(2024-07-21) Who Watches the Watchmen

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Author:	Disknight
Summary:	Bertrand, Silvestre, Alasia, and Lathrik go to Stormwind to ask the guards who attempted to apprehend Rozalin, Paul and Jimmy, a few questions for their investigation.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Cobalt Manhunt

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The group approaches a guardhouse in Stormwind City. With Sentinel Hill having been destroyed, much of the Westfall Brigade has found itself based outside of Westfall itself. However, in this case a pair of guards have been pulled aside for questioning regarding the murder of Elijah and Meredith Graufowl.

Bertrand Aspenwood waits outside for someone to take him to the correct room, idly spinning a copper coin between his fingers. He is dressed in well-worn leathers and wears his blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. His fingernails are too clean and his teeth are too nice for him to be mistaken as a vagrant.

Lathrik waits with him, leaning against the building, arms crossed, wearing a lazy smile. He knows the correct room, but he's only going there once.

Sil stands nearby, dressed in his usual leathers as well, but looking fairly clean and well-groomed.

A plain young woman dressed like a secretary approaches them, a little notebook and pen tucked into the pocket of her blouse. This is, on closer examination, Alaisa Lysander. "All set," she says, smiling at them. "I'm Ally. I'm here for transcription."

Birdie nods to her. "Lady Alaisa, do you know Lathrik Dinnsfield and Silvestre Silentstep?"

Ally smiles innocently. "I do! Shall we?"

Lathrik pushes away from the wall. "If we're all here, I'll have ye follow me. Keep yer hands an' eyes to yourselves, and let's not make a show of it."

He leads the way through the guardhouse, down several hallways and into a room tucked into a corner where the two guards from Westfall wait. There is a table in the room, and enough chairs for everyone to sit. Lathrik steps to one side, allowing everyone else to be seated first.

The pair of guards sit on the far end of the table, both looking rather worse for wear. Paul has his arms crossed with an indignant look while Jimmy stares at the floor.

Bertrand slips into a chair, leaning his elbows on the table. "Hey."

Alaisa sits down in a modestly ladylike way, brushing off her long skirt. She readies her tiny notebook and pencil.

Paul grunts at Bertrand. Jimmy mumbles something unintelligible, still looking at the floor.

"I'm Birdie." Bertrand looks between the two of them. "Who's who?"

"Name's Paul. And this here's Jimmy." Paul gestures to the man beside him with his thumb. "Hear you folks are workin on brinin that Rozalin in, yeah?"

Sil takes a seat next to Bertrand and smiles encouragingly. He stays silent, assuming Bertrand will take the lead.

Lathrik remains standing in the back, arms folded loosely. "We're here to ask some questions, yeah," he says casually. "Of both ye. I'd like to remind Jimmy to speak up, so the good lady can hear him."

"Afraid he ain't much for talkin these days. Doctor still tryna fix him up a new set of teeth." Paul adds.

"Did a number on 'im did she? Fierce one," Lathrik observes.

"Yeah, we're gonna find her and get to the bottom of this." Birdie makes a sympathetic face. "That's rough, man."

Alaisa gets up picks up her chair. She moves around the table to sit down closer to Jimmy. "I'm a good listener," she says, "but I know some sounds are hard to make without teeth. I'll fill in what I can, and ask if I'm not sure."

Jimmy looks up at Alaisa and nods. His expression lightens up a bit.

"I sure hope we can help ya find her. Not safe with folk like her wanderin around." Paul says.

Alaisa smiles at Jimmy before she begins to write in an illegible shorthand.

Birdie nods to Paul. "Hope so too. Let's take this from the very top, okay? Since you two were first on the scene of the crime. Can you tell me what you saw and heard when you approached?"

Lathrik relaxes against the wall, closing his eyes. Is he… sleeping?

"Well when we came by, it was not too long after all hell broke loose in Sentinel Hill." Paul clears his throat and adjusts in his seat, "Was a bit of a panic so we didn't wanna take any chances there might be a second wave, ya hear. Someone slipped us a note saying that Rozalin was with the Defias."

"All hell broke loose all right," Birdie says, grimacing. "Was the note submitted into evidence?"

Paul nods, "Sure was. Can't tell who sent it in for the life of us, but it was our only lead. Turned out to be true, though, so I gotta thank whoever stuck out their neck to snitch on em."

"I'll want to see that note later," Ally says to Lathrik.

"Who handed you the note? Another member of the militia?" Birdie asks. "Do you remember what it said, specifically?"

Paul shakes his head, "No one handed it over. Got dropped practically on our doorstep. Found it just a couple minutes before the Defias reared their heads." Paul scratches his whiskers, "Just said something bout how Rozalin Graufowl was a Defias agent that had infiltrated Cobalt Company."

"Was the note placed on the ground, or in a more secure location?" Lathrik asks. "Outside, or inside?"

"Was just stuffed in the mailslot." Paul shrugs, "Like I'm tryna say, we ain't got much to go off of here."

Birdie nods. "Okay. So what then?"

"We tried to take it up to Stoutmantle to see what he made of it, but before we knew it the whole town's on fire." Paul gestures dramatically with his hands, "When we finally are able to see him he tells us to look into it. I don't gotta tell y'all that we can't take another hit like that."

Sil shows a flicker of surprise when they claim her as an infiltrator, but he listens attentively as the story continues.

"As far as we know, Rozalin's been outta town for bout a week or so, so I'm gettin all worried wonderin what she's been up to. But we head of to see if old Eli knows where she's been, but that's where it really turns south." Both men get sullen at the thought of what comes next in the story, "We get to the house and the door's been busted off and inside's been stripped of anything that weren't nailed down. Finally we get outside and we see none other than Rozalin Graufowl covered in blood sittin over Eli and Meredith's bodies!"

"Light preserve them," Birdie says automatically. "How was she positioned when you saw her?"

"Just hunched over em both I think."

"The murder weapon, I understand, wasn't at the scene," Lathrik says. "You got any ideas on where it went?"

"Were the bodies face-up, face-down, or on their sides?" Birdie asks.

Jimmy shakes his head at Lathrik.

"Face up, I think. Looked like she dragged em out next to one another for Light knows why." Paul sighs, "And yeah, we never did find the murder weapon. Wouldn't be surprised if she hit it on that horse she said she got, or maybe a friend took off with it."

"The Defias do a lot of house robberies these days?" Sil asks curiously.

Jimmy's eyes darken and he looks back down at the floor.

Paul grimaces, "We got a bunch of similar cases, yeah."

"Organization's gotta have money to run," Lathrik says, nodding.

"Huh," Sil says, considering. "You'd think they'd hit over in Elwynn, where there's more to take. Folk in Westfall haven't got much."

Birdie sighs. "So when you saw Rozalin, what did she say to you? Or did you speak first?"

"First we just made sure we got the right gal. Asked who she was. Thought I recognized her but I needed to make sure."

"How was she acting?" Birdie asks. "Upset, afraid, angry?"

"Seemed a little jumpy to be honest. It's what put me off at first. I didn't wanna believe it." Paul looks over to Jimmy and they both nod in agreement, "Yeah, nervous is probably the best word to describe it. Looked like she'd been crying before we showed up but we musta spooked her out of it."

Birdie nods. "How well did you two know Rozalin and Mr. and Mrs. Graufowl?"

"Pretty well." They both lighten up a little reminiscing on the subject, "They were real good people. Eli would give a man the shirt off his back. Think I seen him do it once too."

"Hey hepped uh boh a loh bah in tah dey." Jimmy adds. He is missing five teeth in the front of his mouth.

"'They helped us both a lot back in the day,'" Ally says smoothly. She flashes Jimmy another smile.

"And Rozalin?" Sil asks. "Know her pretty well?"

"Only in passing." Paul's expression hardens again, "She's been doing a lot of mercenary work out here for next to nothin, which has made her pretty popular around town. That and helpin out at the soup kitchen. Started a few bar fights too, but we'd been overlooking em because of all she was doing."

Birdie nods. "I met her once at the soup kitchen," he says to Sil. "All the kids there knew her." He's not talking to the guards at the moment, but he isn't whispering, either.

To Paul and Jimmy, Birdie asks, "So what happened then?"

Sil nods, not seeming surprised.

"Well I could see in her eyes she was up to no good being all shook up like that. She got somethin on her mind other than her ma and pa right then." Paul says.

"I hed we needeh thoo mahh hur." Jimmy tries to speak.

Paul nods, "So we get to askin her a few questions. She's yellin and cussin at us all the while and tryin my patience, but eventually she lets us put her in irons so we can take her way. But fore we leave I wanted to make sure she ain't got nothin dangerous on her that she might pull when we ain't lookin. While we be doing that she's gone all worked up beggin us to stop. Went pale as a ghost and her body got all cold and sweaty. I knew somethin was up and I got my proof when I took that red bandana out of her back pocket."

"Sounds like she forgot she had it," Lathrik says.

"Did you find anything else during the search?" Birdie asks. "Weapons? Anything that might have been taken from the house?"

"Not on her, no. She must have had friends with her earlier. There was no way one person could have made all that mess."

Sil looks at the two guards, troubled, as they describe searching a terrified, cuffed girl begging them to stop.

"Some friends, huh? Leavin' a girl with evidence on 'er to cry over her dead folks," Lathrik says. He still wears a casual, lazy smile.

Paul shoots Lathrik a knowing look, "That them Defias for ya. Rotten as ever."

"Almost like they wanted her to get caught," Sil says quietly.

Birdie nods to Sil. "How did she react when you found that bandana?"

"She just froze." Paul throws his hands up, "Tried to ask her bout it but she ain't got nothin to say." He scoffs, "Nothing she could say."
"We tried to coax some answers out of her. But she got pretty belligerent after that. Tried to give us some sob story bout how one of the Hazan boys was givin her a hard time while she was in there." Paul grunts and crosses his arms, "I ain't got much pity for folk who are rubbin elbows with a good for nothin like that."

"While she was 'in there'?" Birdie raises his brows. "Did she say she was with the Defias? As much of what she said as you can recall would be helpful."

"She did everything but outright say it. Gave us another sob story bout how she was tryin to make up for what she did." Paul is clearly not very convinced.

"I heard," Lathrik says, "an' don't mind me, I'm not from Westfall, but I heard there were a few Hazans in Cobalt Company, and that it means a different thing there. Like those are… quality Hazans or somethin'. There such a thing?"

"Yeah, I heard the boy been turnin over a new leaf and all, but she clearly ain't talkin bout him how worked up she got over it. Probably Tony or Will, I'd guess." Paul nods.

"Ben Hazan is about the best sort of person you can hope to rub elbows with, and his aunt as well," Sil says mildly. "I never knew any of the Westfall ones, but I heard of the reputation. Reckon they might've given her a hard time."

"That still don't excuse being part of no Defias Brotherhood." Paul says obstinately.

Birdie clears his throat. "Let's not ask any leading questions until Paul and Jimmy are done with their retelling, okay? What happened next?"

Sil looks like he could say a bit more, but he falls obediently silent.

Alaisa has become a silent presence at the table already, just listening and writing.

Paul picks up and continues, "Well with her kickin and screamin like she was we had to rough her up a bit before we could take her away safely. Besides, I wasn't about to let whatever went down there slide. But she's trickier than she looks and ends up gettin a second wind outta nowhere and kicks Jimmy's teeth in. Squares off with me too, makin some crude comments bout the guard and the king. Manages to knock me out and take the keys to the irons." Paul sighs in frustration, "Blacked out after that. Couldn't tell ya where she went next. All I know is when we came to she was gone."

Lathrik's fingers twitch slightly, but he nods along with the story. "So ye roughed up a girl in irons an' she turned it around on ye? Mercenaries, aye? Never know what they're gonna do."

"So she turned violent once you made it clear you didn't believe her story, is that correct?" Birdie checks.

"What are you talkin about? She clearly got Defias ties. What's there not to believe?" Paul throws his hands up again.

Birdie blinks. "I'm trying to clarify when she went from letting herself get arrested to actively resisting arrest, that's all."

"Well after we were roughin her up to take her to the Stocks." Paul answers.

Birdie nods. "So she said she had a horse, but the two of you never saw the horse, is that correct?"

"Maih hab been a hwap." Jimmy offers.

Paul nods, "Yeah. We hadn't looked round there yet to see if she was tellin the truth about the horse because we thought thr rest of the goons might have been hiding there."

"Might or might not have gotten away on horseback, got it." Birdie nods. "What did the two of you do when you woke up?"

"Got sent back here." Paul says bitterly and shifts uncomfortably in his seat, "Weren't in much shape to help out at the time. Lucky she didn't kill us."

"Yeah," Birdie says. "Must'a been rough. What happened to that red bandana of hers?"

Paul sighs, "She must have took it. Couldn't find the thing when we came to."

"Huh, okay." Birdie leans back in his chair for a few moments, thinking, then sits forward with his arms on the table again. "Did you see any harvest watchers out in the field?"

“Yeah. There was the two of em. One looked like it’d been busted up though.”

"Think the Defias did for it?" Lathrik asks. "Or maybe the girl herself?"

“What’s the difference?” Paul asks sourly.

"See, thing is," Birdie says, "If she didn't kill her parents, and I don't see why she would've done that and then brought their bodies outside the house for some reason, then there's some other Defias bastards out there who did and might've set her up to take the fall for it. And I don't like the idea of Mr. and Mrs. Graufowl's murderers going unpunished."

“I ain’t want that neither. I’m just not feelin too optimistic after hearing bout what Vanessa did to the Furlbrows.” Paul and Jimmy both go quiet for a minute. “If you need any help bringin any of them in, let us know.”

"I heard she didn't do it herself, Vanessa," Lathrik says. "That true? That she hired some folk? Again, I dunno, the Westfall situation's not my area. Just seems it'd take a different sort to do for your own, especially good people like the Graufowls, aye? I'd like to know what we're dealin' with."

“That’s what they say, yeah. Maybe that’s why she stayed behind. Havin some second thoughts.”

"I was there at Sentinel Hill when she confessed," Birdie says to Lathrik. "Yeah, she hired folks. She said the Furlbrows recognized her. She was afraid they'd blow her cover as Hope Saldean."

"Second thoughts, aye," Lathrik nods. "Then in your opinion, would ye say Rozalin's a monster? One that could do for her folks by her own hand after they raised her an' all? A true butcher?"

Paul seems to waver a bit at that, “Maybe not that far. But as to raising her she disappeared when she was ten. Only came back a few months ago.” He raises an eyebrow, “But I got a pretty good idea why that is now.”

"She came back so she could join the Defias," Lathrik says readily. "An' take out her folks, and beat up the two of you, who saw her with all kinds of evidence — but not kill ye — so you'd have a tale to tell of why she should be feared. A lass like that… what d'you think she'd be plannin' next?"

“I’d be afraid to guess. If wager meeting up with some friends to go and bring the hurt on Stormwind. That’s been the Brotherhood’s goal all along.” Paul guesses.

Birdie looks at Paul and Jimmy. "Do you folks believe in rehabilitation?" he asks. "She gotta answer for what she's done, yeah, but do you believe that someone who done wrong deserves the chance to try and make up for it?"

Sil looks at them curiously.

Paul and Jimmy stop and scratch their heads for a second. “I mean I guess so. But I’ll believe it when I see it. Last few years have taught me to be pretty cynical I’m afraid.” Paul says. Jimmy nods in agreement.

"World makes it hard sometimes," Sil says nodding. "But we've just got to do our best to make it better, yeah? And thanks for talking with us today. I bet it'll help."

“I’m hoping so.” Paul says, “Best of luck with the rest of the investigation.” Jimmy nods along with him.

"Thanks," Birdie says, smiling at them. He looks at the others, then pushes up to his feet.