A Cold Investigation (part 1)

Writers: AL, Yvonne
Date Posted: 31st July 2008

Characters: Zathris, Dorrik, Harop
Description: Zathris and Dorrik investigate the death of the ovines.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 10, day 22 of Turn 4

Zathris

"You want to _what_?!" Dorrik thought that the cotholder's eyes would
bug out of his shiny bald head. Behind him a snot-nosed little girl
clung to the door of the cot and stared at the two strangers on their
runnerbeasts with wide blue eyes. A pair of black and white canines
watched the intruders warily, but didn't bark. "But they're _dead_."

The Beastcrafter glanced at Zathris for support. "They are, sir, but
the Steward from Amber Hills Hold wants me to check them over for
disease. You've lost ovines that this time of the turn for several
turns running, now, and the Hold doesn't want to keep helping you
replace your ovines if something can be done to stop their deaths in
the first place."

The cotholder - Harop - shook his head disbelievingly. "But they're
_dead_. A month ago. They've been buried and everything. Nobody's ever
ridden all the way out here before to look at dead animals, anyway. I
don't see why I need to dig through froze ground just to show you some
dead ovine."

Zathris stood, his arms crossed as he witnessed the exchange between
holder and beastcrafter. He fingered his cheek, then shrugged. "If we
are not allowed to verify cause of death, then I suppose we just won't
be able to help you replace anymore. I'm afraid you'll just have to
take the loss on your own." He nodded politely to Harop, then turned
and motioned for the Beastcrafter to follow him.

The farmer sighed. "That's blackmail, that is. Whatever makes you think
I'd lie about deaths in my herd, anyway?"

Zathris stopped and turned back to the farmer, his gaze level and
sharp. "These deaths occur around the same time every turn, and have
done so for at the very least five turns. No only do these deaths
occur around the same turn, the number of deaths is the same from turn
to turn. I find that highly suspicious. Wouldn't you?" Both eyebrows
raised, echoing the question, then he turned to leave once again.

"Fine. Fine!" Harop turned on his heel and stomped back toward his cot.
"I need to get my jacket if I have to be wandering around out in the
cold. Ma!" The child disappeared into the cot in the cotholder's wake
and left the two men standing holding their runnerbeasts by the head.
Dorrik glanced at Zathris. "The least he could have done was offer us
klah. It's been a sharding long ride!"

Zathris had a feeling that the cotholder would see reason if he thought
he might actually lose over the issue. The young man nodded grimly at
Dorrik. "Yes, well, we're questioning him and his honesty. It wouldn't
be proper to show any decency to those who are doing that, now would
it?" He held back a sigh, crossed his arms over his chest and waited
for the cotholder's return. A sharding long ride there and a sharding
long ride back. Zathris really didn't want to have to stay the night,
so he hoped they could get the issue resolved quickly.

"Even so, I'd still think it'd be common courtesy to provide us with a
little klah..." Dorrik muttered. A moment later Harop came stomping
out of his cot, glared at the two men, then set out for his barn. He
pointed to a rail, and Dorrik and Zathris tied their runners to it as
the cotholder went inside and returned with three shovels. "I hope you
_gentlemen_ aren't too proud to do a little work. You want to see a
dead ovine, you can sharding well dig it up yourself!"

Zathris ground his teeth, fighting the temper that threatened to flare
up at the man's obstinence but unable to hold back his stinging
retort. "I hope the cotholder doesn't find work to be beneath him. If
you want to see repayment for said ovines, you can sharding well help
us dig it up!"

"I brought out three shovels, didn't I?" The man rolled his eyes and
held out the tools. Dorrik took two and handed one to Zathris, before
smiling weakly and following the irate cotholder around the side of
the barn. The snow lay thickly between the trees, and it was a good
thing that Harop knew where the path was, otherwise it would never
have been found. They trudged along in silence for a while, the only
sounds being their laboured breath and the crunch of snow beneath
their boots.

Zathris ground his teeth, but managed to bite back a retort. He was
about ready to smack the fellow upside the head for his inconsiderate
treatment of both of them, not to mention his foul disposition. He
swallowed the curses that danced on his tongue and trudged after the
holder, temper smoldering.

Eventually they came to a small clearing with a depression in the snow.
Harop sniffed loudly and turned to face the other two men. "That's
where I bury the carcases. So the felines don't smell 'em and come
charging down out of the hills. Do you do this for _everyone_ now?
This the new Steward's rules?"

"Shut up and dig." Zathris wasn't going to have another round with
this fellow. The sooner Dorrik could exam the carcasses, the sooner
they could get out of there - and the less likely he was to punch the
holder. Zathris lifted the shovel and brought it down hard, burying
the blade deep in the snow and began to dig.

Last updated on the August 1st 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Cold Investigation (part 1)