A normal patrol... or not

[Ceniel]

Timestamp: 20th of Immanis, Era XIV, Post Fractum


Ceniel walked out of the guard house and walked around the town following his route. It was a warm night and Ceniel was enjoying his rounds. He walked by several abandoned houses and shook his head. When he passed them he perked up a little and relaxed in the warm air.

[Aqua]

It was a quiet night. Spring was in the air -- and Enamoria was a beautiful place in the springtime. Indeed, as Ceniel began his rounds, he would find that everything seemed to be in order. The pedestrians who were still out were well-behaved, the lamps were lit, and all was as it should be.

Well, except for the child. It was a relatively small child, and its face was exceedingly dirty. At this very moment, he happened to be running down the street at extreme speed. He also wasn't looking where he was going, for he plowed right into Ceniel. A low "Ooooof!" escaped his lips, and he looked up at the guardsman with wide eyes.

[Ceniel]

Ceniel had been listening to the crowd with mild interest when the child ran into him. He took a step back then looked at the child. He saw his dirty face and went down on a knee and asked "Whats your name and why were you runnning?" He smiled and would listen to the child say why. Ceniel was worried about the child. He knew there were slums in the city but he still didn't believe people could live so badly. If the child didn't answer he would say "It's ok, you can trust me." Ceniel's left hand was close to his sword, far enough away to make it look natural but close enough to use it if he had to.

[Aqua]

"I'm Tobi," the dirty-looking boy said reflexively. He seemed to recognize that Ceniel was a guardsman, for he didn't seem particularly concerned about Ceniel's interrogating him. He did, however, look behind him nervously, though there didn't seem to be anything for him to see.

"And...Kiki and I were playing, and someone started chasing us. I think I lost him...but I lost Kiki too. I'd better go find her dad and see if she went home." The child spoke extremely rapidly, so much so that he could be understood only with difficulty.

Nevertheless, he looked up at Ceniel with an expression that indicated that this should all make perfect sense. Then he glanced backward again. He didn't start running again though -- he was waiting for Ceniel to say something.

[Ceniel]

Ceniel listened to Tobi tell him why he was running. Several thoughts raced in his. His face scrunched up, he was thinking. I can't just left this child go back the way he came. When obviously something was chasing him. I think I will ask to follow him. Ceniel put his hand on the childs shoulder and said "May I come with you, I would like to speak with Kiki's father. Is that OK?" Ceniel waited for the answer. If it was yes he would go with the child. If it was no however he would shadow the child far enough away so he couldn't hear him but close enough to keep him in sight and if necessary protect him. One more thought when through his head as he followed the child It's strange how it's a nice day, all the crimes i have heard of were at night. Ceniel wasn't naive enough to think crimes only happened after dark, he just thought it more likely.

[Aqua]

It was certainly dark by the time they arrived at Kiki's house. Tobi had mumbled some kind of assent, and led Ceniel through a maze of streets, coming out on an avenue within the shadow of the graveyard. The boy stopped at a house, one with a light in the window. He rapped sharply on the door, and in a moment, someone opened the door.

It was a middle-aged rodenti, though with his back to the light, it was hard to tell what kind. "Is Kiki home?" Tobi asked, not waiting for Ceniel to say anything before barging into the conversation.

"No," the rodenti said. "I thought she was with you. But I see you've brought someone else with you." He stopped, waiting for Ceniel to introduce himself and state his business.

[Ceniel]

Ceniel watched the way through the maze of streets untill they came to the house. When the Rodenti answered the door he smiled and let Tobi talk first. When the Rodenti said Kiki had not returned hime he frowned and looked and Tobi for a second. When the Rodenti looke dat him he smiled and said "My name is Ceniel. I work for the city guards, Tobi ran into me and told me that man had chased him and Kiki. I asked to come back here with him to see if he was with you. " Ceniel glanced and Tobi to see if that was right. Then continued "Now that we have found out that she is not with you, I would like to ask your permission to search for her, incase she is hurt." Ceniel looked at the Rodenti and waited. He was worried about the little girl, and hoped she was alright.

[Aqua]

Tobi nodded his assent, indicating that Ceniel was telling the truth. A frown came over the face of Kiki's father, and he looked back and forth from Ceniel, to Tobi, and to Ceniel again.

"Again?" he asked unhappily. "I'm not happy to have to disturb the guard again, but if you feel that it's for the best, any help you would offer in finding her would be appreciated." Tobi squirmed uncomfortably. "Thank you very much."

"Perhaps Tobi could tell you where they were," the rodenti added, and Tobi squirmed again. The boy seemed very uncomfortable with this whole conversation, and his fidgety hands refused to stay still.

[Ceniel]

Ceniel eyebrows shot sky high when the rodenti said "again". Again! This has happened before? This might be more serious then i thought. Ceniel nodded and looked down and Tobi and said "Would you mind showing me where the man chased you?" Ceniel had a serious expression on his face. He wanted to get the child back as soon as possible. If this had happened before he might need to find out what had happened before. Ceniel followed Tobi a hurry in his stride.

[Aqua]

Tobi nodded, and the boy led Ceniel down a maze of streets, far away from the house with the unhappy rodenti man. They walked nearly all the way around the cemetary, before the boy turned sharply down a disused alley. He did not look at Ceniel during the whole trip, and he seemed to be more than a little embarrassed.

"Here," he said. He had stopped in front of a wide spot between two houses, covered in old bricks and broken pieces of stone. "Kiki an' I were looking for spiders, when the man came out of there." He pointed further along the alley, which by now was quite dark, as night had firmly set in. "Kiki an' I ran out the way we just came in, but a couple streets later, I didn't see her no more."

He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Can you help me find her, mister?"

[Ceniel]

Ceniel followed the kid until he got the clearing. Then he carefully looked over the area to see if there might be any clues as to where the man had gone. Aftrer he looked he got up and asked Tobi to show him where he had looked back and saw that Kiki wasn't with him anymore.

[Aqua]

It didn't appear that anyone had gone further up the alley in quite some time -- the dust on the ground was quite undisturbed. So whoever it was that had been chasing Tobi and Kiki had obviously followed them out.

The only possible other clue on the ground was a piece of red fabric. It was caught between two bricks, and it looked like a piece of a pant leg, as if someone had snagged it there while running. It didn't match Tobi's clothes, that was for sure.

At this point, Tobi led Ceniel out, down a block, and then down another alley. Thirty or forty yards in, he stopped and looked around uncertainly. "I think it was around here," he said. "Once I got into here, I didn't hear her, an' I looked back, but she wasn't there no more. But I dunno if she got into the alley, or if she went a different way," he added slowly.

[Ceniel]

Ceniel turned slowly on the spot and looked at the alley. He examined the walls and floor. If he didn't find anything he would retrace the steps Toby took until he came across something that matched the piece of red fabric he had taken from the bricks.

[Aqua]

There wasn't any matching fabric, alas. However, there were some footprints in the dust of the alleyway, in addition to those that Ceniel and Tobi were leaving. There were a pair of girl-sized footprints and a pair of adult ones nearby. Perhaps ten yards from the turnoff into the alleyway, there was a scuffed-up area, and then one set of footprints took a turnoff into a dark, unlit courtyard.

Tobi looked uncertainly at Ceniel. "You find somethin'?" he asked. "Cuz I'm starting to get worried about Kiki..."

[Ceniel]

Ceniel lokoed at the scuffed up area and smiled. I think I found Kiki's assilant. Ceniel smiled at Tobi and said "I think we found there tracks. If we follow them we should find Kiki." When he finished talking to Tobi he turned down the alley and walked down his sword out.