A Treasure Hunt

Meren noted there was air coming from under the door, which meant somewhere down there, was a way to the outside of this place. Nothing like a mystery. She took out the keys and eyeballed them til she found one that was..different. The key slid in as if it knew its way home without aid. A smooth turn and the tumbler clicked, the door swung open , inviting them past.

"Perfect," she said taking her place in front of them as she led the way. "We must continue down this flight of stairs. Watch your step. Tis slippery wi' mold, it seems."

Meren frowned. "You should let me go first then"

"Ye fret too much, M'lady." She placed her hand on the stone wall to steady herself as the stairs curved around. The slime on her hands was not inviting...but she kept silent.

She nodded. "yeah I do, good reason" shaking her head, she would at least stay Close.

The three took the remaining stairs carefully and slowly. Reaching the bottom, Caillie stopped. "Tis to th'.....left....nae...th' right."

Kyriah kept behind and followed them down, smiling at the protective words of Meren and the stubbornness of the Queen.

"Th' right.." she reaffirmed.

Light poured in behind them from the torches Kyriah had set afire as they descended.

"Now will you let me go first then?" too much unknown down for her overprotective nature. She threw her hands up and followed.

She began the long walk down the hallway, certain if she were to stop quickly, both ladies would crash into her. She spat away a mouthful of cobwebs. "There is nothing down here bu' us, Meren...or if there is, tis down at our feet!"

"Or on the walls, or creeping along the ceiling."

Kyriah's smile grew then faded as she looked about them. The stench was strong and unrecognizable to her. Here, all the doors were closed.

"Nae much further," she continued walking. "Here!....This is th' room we need." Stopping before the door, she took a deep breath. There was a small sign etched above the door handle. She was certain this room led to where they needed to be.

She almost did run into the Queen, her attention more on what was around them instead of in front of her. "uh..locked door?"

"Nae..." She reached for the rusty latch. It didn't move.

She took a moment to look around at the dungeon-like place. Not even a fit place for the dead. Water dripped down onto her face and she signed. Next, creepy things would be trying to take up residence in her hair.

She braced her feet and using both hands, the latch finally slid.

The echo of the metal latch as it gave way reminded her of groans of pain. Her eyes were opened wide in anticipation.

It took more effort than usual to push the door open. The creak was unnerving. Caillie held the torch high and quickly surveyed the room.

The wood was swollen from moisture, and the hinges were in very bad shape.

Small rustling noises seemed to reach their ears but Kyriah reasoned them as mice or rats because she felt nothing out of the ordinary and no shadow demons were present.

She took a few more steps deeper into the room. She circled, holding the torch a bit lower. "There! The rock...it holds th' secret ye seek. It must be moved tae gain entry." She looked down at the small cuts on her hand from the rusty latch. "Aye..."

As they stepped in, the room was unusual. It did not seem big enough. When Caillie spoke, it made sense. There was yet another room. Kyriah with her torch walked over to where Caillie had indicated. "This rock?" Kyriah
laid her hand on the protruding rock, though it looked very natural in it's positioning, and would push. The rock did nothing at first then finally pushed inward. A horrendous noise ensued as the rock wall before them shook the whole room and it began to slide back in two panels. Kyriah stepped back and close to the Queen. Her hand on her dagger once more.

"Duchess? Your workroom awaits ye." She teased as the two ladies looked stiff with fear.

She watched the two of them with pride. Amazing examples of Solurian women. She nodded, and stepped in, heart in throat and torch in hand.

"I know nae wha' lies beyond...wha' Ashly might ha' left undone. Prepare yourselves."

As Meren entered first and held up her torch, she would see what looked like a rock alter. A flat table stained dark in areas. Cobwebs draped from it to the floor. Next to it was a wooden table that held what appeared to be surgical instruments also covered in cobwebs. As the light was held higher, they would see wooden shelves along the walls that held many containers. Blown clear glass vessels, with odd items within many of them, lined the shelves. Again covered in cobwebs.

In the far corner there would be a bookcase that held scrolls and leather bound books, covered in dust thick enough to hide the engraved letters. In the other so called corner of the round tower, would be another door that was closed.

On the floor would stand several metal pans of different sizes. The whole room was eerie and unlike any medical room any of them had seen outside this one room. Kyriah circled looking about. "What did she do here?"

"Her.....work." The words were simply said.

Meren had seen similar rooms, none this archaic though. "Dissected dead bodies" Why beat around the bush. It was known, and it was needed.

"Ye make it sound so crude, M'lady. There was much knowledge gained within this room."

Caillie's words seemed to echo. Then at Meren's words, Kyriah would look in her direction. "But it is not permitted to desecrate a body once it ceases to function in most religions."

She held her arms tightly wrapped to her chest as she stood, recalling what Ashly had shown her. A smile creased her face. "Your Mother did nae seek permission, Kyriah."

The closed door held her interest and to it she went...but she turned to face the Queen. "It is crude Majesty. To invade a human body after death, to examine it as if it never mattered that the person was a mother, father or child loved by another. But it is so very important to do. One must develop a certain callous to do the job"

Kyriah thought about that. She had never thought of her mother as a rebel and had never met anyone who did.

"It was done o' love, Meren...there was nae a callous bone in Ashly's body."

She was a Rebel with a cause, a just cause. "No Majesty..callous as in a very, very tough hide, so as not to feel the pain of what you do so easily" Nodding she again turned to the closed door.

"Then why? Why would she do something that was forbidden? She was a respected healer?"

"Tae save th' lives o' many, Kyriah. Tae find th' reason for unexplained deaths. Many were saved in th' end...tho her road was difficult."

Kyriah looked to her then turned and walked to the bookcase. Her torch held up, she perused the books and scrolls that were sleeping there. She began to move the cobwebs away.

Meren tried to door handle, and found it locked. The keys fished out, she managed to get it undone with the very last key on the ring. "Ladies do me a favor..I'm going to see what is beyond this door. If you see a pair of pants go flying by..don't grab them.. " swallows hard, "I will be in them"

Caillie could be of little more help to them from this point on. "Take care, Meren." She bit her bottom lip.

Kyriah barely heard Meren's words as she reached for a large leather bound book. She had to put the torch to the side in a holder to get it down. She would brush the dust from it then look up. "Wait! Meren! This is it! This is
the journal!"

When the door opened, cold air hit her and she shivered hard. Something wet and sticky hit her face and she muttered. " now she tells me" This was a new stairway going Up and likely out to the fresh clean world. It would wait to be explored later, so she closed the door and relocked it.

Caillie moved close and nodded. "Aye...it appears tae be th' one presented as evidence at th' trial. I recognize th' seal on th' cover."

Kyriah, with trembling hands would undo the leather strap from the grommet that held it shut and opened it to the first few pages. Standing under the torch she would read a little aloud. "I do this for all human kind for without knowledge, we cannot move forward. Aisling Marie Sheehan Reinhardt, Royal Healer and Commander of the ROoH in the land of Solurius. In servitude to King Byon Meldrum III." She looked up to Caillie

She nodded slowly.

Kyriah looked to Meren.

She looked around the room and shivered. Such a loss. Grey eyes rose to meet the girls.

"An' in th' end, she did it wi' our blessing." Her voice was soft.

(FYI, the part of the invisble ribbitting frog was played by Val)

As Meren worked the key to the lock on the door and opened it up, the creaking was loud and it was obvious no one had passed through the door in a long time. The musty smell of the underground area would waft up and meet both the women's nostrils at once. Meren looked to Kyriah and Kyriah would meet her gaze but nothing was said. Kyriah picked up one of the torches by the door and handed it to Meren then picked up the other on the other side of the door. As they descended down, they would see a spiral, narrow staircase, and could not see past the curve of the spiral before them. Kyriah would light the affixed torches that were placed at a good distance along the way. "Gee, could use some cleaning huh?" Her words echoed as did the tapping of their shoes on the stairs. Cobwebs would have to be pulled down or burned through as they descended the long staircase.

She had to laugh at the girls words. Otherwise she was not sure what she might say. Clean. She had been working the poor helpers day and night to clean the Tower, remove the stench of death, of that War. Some times she believed it was only her. A scent she would carry all her days. Other times, she realized it was just the way of things. Fresh air, sunshine and hope. She believed deeply in all three, and soon she would bring that belief down here, along
with some elbow grease and soap.

After what seemed a hundred steps, they would finally come to the first submerged floor. Kyriah would step up and light a few of the torches in the larger room. Hallways would spiral out from the main corridor but they were darkened. Kyriah was curious but what lay within them. "Where do we begin to look Meren?"

She looked around and around. She hated dark, dank places. She was not sure why, and not even sure if it was the right direction, but she pointed left. "that way".

Kyriah would look in the direction she pointed as though studying the darkness for several minutes. She saw no shadow demons nor sensed any evil so she turned back to Meren. "That way it shall be then." She stepped in the direction just left of them and began to light the torches on the walls as they went. Each time she passed a room, she would hold her torch up to discover they were rooms filled with supplies or empty beds. Kyriah would search the room with her eyes but they just did not seem like they would be logical hiding places for her mother's journal. No books were in any of the rooms that she could see.

"They actually kept patients down here." it was not a question but a statement of what could only appear..obvious. It made her shudder. She motioned Kyriah to turn back. "not this way."She did however take out a dagger that she always carried, and scratched as deep into the stone as she could..an X. Chuckles. "Breadcrumbs"

"I think you are right. I don't think this way will get us where we need to be." She watched Meren and nodded to her to show she was impressed. "Good idea." Then she let Meren lead the way back that was now lit by the torches.

She knew they needed to go down, but the next staircase was not jumping out at them. Then again, it wouldn't. Logic would dictate, it would be hidden, or secured from prying eyes. "Kyriah, is there anything you can tell me about this place, or your mother, or these rooms that might help?"

"hmmm..." Kyriah tried to remember being in the tower as a young girl but she was most sure she had never been in this part. Her and Caliban had almost made it down 10 steps one time but were caught by their nanny and scolded and brought upstairs. Her eyes opened wide at the memory for she had not recalled it before. She looked to Meren. "I just have nothing Duchess. Oh wait...I do remember something...Papa...he was talking with Mother one night and I...
I..." She would sigh heavily in exasperation. "..I can't remember. I'm sorry."
She nods slowly. She would not push. Smiling gently she gestured at the place they stood. "Best part of being a nosey female, we don't mind looking around."

Kyraih would laugh. "I have always enjoyed the art of exploration. Though it gets me in trouble often."

Fiona seemed reluctant to allow the Queen passage to find Meren and Kyriah. Finally extracting the information from her, she refused to be guided, telling her she knew the way.

The stairs would need to be close, and not readily visible. She was on the verge of uttering NonDuchess like epithets in at least two languages.

She tread carefully, thankful the torches were still light. She swept her hand in front of her face, dislodging the cobwebs.

As they neared the staircase they had descended down, Kyriah would touch Meren's arm. "Shhhh, you hear that? Sounds like footsteps."

She paused to listen for voices...but nothing...so she continued down toward the first sublevel. "Dear Goddess," she muttered to herself. "Wha' in th' world are these two up to!"

They were echoed foot falls and they stopped then picked up again, getting louder. Kyriah reached down for one of her daggers as her heartbeat picked up. She stepped in front of Meren out of habit as a warrior. Kyriah heard a woman's voice but did not pick up that it was the Queen. She stood ready for anything with dagger held up.

She didn't exactly freeze, but she listened, then grinned. "mhmm dainty royal footsteps" Meren put a staying hand out to the girl " relax, it is the Queen" Moving on to the base of the stairs.

Kyraih would look at her with raised brow. "The Queen? What the..."

Meren had a unnerving sense of hearing, or awareness, because she just smiled up to her friend. "Majesty, let me help you." ascending the steps.

Caillie rounded the next set of steps, when she saw two figures! "Dear Goddess!!!" she screamed!

Blinks " nono..wait..its just us" holding up her hands in a form of surrender.

Her hand clutched her heart, finally recognizing the duo.

Caillie's scream would cause Kyriah to jump but as she saw it was indeed Caillie, she placed her dagger back up. She looked up the staircase to see if she brought anyone with her.

"I am alone...there is no one with me," she quickly replied seeing Kyriah's dagger.

Kyriah would bow her head to the Queen. "Your Majesty, what are you doing here?"

"I might ask th' same o' ye," finally gaining her composure. "Fiona said I could find Meren here...but I expected her to be further down."

Kyriah raised a brow at the Queen then looked to Meren and smiled.

"I would be, if I knew where I was going" goes back to the second floor landing and waits on the Queen.

"Wha' is it ye are looking for, Duchess.....an' a fine evening tae ye both" she added with a laugh.

"The Duchess told me of her..room. We just never quite got around to visiting" She glanced to Kyriah, licked dry lips and then smiled nervously to the Queen. " A book..and a room"

Kyraih watched Caillie's face to read her expressions. Did she understand that it was the room where her mother would... The thought trailed away.

She narrowed her eyes a bit as she looked between the two of them. "As I suspected.....THE room. Aye...I know the way. Follow me."

A sigh of relief for now maybe they would get some answers and find the treasure they sought.

Nods and lifts the torch up so she could see better.

She turned to her right, then turned back to them. "We will need a torch."

Nods and hands it to the Queen.

"Thank ye, lass." Again, she waved her hand in front of her, sweeping away the cobwebs.

Kyriah would bring up the rear and light the torches on the walls as they passed by so they would have the light on the way back.

"Stay close...I know it is too the right here. There should be another staircase."

Kyriah peered into the rooms as they passed by, finding more storage items and more empty beds.

She was sufficiently creeped out by now. She had this nagging feeling at the back of her neck that something was staying close to them all. Moving along the wall. She was imagining things, spiders, creepy things were down here. She suspected even small hungry frogs were around as well.

All doors were left open and spaced exactly so many feet apart. It was very odd it seemed.

"There should be a door..."

Muttered something about should be a lot of things, but weren't. Blinked at the sound of a frog. Yeah, she needed a nice quiet vacation.

To their left in the shadows was a large oaken door but it was closed tight and just out of the torches light.

At that point, the torch in her hand began to flicker. "Over here!"

Kyriah would bring her eyes from one of the rooms to Caillie and walk a little faster to see what she had found.

the large oak door came into light. "Now...if we can open it the staircase will lead us down."

She was about a step and a half behind the Queen and turned to look at the closed portal to a dangerous place. "I just happen to have some keys"

Kyriah smiled at Meren then looked to Caille. "Shall we ladies?"

Caillie stepped back, allowing Meren access to the door.

((tbc))

Kyriah had entered the Sheehan Tower and told a worker her purpose. She waited patiently by the circular fountain, eyeing the four cloaked statues that sat around its perimeter. The worker had gone to retrieve the Duchess for her.

The girl only had to call the Duchess four times before Meren realized who she was talking to. She didn't hesitate to go to where Kyriah was waiting. "Well hello there. This is a nice surprise" and it really was.
The invitation had been out for her to come visit for some time, Meren was starting to think it was too uncomfortable for the girl.

Kyriah gave what could be construed as a smile to the Duchess then nodded her head in respect. "I am sorry Duchess, I have been so busy with NightWind's reconstruction and all." She left out the part that there was a bit of anxiety that built within her when she came to the tower or the compound. "It's very good to see you."

"Its good to see you as well. I will admit I am confused about the reason for your visit. Something about books?" She had some extra cleaning going on. Post winter scrubbing, and the place was almost a beehive of activity.

"Aye, I have so far located two of my mother's journals but there is one I have not." She leaned in to speak low. "It would be the one that jogged her work on cadavers."

Lips pursed as brows raised a moment. " And where do you think she might have put it?" Motioning for Kyriah to walk with her. Keeps others from eavesdropping as easy.

"Well, I found the others easily enough when cleaning out her office but I think perhaps she would have kept that one a bit more obscure. I would like to search her office one last time or maybe the library."

She would look to the tower library doors. It was massive and set up where the shelves of books, scrolls and such were in a pinwheel around the room.

"I would like to go over that book myself. She had quite a few radical notions for a Lady in this place, and time." she caught a "nurse" and left instructions not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. Then Meren escorted Kyriah to the library.

She would follow Meren's lead. "Actually Meren, I was thinking of having them all copied. I have been given the name of a scholar would copy them all for me. I would allow you to keep a copy here in the compound for reference if you would like. Then I would keep the originals with me at NightWind. In the tunnels."

"Scholar? Anyone I know?" though pretty sure she didn't. " I am ok with that. They were your mothers, you should have the originals"

"I am not sure you would. He is an educator at Cambridge University of Scholars." She stood and eyed the enormous library, not knowing where to start. Hands would go to her hips as she looked around. "I believe his name is Janson". There were four hearths within the library at each point of the compass and all were lit.

It was a most pleasant and inviting room. Daunting to say the least, if you wanted a book though. "Are you sure she would risk That book being in here?"

Kyriah looked confused. She would sigh then looked to Meren. "No, I have no idea where she would have put it. I don't think it would have been at NightWind before......before the Demons came." It was still difficult for her tospeak of the incident without becoming enraged.

She looked Up, then over and back down. Really down. "Would she have kept it where she...studied the bodies?"

Kyriah's eyes got big for that was a perfectly feasible idea. But she had no idea where that was. "Duchess, that is probably where it is but I have no idea where she did that type of work at. I was told it was kept very quiet due to the anger the people of the Moors felt when first it was discovered. She had to go to trial is what I am told."

Nods and tried to recall where Aisling said it was. "Down...stairs? "

Again Kyriah's eyes would light up. "Of course, she would want a place no one goes to. Underground would be perfect. How would we get there?"

Her face screwed up some, wishing she had explored more. "maybe one of the older nurses would know?" Blast, where was that sweet smelling apparition when you needed her.

Kyriah was excited now for if there was lower levels, perhaps it would be the perfect place for her mother to keep the book. Away from prying eyes.

She excused herself for the moment. Leaving Kyriah to explore a small part of her mothers former Domain. Meren ran to the office and rummaged the desk for a moment.

Kyriah did explore with her eyes and tried hard to bring forth memories of when she was a small child but it was very hard. Faintly she remembered her mothers office and personal quarters but very faintly.

After a very frustrating conversation with an overly starched nurse, Meren returned. Mumbling something about taking over jobs from Legends.

Kyriah would tilt her head. "duchess is everything alright?"

" Yeah, just having a bit of trouble getting folks used to me. Everyone here that remembers your Mother is still Very loyal to her." manages a little smile. " But I did get the keys, and directions."

Kyriah would meet her eyes and read her face and thought how difficult it must be for Meren. Kyriah spoke little of her relationship with her mother. It had not been so good before she left and still did not reek of love. "Meren..." she dropped the formalities. "...I know Mother was well respected as she should be for her healing and leadership but you will find your way and she will be forgotten in time." She would smirk. "you should petition the king to
rename the Tower. I mean, mother's name was not Sheehan when she ... departed this world and it might help to open eyes to a new Commander." She would follow Meren as they began to walk again.

((tbc))