ARE SECRETS ALWAYS SAFE?
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The Office of the Hall of Publications,
The Town of Crimsonton,
Kingdom of Velicia,
Break of Dawn,
The Eighth Day of the Month of November,
Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Crestings
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Duke Walterus had awoken quite early, by the break of dawn, that morning to excessively pleasant news, brought to him from the Imperial Castle in the scrolls of a letter.
Everyone knew that the previous night, with its full crystal moon, would have attracted the bloodthirst of the lupine beasts to the Village of Drift-Combe, situated at the borders of the Kingdom, from the vast spread forest nearby.
That would mean that the knights posted to patrol the area may have slacked in their duty by avoiding the laying of watch for fear of the hounds and their rampage.
Further, such lack of poise in the charge of their office would have resulted in their inability to detect whether the vigilantism had occurred and failing to discern the identity of who the masked men were.
It was the Duke's duty, amongst other things, to report all that was his findings in the newspapers, for the Public's knowledge. His men were posted around the area to bring to his notice all that was worthy of being imbibed by the people.
Since the Village of Drift-Combe was targeted by the beastly monsters for months, it was natural that the inmates settled there would be most inclined to hearing of the news that regarded it.
Quite early on, far before the sun had risen, the Duke had awoken and left to his office at the Halls of Publications, to hear the reports brought by his lads. As per the rotation of the Knights, Erion and his men should have been posted close to the area and the other men were to take charge of the place by the forest.
Duke Walterus combed his neatly trimmed beard with his fingers as he sat at his timber desk and perused the parchments bearing the inferences and observations of his young spies. They stood about him, at the private office chambers, awaiting his word of what needed to be laid to the pages of their news that day.
And it seemed, from the insights brought to him by his reporters, that the knights were not in the place assigned to them. Thus, the news that morn was to see no difference from the previous events of carnivorous ravages.
"Six beasts were fallen, no casualties. The footsteps of men were completely erased, but the hand of the vigilantism behind this is fairly obvious", one of the men stated.
"And the men posted to patrol the area?" the Chief of the Hall of Publications asked, drumming his fingers against the sunmica.
"There were completely no knights in sight, Sir. Only a couple of them sustained until the evening and at moonrise, they left to our Town as well, leaving the village absolutely unguarded. We are unsure of whether Knight Erion is aware of this matter", the young man in attendance said.
The Duke's own boys had lurked around the forest, until a certain hour, but had fled earlier on, at the sound of the wolves.
The previous night had been the very first time he had sent his own reporters to observe the vigilantes, in order to win the favour of the people and to hold witnesses before Prince Rayzenn, the one under whose charge his province and company would be after he would be crowned King.
It was not an effort to find the identity of the mysterious group of men fending against the beasts, for the Duke already knew who was behind those nightly affairs.
But the fact that he had sent his men as spies would have a chance to win a great deal of attention from his majesty, vouching for the competence of the Walterus Office, although the Duke knew that the Prince was of closest affiliation with him, above all other nobles in his province.
Such would be imperative in terms of considering his beloved daughter, Charlene Walterus, as a potential bride in the eyes of the crown.
"Was the village empty by the hour of the knights' withdrawal?" the Duke asked his men as he turned the page of the report, skimming through the contents.
"A few men were about the streets and the openly lashed the knights for their incompetence. It was like rousing a call, provoking them and crying out in taunts. The villagers were most frustrated, but soon settled, for there was no point in making those efforts and it was late, being time to maintain curfew, for the beasts were soon to come", one of the men responded.
"So there was nothing outside the ordinary course?" the Head of the Hall of Publications confirmed, before his eyes caught sight of a certain portion in script, speaking of a strange woman. "What is this?" he asked, laying the page down upon the table and posing his finger upon it.
The man that had made the particular report perused it and said, "Yes, Sir, it isn't a matter of too much concern, but before I left duty, I saw a young girl making her way towards the woods. It seemed far too dangerous and so I did not approach or follow her and it was growing dark. She seemed unattended and crept through the shadows towards the wild."
"And do you know her identity?" the Chief raised a brow.
"Yes, Sir. From the shape of her passing silhouette, I reckon it was Amelia Luna-dynn, a dame I've noticed making quiet visits to the woods certain nights, although it was months ago. She is a lowly maiden of one of the cottages by the village. A damsel employed at the renowned Hildeth Dressmakers'. She is quite loved by her neighbourhood, I believe you may not know her person, but I can bring you reports of her, should you be concerned", the man was inclined in response.
"Was she safe despite the wolf attack?" the elder asked, knowing that it should have taken a pure miracle to have saved her recklessness.
"Yes, sir. There was no sign of humans consumed per the survey of the Hounds' carcases. The fangs were clean of human blood", the man reported.
The Duke stroked his beard, eyes pensive. He disliked the sound of the strange woman being in the heart of the vigilantism. He needed to dive deeper.
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