Who is that Masked Man?

Writers: Ames, Suzee
Date Posted: 19th March 2019

Characters: Wirnan, Bryvin
Description: A mysterious man appears at Sunstone Seahold clearly seeking something
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 9, day 27 of Turn 9

Wirnan

Bryvin

Time had past. Life had changed. The man he once was was not the man
he was today. Wirnan stood on the edge of a new beginning, literally
and figuratively. He'd been waiting for the boat to reach it's
destination for some days now. As it pulled into the docks, he stood
one foot resting on the edge, wondering what would lie ahead for him
here. He hadn't announced his coming. He felt it was best to move
about in secret still. Too many people were looking for him now. He
hoped this place would allow him to resume some sort of normalcy. It
had been too long. Far too long.

As the boat finally docked, Wirnan, hood pulled up around his head,
tossed a coin to the captain with a nod of thanks. Money wasn't the
issue, his identity was. He hadn't expected the turn of events his
life had taken, but one thing he'd learned these past few Turns was to
roll with the punches thrown his way.

He walked the docks for a bit, just taking in the people. He glanced
up to the Hold proper. He'd make his way there in time, but first he
needed to find out if what the Hold was like nowadays.

He paused to lean against a wall, pretending to fiddle with something
in his hands while he listened to the conversations going on around
him.

"No, the other warehouse wherryhead," a large sailor slapped the back
of a stevedore's head as he wheeled bags of who knows what down the
dock.

"Wut?' drifted back over the man's shoulder as he changed direction.

"Bolts of very fine cloth should go to the tailor's warehouse," called
another voice. "And those three crates go to the Merchant Taril's
storage," came a call from the ship itself. More workers appeared
unloading the ship into various warehouses along the waterfront.

A non-descript individual sat in the shadow of a building watching the
comings and goings and the stranger on the dock.

He had hoped to hear news that would allow him to know that _this_
would, in fact, be a safe location for him to remain before he
revealed himself. So far, what he heard was simply the normal hustle
and bustle of the docks. Frustrated, he threw down the small leaf he'd
been fiddling with, pushed off from the wall and began walking towards
the path that would eventually lead to the Hall. He'd take his time,
stop and observe often, before proceeding. Anyone watching might
notice the slight hitch to his step that wouldn't have been there
Turns ago. Life had changed him in more ways than one.

Bryvin liked to keep track of the new ships coming into the harbor and
he hadn't recognized the new one so he strode down toward the harbor
with Captain at his heels and a pair of guards shadowing him. His eyes
were on the sleek lines and the Topaz Seahold colors up her mast. The
corner of his mouth lifted, if they were getting traffic from that far
away the word was spreading about the goods they had for sale here at
Sunstone.

Wirnan had been casually watching, waiting and making his way slowly
towards the Hold. He had to find a way to let his cousin know he was
there, but how to do it had been weighing on his mind. Just then he
heard a bark and caught sight of a man striding with confidence
towards the docks. "Bryvin," he murmured quietly, unable to believe
his luck. It was just the person he needed.

Pushing off from the wall, he waited until the pair were closer. Still
half hidden by the shadows of the buildings, Wirnan got close enough
to speak to him.

"Excuse me," he said raising a hand toward Bryvin, "do you know where
I can get some good blackberries?"

Bryvin stopped and Captain sat next to his left foot as though it was
a practiced maneuver. Without looking around or at the man who'd
spoken he said "As far as I know they grow at High Reaches." He turned
slowly but put a hand out to halt the guards behind him.

Wirnan's breath caught. He remembered. He almost wanted to fall over
with relief. It had been a _long_ time since they'd practiced these
words.

"I was looking for some brandy, my friend," Wirnan stated as matter of
factly as he could. **Please, cousin, please help me,** his mind
whirled. He had been on the move for so long. He needed a place to
rest in safety.

Knowing there were always ears nearby Bryvin tilted his head. There
were two possible responses but for him there was really only one.
"You know," he turned to look at the man. "I believe I have a bottle."
He waved him forward with one hand. "Why don't you come with me."

The guards raised eyebrows and shrugged as the let the two men pass
then followed as the Lord went straight back up the hill toward the
main Hold.

Bryvin's mind spun. He'd heard his cousin had been killed and some
rumor about kidnapping or something he didn't remember exactly. Their
family was so spread out over the face of the globe that he hadn't
tried to keep track until he'd settled in Sunstone. He wanted to slap
the man's back in a big hug but from the code phrase, he realized
there was trouble and that might just paint a target on his back.
Especially if Sunstone were being watched.

"So, did you come in on that ship down there?"

**Praise the sun sisters, he remembers!** Wirnan let out the breath he
was holding. Bryvin kept a fast pace up the hill, one Wirnan did his
best to match. It put strain on the old, ill healed injury to his leg,
but he wasn't complaining. All he cared about now was he may find a
place of peace to rest a spell at last.

"Aye, took a hefty sum to convince them to bring me here," he
remarked, nearly crying tears of joy when the Hold doors came into
view.

Bryvin saw something of a limp but didn't comment on it and continued
the small talk as they walked up the hill. He called out to one of his
assistants. "Send for some refreshments and remember to include my
Blackberry Brandy." He did, in fact. have a small bottle in his room.
He'd sent for it on more than one occasion when he had a very late
night. Besides that, he figured his assistants would be scrambling to
try and find out who this man was but it was beyond them at this
point.

"Please," he waved a hand at a seat as he closed the door to his office.

Wirnan sank into the chair with a sigh of relief, rubbing at his sore leg.

"Shaffit, you walk fast," he murmured, pulling his hood down off his
face for the first time since arriving at Sunstone. "Thank the stars
you remembered that old code we made up as boys."

"Wirnan," he said not loud enough to be overheard. "I thought you were
dead." He grabbed his cousin's hand and pulled him up into a hearty
hug.

Last updated on the April 1st 2019

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Who is that Masked Man?