Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It...

[Sebastian Arcturis]

The Wardens rarely operated in the light. While there were times they could blend into the cover of the guards or more public hunts for mystics that made a name for themselves as bandits or raiders who would harm innocents (such as those of this Fae Court) it was still better to keep to the shadows for many reasons.

After the ambush, while there had been a lot of chaos ensuing that prevented many, if any, identification of mystics that fled, there were a few who had not been so fortunate. None captured alive this time, but the dead could tell quite a few stories of their own. Most were commoners, their names and family difficult to track down. But That was were many of the less aggressive Viperidae came in, seeking out leads. With the concern coming form the nobility about safety and mystics, it made it a little bit easier to ask around, and there were even people more willing to suspect their shadowy neighbors of dark magics. Most of such reports were smoke and mirrors and people wanting any excuse to put down their neighbor or feel safer. But sometimes, those rumors and false accusations and red herring lead to something more concrete.

While the Warden Inquisitor often spoke to his soldiers in public, he didn't do so openly about mission or any other warden business. They kept to secret codes, sometimes through encrypted and coded missives, other times through verbal ones or even in secret gatherings. It wasn't common that all Wardens were gathered together at once, but Sebastian certainly intended to to hold one.

But this was not that time. He'd prepared a coded note for Cian DeGraff , indicating he was to meet him near the city outskirts, at a large tree just inside the gates. He could bring a partner if he wanted, but otherwise the Inquisitor was obligated to take part. He wasn't about to send anyone out alone, not when they knew their enemy was so organized.

Notably, Sebastian was not yet there when Cian arrived. Besides the usual gate guards and low foot traffic, the place was rather quiet.

[Cian DeGraff]

It would appear, after that most recent Unseelie attack, that everyone was on high alert. Not only the guards but Teronna's civilians as well. Although Cian thought the people understood how dire the situation was to begin with, that a Mystic could be just about anyone, it only seemed to be realized by most now, specifically the nobles. They often had the most protection to begin with, so what did they know of the true dangers that could be lurking around every corner? The king's stupidity drew that fear out further, and Cian just hoped it could be controlled.

Having to calm an angry mob down if they decided to do their own witch hunts was not what he wanted to add on his to-do list. Fingers were being pointed everywhere, and he just silently prayed that it calmed again. It was their duty to look into every accusation, but when most proved false? It was tiresome.

Cian had been poring over one of those maps again, silently taking on this mission to find the Mystic camp. Not that he would do such a thing without truly thinking it over, but that was perhaps why he hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even Rowan. Except for Aoife, who had requested he not do it alone. Upon receiving the coded note, it didn't take him long to decipher it and stop what he was currently doing; tossing the message into the flames of a nearby hearth in passing.

He saddled up Sarge and made his way towards the designated meeting spot underneath the large tree. A quick glance around, the Centurion didn't see the Inquisitor anywhere and took a moment to double-check that he had gone to the right spot.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Centurion Cian was in the correct place. It was the Inquisitor who was late. He had been...occupied...the last few days. While he had not forgotten about this mission with Cian, he had forgotten to give himself a bit more time to prepare.

Five minutes later, the Inquisitor came into view, armed and armor in his usual gear with a heavy green cloth covering most of his clothes and riding a dark seal bay stallion. Guard Captain or not, the commoner couldn't afford his own horse. Technically the armor wasn't his either, but considering he had sweat and bled through it a few times, he was pretty sure no one wanted to deprive him of it. But the horse...he borrowed one from the castle stock and it was different every time. This one...he thought it's nickname might be Balor.

"DeGraff," he greeted tightly as he drew his horse close, tone much softer than normal, as if he was holding something back. His eyes contained a flash of apology for his tardiness, but he didn't dwell on the moment. He gestured for the man to follow him toward the outskirts of the city. While there were almost certainly mystics and sympathizes in Ethion's walls, their mission lay elsewhere today. Potentially more in line with the personal quest Cian had taken upon himself for this fabled main camp, but life rarely fit into neat little boxes.

He was quiet for a moment, at least until they were away from civilization and prying eyes and ears. "You've been pursuing your hobbies quite a lot recently," he noted. He meant the hunt for the mystics, not meaning anything specific. They could talk a bit more openly here, but Sebastian was always a little bit cagey. And just...awkward. He had known Cian and the DeGraff family for a long time and while he was 'familiar' he had never been good at making friends of being 'close' to other people.

"We're headed for a nearby farm." From what he understood, one of the families there had some information. Sebastian was mildly familiar but if there was any extensive conversation involved, it was more than likely best Cian handle it. The Inquisitor was of course willing to say more, he was simply...tight lipped as usual.

[Cian DeGraff]

All he could do was wait, it seemed. Cian didn't think he was early, but neither was he going to complain about the man being late. Arcturis was his superior both in the guard and the Wardens, and he knew when to keep his mouth shut. It was also just nice to take a moment to breath and not really think about too much all at once. A part of him wished he was secretly meeting with someone else, yet the guardsman wouldn't deny the excitement of an upcoming mission. It got him out of the barracks.

Still, he wasn't waiting long because he was spotting Sebastian riding his way over, and he nodded his head in respectful greeting. "Captain," he said. In truth, Cian hadn't cared about the man's tardiness, whether he said something or not, so he did not acknowledge that flash of apology because it was absolutely unnecessary. Instead, he was willing to turn Sarge to follow after Bastian, his curiosity beginning to grow.

When Arcturis spoke again, bright blues squinted a little bit in thought. He wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that, considering he hadn't told anyone of his "stupid idea", although at the same time, he hadn't been keeping it a secret. So, he wouldn't be surprised if the captain, the Warden Inquisitor found out about it. His nod was a little slower this time in reply, "Aye, I have."

Cian had learned long ago that Sebastian wasn't much of a talker. Whereas he could be, he never tried to force conversation out of the man. Maybe it was more because of who they were and this secret they both carried, or just that Cian himself hated being forced out of his comfort zone. If the captain didn't desire to carry a conversation, that was absolutely fine by him.

"A farm?" he echoed, mainly to himself as he looked sidelong to Bastian; a brow arching in slight question. "What for, might I ask?"

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Sebastian likely shouldn't be up and about, let alone riding out of the city for a potentially physical mission. But he had reasoned it was more likely they would simply be gathering information. At least to start with.

As for Cian's mission, the Warden did not know details, but he did make it his business to know what his Wardens were up to, both assigned and otherwise. He was at least aware of Cian's renewed interest in the maps of the Teronnian forests and wilderness where the mystics were rumored to have camps. If they had had the numbers, they would have lead a raid of the woods long ago. As it was, Sebastian could only send a few at a time and such missions were foolhardy at best. After this attack, however...the Wardens might be a necessary secret, but Allarick could order more than just them into the woods. That wasn't a call Sebastian could make on his own, however.

So, he was reduced to searching for information about a camp and sending spies and hoping to capture a knowledgeable mystic rather than brute forcing an encounter.

"The family was harboring mystics just before the attack," he explained while they rode. "I suspect they might be again," it being after the attack and people needing to lie low, "Or that they might be pliable to certain methods of persuasion." He wasn't certain the farmers weren't mystics themselves, of course. There was always that risk.

[Cian DeGraff]

Cian hadn't heard of the captain's injury. If he had, would he have suggested this wait, or perhaps offer to go himself? Still, a trip to a farm for some (hopefully) light interrogation shouldn't be terrible.

The DeGraff honestly couldn't help but wonder why the king hadn't sent out troops after the attack. It was where he believed Allarick was more bark and no bite, a thought he wouldn't share outright, of course. If he possessed even a bit more power, even if the Wardens had the appropriate numbers for a full out raid, his thoughts paralleled the captain's. He'd see that it was done. It was partially why he was trying to find the camp ahead of time, why Sebastian was sending out scouts- they could gain the upper hand if they found the Mystics location, lower numbers or not.

As the captain explain, Cian arched a brow. "And why wasn't the family apprehended before?" he asked. If it had been known they were hiding Mystics in their home, why were they not arrested? Unless this was information not known to the public, hence the reason he questioned. The Warden sat up a little straighter in the saddle at the idea that they might find more magic-users at this farm, so he was going to be on extra alert. He'd nod at what Bastian said after, "Understood."

[Sebastian Arcturis]

Sebastian too consider the king to be much more bark than bite. And much more brawn than brain. The two did not fit well together. As part of that brawn, Sebastian was anxious and eager to be used more effectively. Even the Warden Inquisitor and his fellow wardens could only do so much in the shadows. Still, he would do what he could to pursue their leads from the ambush. And this was one of them

"Their neighbors implicated them before but it was apparently thought to be a feud until corroborating evidence was gathered. One of the Viperidae followed a group back to the farm from the ambush." But they had been scattered and encumbered by protecting nobility at the time. So here they were. Certainly Sebastian would have liked to move on many things much sooner. Being such a visible guard could be limiting but he needed the access to the castle.

It wasn't a cold trail by any means, but they had some ground to make up if their quarry wasn't hiding. He almost hoped they were.

Sebastian didn't offer anything by way of casual conversation as they rode but he was more than willing to part with questions about the mission. Not that he knew much more by way of details.

The farmstead was an hour ride outside the city by road. It was a collection of a few small houses clustered together along with a barn set a bit further away. There were some younger children and workers herding some sheep and more still working one of the fields along the rode. They gave the riders a few glances, a few even waved, but none approached them. None ran away either, which would have made their hunt easy. Sebastian pulled his horse to a halt near the largest of the buildings where an old woman was setting up laundry.

"You look lost!" She called out, very matter of fact.

"Master Mcguire?" He asked, more or less ignoring her words. Since she offered not greeting, he didn't either. To be honest, he wasn't convinced the head of the family was the one hiding Mystics. It could easily be another member of his family or a worker. But it seemed the best place to start until they got another lead.

The woman folded her hands on her hips. The Warden wasn't good with first impressions. "Plantin'. Past the barn," she said eyeing him warily. She glanced over DeGraff with a bit softer expression. He had a better face for this sort of thing.

Sebastian glanced at his subordinate. If he wanted to talk to this woman first, that was fine with him. He would wait. He was also curious if anything had struck him as out of the ordinary.

[Cian DeGraff]

As a part of the Warden Order, Cian could only hope that the king came to his senses and possibly allowed the captain to do what he did best, more than he already was.

'One of the Viperidae followed a group back to the farm from the ambush.'

Cian nodded slowly. Now, after the attack, both sides were going to be on high alert, and that suddenly seemed to make this a bit more of a challenge, one that the two of them had to be very wary of. Strangely, it made him both nervous and excited at the same time- it was that adrenaline he couldn't ignore whenever he was on the job, and what helped keep him alert.

They fell to silence again as they continued on, and as before, the DeGraff didn't mind it in the least. The quiet helped him think, helped him mull things over until his mind was casually thinking about his own "side mission" he'd taken upon himself. He could see the entire map in his head, could remember where every landmark was, and it was only when they came upon the farmstead did he switch those gears to the job at hand.

He didn't possess an overly friendly expression, but it wasn't exactly deadpan, either. Perhaps it was why people often found it easier to speak to him, especially when he was with the captain or someone like his older brother. It always looked like Rowan had a scowl on his face. Then, Dunstan was quite the opposite, but he felt like others avoided him for different reasons.

Noting the lack of greeting from the woman, Sebastian was already getting straight to the point. She didn't appear to like that very much. "No, not lost, ma'am," he offered politely. Bright blues flickered towards that barn, one of the first things he noted upon arrival before they fell back to the old woman. When she answered the captain, he smiled lightly. "Sorry for the interruption. Thank you."

Usually, a barn was ideal for hiding people since it could hold and store a lot...but it was also a very obvious spot. Regardless, he'd still want to check it out as soon as they were able. If these people were hiding Mystics and if they were smart, they would have put them to work, would have blended them in with the rest to make it a little more difficult to pinpoint, thus take any authority figure longer to check ledgers and lists of official employees.

Steering his horse further down the road towards the barn, he kept his posture at ease and his lingering gaze casual as he curiously looked around. "We should keep an eye on that one," he said quietly to Arcturis. She had been too matter of fact, too quick to possibly turn them elsewhere. Although, it was also possible that she lacked no social skills.

"Have we any idea as to how many there might be?" Cian asked. That number could have changed at any given moment, of course, but the curiosity was still there. He was not so well versed with how much manpower was needed to keep a farm like this running, but he couldn't help but make a light count of how many heads he saw as they slowly road by.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

At least one of the three of them proved to have some sort of social aptitude, even if Cian didn't consider himself much of a people person either. His more tactful additions eased the woman's initial bristling. While he hadn't expected her to be warm and welcoming, he agreed with Cian's caution to watch her. She had a air of command about her, one way or the other, that suggested she knew a lot of the goings on in the farmstead.

He studied the barn quietly as they rode closer, following a worn dirt trail past the barn. It was a large building, his own thoughts mirroring the DeGraff's. Though he doubted most farms like this one kept very good paper records. Or would show them to any passing guard, no matter how nicely they asked. Quite a few workers moved about the farmstead, in the fields, or moving supplies or livestock. The barn doors were open, people moving in an out occasionally. So either there were really good hiding places in there or they had another secret hideout. There were plenty of smaller sheds on the land.

"Three. Originally." He doubted there would be that many now. Unless the Unseelie were still hanging around making plans. He wasn't all that concerned either way. He trusted himself even injured and he also was more than confident in Cian.

A few of the workers stared at them until they made eye contact, but most weren't all that interested in strangers. As they rounded the barn and the fields opened up, there was an older man and a couple younger men who looked liked they could be his sons or grandsons walking through the plowed dirt field. "Master MacGuire?" Sebastian called, pulling his horse to a halt at the edge of it.

The man looked up, wiping a hand over his sun tanned forehead as he eyed the soldiers. "Aye. What can I do for you?" Sebastian glanced at Cian. Maybe he should take this conversation?

[Cian DeGraff]

Again, that barn would be too obvious, and with the way people were coming and going so casually, he was doubting that they would find anything there. Still, it would be good to have a look if the need arose. There was a lot of land to cover on the farmstead, and they were only two.

'Three. Originally.'

A nod. That wasn't a terrible number, regardless of magic. Even still, a single cornered Mystic could prove dangerous if they weren't careful. Just like any dog with its back to the wall, it could make them fighter harder and stronger, and Cian's own "gift" didn't lend him any sort of advantage in a fight. Not unless there was a big beast nearby.

Despite the reason that they were there, Cian met the eyes of those who bothered to look at them and offered a polite nod. There was no need to give the impression that they were there for anything bad, that they were in fact searching for people. For all the farmers knew, they were just passing by, and he wanted to keep it that way.

As well as try to gage reactions of those who did look at them. And those who purposely avoided eye contact.

Slowing his horse at the edge of the field, wary of not trudging upon any harvest, he caught Sebastian's eye and silent urge to question MacGuire. Probably wasn't a good idea. The captain was good at a lot of things, but unfortunately, this wasn't one of them.

"Sorry for the interruption," he began, idly glancing around before settling his gaze upon the old man. "I was wondering if you'd be able to tell me how many new workers you have taken on in the last couple of months? Rough estimate." He kept it casual but straight to the point, trying to avoid making it sound like an interrogation.

[Sebastian Arcturis]

The Warden's gift did indeed lend him quite the boon in combat, but it was not very subtle and not something he desired to show off unless absolutely necessary. The sunblade was a weapon, one he used to it's fullest sparingly. Mystical artifacts were rare, weaponry even more so, and if the man was honest, he was not exactly a fan. But it was tool just like any other.

Even still, he wasn't keen on fighting three mystics. But nor did he expect as many, otherwise he would have brought a few more Wardens along. Technically, this was a reconnaissance mission. One he largely expected to end in a fight, but a recon mission nonetheless.

Sebastian kept his horse a bit behind Cian's and despite initiating the conversation, let his comrade take over. He focused instead on the workers around them with a blank expression.

MacGuire glanced between the two of them and then turned his attention to Cian with a frown. At least the stranger regonized he was interrupting. Though it was quickly apparent the strangers had some...ulterior motive to interrogating him that they weren't telling him about. "Not many," he said, considering it had been winter most of that time, but there was always something to transport or animals to care for. "Five er six. Mostly lonely travellers an' families lookin' for work. There...someone you looking for, sirs?" He offered. Rather get them whatever they needed sooner rather than later.

[Cian DeGraff]

Cian came to the realization that having to use enchantment objects or weapons against the magic of the Mystics was vital, even if he didn't agree with it. Were there times he found himself enjoying the sensation of flying through the air, through the eyes of a falcon? Or feeling the raw power of a magnificent beast such as a bear? Perhaps...but he wasn't about to admit it to anyone.

Back to the matter at hand- there really was no way of making this sound like there was no hidden agenda, was there? Not even Cian could seem to pull that off. Still, he offered a light smile, deciding to use partial truth, if only to gauge the man's reaction. The lady back at the house seemed like she had wanted them gone immediately, making the Warden rather suspicious of her.

Sometimes, when someone felt like they were going to be caught, they slipped up.

"We've been informed that there might be some people causing trouble. We're just here to make sure things are alright," he responded casually, letting his attention flicker around the area every so often.