother do. "I'm
Pippa," she said proudly and gave a tiny curtsey.

Reven steered the passel of women to their private parlor where drudges
had already prepared a lunch setting for them. "I hope you are both
hungry because they quite literally prepared enough food for a small
herd." There were fresh fruits and vegetables grown directly from Green
Valley's crops, as well as breads, cheeses, and slices of sandwich meat.

"I mean, traveling _does_ make me hungry," Renette confessed, helping
herself to a slice of bread in one hand while she began piling food onto
a plate.

"This looks delicious." Tasni set down her bag and gitar case in a
corner and joined Renette in filling a plate. One aspect of her time in
the South she appreciated was the abundance of fresh food, especially in
the big farming holds. "We had an early start, so it's been a long time
since breakfast."

"How are things at the Hall?" Reven asked the two harpers as he
politely held out a chair for Arippa.

Arippa smiled and touched his hand in thanks as she seated herself.
She spread a napkin across her lap and waited for the others to take
their seats.

"As peaceful as they can be in a Hall of temperamental musicians," Tasni
said, tucking in to her plate of food with relish. "I've only been back
about a month - before that, I was out traveling for the Craft." She
didn't mention the purpose of her travels, but wondered if Jayala had
sent a message ahead to the Holder by runner or firelizard.

Renette jerked a thumb in Tasni's direction. "Tasni's good at
investigating. Can you tell us about the fire?"

Reven seated himself before of Arippa. He took a redfruit off the table
and began slicing it with his pocketknife. "I was inside when it
started. I had just gotten in from the fields when they came to tell me
that the wheat was on fire. By the time I got out there it was ablaze in
both fields. I asked the farmhands normally in charge of those crops,
but nothing about their behavior or whereabouts that day seems
suspicious. We also couldn't find evidence of anything 'accidental'
either." He pressed his blade against the redfruit, beginning to
artfully peel the skin off. "Do you think you'll be able to find
something?" he asked Tasni.

"I'll do my best, if you're happy for me to look into it, Holder," Tasni
said. It seemed suspicious to her that the fire had started in the
fields, with no obvious cause - accidents were more likely to happen
indoors, from kitchen hearths or candles. She could well imagine it
would be unsettling for the hold, not knowing if the culprit was living
among them. "Is this the first time anything unusual like that has
happened here?"

"It is the first time we've had an unexpected fire, yes," Reven answered.

"And there wasn't bad weather that day," Arippa added. "No lightning
or anything like that."

"What about anything that's less destructive than a fire, but still
odd?" She thought of her theory that it might have been a distraction by
thieves. "Anyone behaving out of character, or items going missing from
the stores?"

Reven's mind hadn't even gone in that direction until Tasni's
questions. _Was_ there anything missing? _Had_ anyone been suspicious?

"I'll need to check the ledgers," he said. "At the time my only
thoughts were getting the fire put out."

"It's worth a look. If the fire was started deliberately, it may have
been to divert your attention from somewhere else." Tasni chose her
words carefully, not wanting to scare the little girl. "It's also
possible that it was set by someone with a grievance against you or your
Hold. Do you know of anyone like that - maybe a neighbor you've had a
dispute with, or a worker you had to let go?"

"Renette, would you mind?" Reven gestured toward his daughter.

"Not at all," the harper said, standing and reaching for her niece.
"Come on, squirt." Pippa excitedly latched onto her aunt's hand as they
departed.

"A few Turns ago I was taken," the Green Valley holder told Tasni. "I
was held for ransom, but I managed to escape before the ransom was ever
paid. That's honestly the only thing I can think of, but it's been four
Turns since then."

"You were kidnapped?" Tasni's eyes widened. _That_ was a surprise, and
though it had been some time ago, it might be significant. "Were the
people who did it ever caught?"

Reven reached out with his good hand and took Arippa's, giving hers a
light squeeze. "No, they never were." He thought of the hooded man,
whose identity had remained a mystery to him all these Turns.

Arippa squeezed his hand lightly then cleared her throat. "My aunt
Lady Benani was also kidnapped but that man was caught and killed."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been difficult for your family, on
both sides." Tasni thought she remembered some talk about the
disappearance of the Lady of Amber Hills, but that, too, had been
several Turns ago. "If it sets your minds at ease, I think it's unlikely
that the kidnappers would wait so long to strike again, if there was no
personal motive and they were only after a ransom. Most likely, they've
long since moved on." Still, she thought, she'd ask around the Hold and
see what she could find out. If Arippa's aunt had been a victim of
kidnapping then perhaps someone had a grudge against her side of the
family. Or there might be something they weren't telling her...

"There's one other possibility," she said. "I expect you've heard about
the poisoning attempt at the Hatching, and the attacks on dragonriders.
It may be that the people behind it are turning on those who have
connections to the Weyr. Do you think that might apply to you? Perhaps
you have a relative who was Searched, or Impressed?"

"No, not in mine," she said. "We're all very much holders and crafters."

“My younger brother, Tener, now T’ner, impressed a blue dragon at
Dolphin Cove. He lives at Barrier Lake now though,” Reven informed her.

"So you have a good relationship with the Weyr?" Tasni asked. That
wasn't a guarantee, even with dragonrider relatives. "Someone might have
decided to target you because of that." That was the most worrying
possibility. Thieves and kidnappers would move on, but if the fire
hadn't damaged the hold as much as they'd have liked, the conspirators
might try again.

"We have a pretty neutral relationship with the Weyr. We rarely see
dragonriders here, and our tithes go to Emerald Falls, and then from
there to Dolphin Cove. But, we have always been close and support of
Lord Corowal," Reven explained.

"Do you honestly think they'd target us because we're friendly to
dragonriders," Arippa asked.

"It's possible. After the recent attacks, the Weyr's tightened up
security, so they might think a hold is easier to attack. But lots of
people have dragonrider relatives," she added, hoping to reassure the
couple. "There's no reason why they should choose you in particular."
Unless, she thought, it was their being allies of Lord Corowal that had
drawn unwelcome attention. "I think it's more likely to be holdless
thieves, or perhaps it really was an accident and we haven't found the
cause yet. I can do some asking around while I'm here."

"Thank you, Journeywoman. I'll ensure that you're met with cooperation
for whatever you need."

Last updated on the April 30th 2024

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