"No," says the sheriff decisively. "There is room for four in here, so you come with me and bring the witness with you. It will be more secure back at the main office and faster in the end as we can talk on the way."

"Sheriff, as this is involves dark Magick I have already sent two men to fetch the Seeker Lomani. She will be coming here."

"Besides there is information that I don't necessarily want to reveal before the witness and I definitely don't want to be seen to be coaching the witness!" [OOC Pun Intended]

Quote from che_ja_pa >>

"Besides there is information that I don't necessarily want to reveal before the witness and I definitely don't want to be seen to be coaching the witness!" [OOC Pun Intended]

[OOC: Yuck. LOL.]

"Lomani?" muses the sheriff. "I actually saw her earlier this evening accompanying the head of her order at the banquet I attended. Chances are she will not like being called out at such a late hour... Still, I take your point. Someone should respond to your message, despite them going through unusual channels." This last said somewhat pointedly.

He then climba out of the carriage while saying, "We will talk here and then you can wait to see who shows up."

Once on the ground, he straightens up to his full height and then says, "Show me to this witness. I want to meet them."

"This way Sheriff, he is in the Cabin, you too Guilliame. Guilliame tells me he will need some reassurance."

I look to Guilliame to elaborate on this comment.

"I think he is afraid of Hazluk. He wants out."

"Hazluk?" says the sheriff, stopping halfway up guard post's steps. "The tailors? What have they got to do with this?"

"The witness is Samel, a servant lad of the Hazluks. We have a flask which we witnessed being given to Samel by young Master Hazluk at the Shepherd's. Samel verifies this and that he was given the flask in the event his master was accosted. The flask contains a potion that I recognise as being used by dark magickers. Guilliame has also conducted magickal analysis of the flask. There are other things too that Samel described in the Hazluk household. What say you of the flask Guilliame?"

"Sorry Sheriff, I overstated one point. We witnessed Samel and young Brutha Hazluk talking at the Inn, we did not seethe item passing hands, it is Samel's testimony that provided that information."

As the sheriff listens to Dora he takes the time to give a quick smile to Handsman Ackman at the door and acknowledge Barrus' respectful dip of the head.

But once Dora finishes speaking, he asks, "And this witness came forward of their own accord to present this flask as... evidence of their master's involvement in black magick?"

Then, after a moment's thought, he adds, "My first thought is: why? ... And how did he know what it contains? Is he perhaps implicated in this black magick himself somehow?"

"I have done an identify spell on the flask and it doesn't belong to Samuel."

"No to all Sheriff,  the witness dropped the flask as he ran from his hiding spot outside the Shepherd's. He absconded, I collected it and we returned here only to discover that he had followed us to try to recover it. So he did not come forward - we apprehended him. The flask is plainly not his judging by the quality of the workmanship and the results of Guilliames assay. The witness also states he was given the flask for safekeeping by Brutha Hazluk. That's three cherries in a row."

The sheriff frowns and then asks, "Apprehended? For what crime... Carrying his master's flask when he was told to do so? Trying to recover his master's property?"

Then, after another moment's thought, he asks some more questions. "At what point did he suggest that his master is involved in black magic? Did he know what the magus had discovered first, or did he offer this information without prior knowledge? And, is he implicating this Brutha you mentioned, or the whole family?"

"Apprehended for fleeing when challenged by the Watch and apprehended for hiding under this guardpost with wrongdoing in mind."

"I questioned him and I said that he should tell the truth as the magus would confirm soon enough whether he was not. That is when he gave testimony"

"He has implicated Brutha Hazluk in possession of flask and he has described unusual activity at the Hazluk household. I would prefer to leave the matter of those activities to the Seeker as I have no way of knowing whether they constitute dark magick, insanity or perversion ..."

"or all three".

"Guilliame do you have anything to add?"

[OOC I actually know a Gwyllim here in Lismore.]

"Yes, Magus de Marchant," says the sheriff turning to Guilliame. "You mentioned that you did an Identify spell. What did you learn?"

Look around carefully and make sure noone else is listening other than Dora. If someone is then say quietly "Sheriff, what I have to say needs to be said away from prying ears."

[OOC: This conversation is taking place in the open area of the guard post; Sheriff Tambor wanted to meet the witness.

This means Alice and Barrus are both within 15' of the three of you and the two of them have been able to listen in on the conversation so far and seem very attentive to what is being said.

Samel, however, is in the cabin. But as the door to the cabin is closed, he probably can't hear what is being said.]

The sheriff also looks around and then says, "You are being very mysterious, Guilliame. Surely you trust the members of my Watch."

"Barrus and Alice, could you please go out and watch the perimeter?"

Quietly to the Sheriff and Guilliame "While I do not consider the Watch to be prying, they are only human and Guilliame is right - this information is sensitive. If word gets out then our quarry may well elude us. Let us all speak quietly."

After the two handsmen have left the platform, the sheriff then turns to Guilliame and asks, "Well Magus, what is so dreadful that it needs to be kept secret from two respected members of my Watch?"