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When Birds Refuse to Sing

Started by DragonSong, February 16, 2018, 12:36:19 PM

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DragonSong

@emeraldknight




The aerie was quiet, the birds all asleep or simply clucking quietly to one another from their perches. The sounds were a lullaby to Shae, curled up in the alcove where her low cot and small dresser resided. The manor was near silent, and for once sleep was easily within reach.

It didn't last long.




Quiet as a shadow the thief slipped through the halls. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he knew how to get there.

What he hadn't been expecting was the amount of resistance in his way. The servants he came across were easily dealt with, but it was like they traveled in a damn pack. No sooner was one dead when two more came peering out into the hallway to take her place.

So he left significantly more evidence of his passing than he would have liked. But he got the job done, all without even waking the master of the house. Going back the way he'd come was asking for trouble though, so he decided to sneak out through the west tower.




The ravens exploded into the air as a stranger entered their domain, the sound of wings and harsh cawing echoing through the aerie. Shae bolted awake, eyes wide as she looked around frantically.

A hand suddenly covered her mouth, the weight of a foreign body pressing her down onto her cot. Her eyes widened, staring up into a burning golden gaze, marred by a large burn scar over the left eye.

"Easy, little bird." The stranger smiled, his other hand moving to cover her throat. Shae thrashed underneath him, but he was far too strong for her to throw off. His hand on her neck tightened and she stilled.

The smile curved into a smirk, a snarl. "I should kill you," he noted softly. "But...I don't think you'll be telling anyone what you saw, will you, little bird?" His fingers stroked the garrote scar across her throat and she shuddered.

Then he was gone, the weight lifted as he vanished through one of the high windows of the aerie. Shae lay on her bed, panting and shaking. Then a sudden burst of energy shoved her from the cot and she bolted for the door to the aerie, sprinting down the spiraling stairs of the tower and into the manor proper.

As she threw the door open her feet slipped in something warm and sticky. She froze, eyes going wide as she took in the carnage around her. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream.

***

It was nearly a week before the "law enforcer" her master had contacted was set to arrive at the manor. Things were quiet, much more quiet than usual- eerily so. Hardly anyone spoke to each other as they went about their duties, and when they did it was in hushed whispers.

They still couldn't quite clean the blood stains in the hall in their entirety.

The staff's numbers had been reduced by nearly two thirds during the break-in. All of her closest friends, then people who'd practically raised her, who she'd grown up with, just...gone. Even if Shae could speak, she didn't know if she would have been able to after that.

And her master was growing impatient. She tried, over and over she tried to describe the man who had done this to her home, but no one could understand her. Kitty and Martha had been the only members of the household who ever read her signs with consistent accuracy, and they were- they were dead.

She felt trapped, more than she ever had before. The birds were her escape, forgotten or half-written messages littering the floor of the aerie. She'd tried reading them, but she only knew fundamental letters at best- maybe if she could have written it down they would have listened to her, but no one was patient or calm enough to try to help her through it.

And no one seemed to notice that she was the only one who'd survived an encounter with the thief.

emeraldknight

"Finally", he thought, relieved, as he gazed ahead at the luxurious manor ahead. It was a fair journey he had made, from Essyrn all the way up to Connlaoth, but Blood Diamond was sure it would be worth it. He had been hired cheaply by the affluent master of an old home in coastal Connlaoth to investigate a mass murder of the servants there, as well as a theft from the same incident. He wasn't quite sure how the man knew of him, but was delighted at the prospect of being valued for his work, even if the though of such a horrible scene disturbed him a bit. Although the pay wasn't anything great (Which was probably why he was chosen, instead of someone of more renown), the greatest reward was the respect it would earn him, and the work that would follow on from his fame.  "Blood Diamond: Avenger of the Deceased!". That title alone would be the real prize.

Looking at the manor, it was clear that the owner was quite wealthy, and with provisions from the trip almost gone, he could only hope they'd be kind enough to feed him. Breaking into a run, he soon reached the large door at the front, and announced his arrival with quick raps of his knuckles on the wood. Now was the time to prove himself. Now was the time to rise up and vanquish the evils of the world! Now was the time to become a hero of the public eye!

...It couldn't be that hard, right?

DragonSong

"Master Barkus."

Shae started as one of the remaining footmen came hurrying into the main hall where her master sat hunched over a table, glaring at an inventory list. They still hadn't figured out everything the thief had taken.

"What is it?" the merchant snapped, lifting his head to glare.

Samuel ducked his head. Everyone was on edge. "The- the lawman you hired is at the gate."

Barkus gestured vaguely, returning his attention to the list. "Bring him in then."

Shae sank further back into her corner, absently stroking Lyla's feathers. The raven was perched on her shoulder, ready to be sent with a message should her master require it. Everyone seemed to have forgotten they were even there.

emeraldknight

Diamond was greeted by a servant ushering him in, directing him towards a rather important-looking man sitting at a table with a list of some sort. The place was just as he imagined, quite exquisite, although strangely empty. He frowned, suddenly remembering why he was there.

At a glance, there seemed to be no-one else in the room, just the man who'd let him in and the man at the table, who was obviously the owner of the estate. The whole scene exuded a somber air, and seemed desperate to remind the swordsman of the tragedy that had taken place just a week ago. Looking down, he saw a faint trace of dried blood, and suddenly, he wasn't quite so hungry anymore.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, he realized he was expected to introduce himself. He cleared his throat.

"My name is Blood Diamond. I come as a lawman, and hope I may protect you from further grief, and defeat the devil that is responsible for this evil crime!"

DragonSong

Barkus raised his head, frowning slightly. "Your name is...actually Blood Diamond?" He sighed and raised a hand. "Never mind, don't answer that. How much do you already know about the situation?" he asked curtly.

emeraldknight

He stopped for a moment, thinking. What did he actually know?

"Well, um, I know that there was a massacre of many staff here, and a theft as well. You, or at least I am fairly sure it was you, hired me to find the person who did it. And yes, my name really is Blood Diamond. Spread the word."

DragonSong

Barkus seemed to suppress a groan and muttered, "Wonderful." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Well, unfortunately it seems you know about as much as we do. Which means you were properly briefed, but leaves me rather disappointed anew with our lack of information."

Shae nearly stepped forward then, eyes going wide, a desperation to speak urging her hands into awkward, fluttering motions in front of her chest. Lyla fluttered on her shoulder- then suddenly cawed, loudly, drawing the attention of the room.

Barkus narrowed his eyes at the raven keeper and she shrank back against the wall, signing, Sorry, sorry! though she knew he wouldn't understand it.

emeraldknight

The man of the manor had spoken. It seemed as though Diamond would have to start from scratch. Before he could ask where the crime had taken place, though, a loud squawk rang out across the room, from the corner. The vigilante hadn't even noticed the girl standing there, a large raven perched on her shoulder. He looked curiously at her, and began to wonder how he could have missed her. It was like she blended in to the shadows, invisible to the unsuspecting eye.

She said nothing, simply drawing back and moving her hands around her in a strange manner. Confused, he had to ask, "Who are you?"

DragonSong

Shae flushed, pale skin going dark crimson. Cautiously, she spelled her name with her hands. S-H-A-E.

Her master sighed and waved a hand at her dismissively. "My raven keeper. A sweet enough girl, but you won't get any information out of her." He shot an irritated look in Shae's direction and she shrank back further against the wall. "The man who attacked my manor managed to escape through the aerie. But none of the staff remain who can understand her infernal gesturing."

Shae lowered her eyes, fighting back a sudden wave of tears. She couldn't help that this was her only was to speak! She clasped trembling hands in front of her body, shoulders hunching forward. Lyla cawed softly and shuffled on her shoulder, then started preening her beak through her hair.

Barkus gave another noise of irritation and snapped his fingers at her. "Come here, girl, if only to stop that bird's racket."

Head still bowed, Shae moved forward toward the table, and with a carefully gesture sent Lyla from her shoulder to perch on the back of Barkus' chair.

emeraldknight

Diamond couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "being unable to speak must be hard". The master ordered her to the table, apparently to stop the constant calling of her avian companion, and snapped his fingers. It seemed to Diamond that the man was being a bit harsh on her, and she was clearly on the brink of tears. He frowned.

"I will need access to the aerie, as well as any other scenes of criminal activity." He glanced at the raven keeper with her head bowed low, and thought of all she could have seen, all she would tell him if only she could speak. Deciding there would be no harm in trying, he added,

"Also, I would like the witness to accompany me, in hope that I may be enlightened."

DragonSong

Shae's eyes widened. Even Barkus' expression went from stonily irritated to mildly surprised. "Ah...is that quite a good idea? Do you understand her signs?"

Shae ducked her head again, twisting her fingers nervously back and forth in front of her body.

emeraldknight

"Admittedly, I do not yet understand her manner of communication, but in my experience, there are many ways to communicate besides speaking, and one of the most important things I learned in my training was how to use body language!"

With this, he puffed out his chest, sword arm up in the air and one leg forward in almost a lunge, in quite an exaggerated motion. "I look like a shining baco-beacon of heroism, do I not?"

At this point, Diamond's hunger was really getting the better of him. But he had a mission, so food would have to wait.

DragonSong

Barkus and Shae exchanged a sidelong, rather dry look, animosity on her master's part apparently forgotten.

"Ah...of course," Barkus replied, a little befuddled by this young man's mannerisms. "shae can...accompany you, if you believe it'll be helpful."

emeraldknight

"Thank you". With this, he turned to Shae. "Would you show me to the Aerie, please?"

Blood Diamond was finally ready to deal out justice, ready to take on the foul being that took such precious lives. Now all he needed to do was figure out how to understand Shae. "It can't be that difficult. The signs represent things, right?"

He had no idea...

DragonSong

Shae looked between her master and the stranger, then nodded and gestured for Blood Diamond to follow her as she led him toward the aerie.

How was she supposed to do this? She hadn't been able to make people who'd known her practically her whole life understand, how could she make him?

emeraldknight

Surprisingly, the Aerie seemed to be one of the least affected places in the manor. Although it was true that much of the damage was repaired or cleaned up, there weren't as many traces left over, and the place seemed almost like the calm in the eye of a storm.

Diamond looked closely at Shae, her black hair camouflaging herself in the darkness. Hoping to make a quick start, he looked down at the raven keeper and asked a simple question, "How did the thief make his escape?"

DragonSong

Shae jumped a bit, unused to being addressed directly by strangers. She stared at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out how to explain.

After a moment, she gestured to her cot in its little niche, then pantomimed sleeping. She started signing, He woke me up, he was choking me, but then stopped. What was the point if he couldn't understand her.

She hesitated, then lifted her hands to her neck and mimed being choked. Her fingers settled over the garrote scar that encircled her throat and she winced slightly. She hated touching the thing, it always made her uncomfortable.

emeraldknight

"Cot.. Sleeping... Um, sorry, could you... uh, choking! Yes, you were sleeping, and he choked you!"

Diamond couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed it before. A large scar, right across her throat. How on earth could someone do that to her? He began to piece the scene together in his head. The fiend wouldn't have come into the room just to leave the same way, so he must've gone through the window. He pointed at it. "He left through here, I assume? And how did you get that scar? Was it the thief? Did he say anything?"

Quickly realizing he had asked too many questions, he began again. "Sorry, let me go one step at a time. Did the criminal leave through this window?"

DragonSong

Shae began nodding enthusiastically as he pieced together what she was saying- but then she was backing away as he continued asking questions, unsure how to answer one after the other.

Thankfully he settled on asking about the window, and she nodded again, pointing at it in turn.

An idea struck her, and she signed slowly, Window, then pointed at it again. Window, point. Window, point.

emeraldknight

The raven keeper nodded, pointing at the window to confirm his suspicions. "There we go, we're getting somewhere!", he thought, smiling. But then, she began making a strange motion with her hands, the left one held in front of her as her right hand glided up and down above it. She repeated this multiple times, pointing at the window after each hand wave. "Um... He grew? No, that would be silly. Open, close? Chop, slice?"

It was obvious that whatever she was attempting to convey was related to the window, but how? This had gotten confusing quite quickly. Blood Diamond let out a sigh, and tried to ask for clarification. "What does that motion mean? I do not understand."

"Well, that was a stupid question. Now all I'll get is more confusing hand gestures!

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