Private Tales “Next time tip the grave digger…”y

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

Jexa sat at the grave.

It was perfectly maintained.

The grass was a carpet.

The white marble tombstone sat wreathed in a crown of white rose bushes.

Father had kept it this way. Jexa had helped.

Clumsy at first. She didn’t understand what she was doing..Silently watching her master. Silently getting better.

Now she sat. Waiting for him..Things had gotten complicated. They had finally began to rebuild.

Things had begun to look up…But now.. her people were going missing. Her clients backing out for various cryptic reasons.

It was time to report.

Cleo appeared silently.

Pushing up her glasses and pulling a clipboard from the shadows. “I asked for master Amadeus.” Jexa said plainly. No trace of emotion entering her flat tone.

“He is on his way.” Cleo said with a nod. “In the mean time.. Report.” She would say pulling out a quill. Jexa explained the setbacks.

Cleo simply scribbled. The frown growing deeper with every set back.

“I’m so glad your troubling him with this. As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate. You..” Cleo growled baring her fangs as Jexa simply stared back. Unmoved. A clenching of her fist the only indicator of anything at all.

“Do not project your pain on to me demon. It’s unbecoming.” She said flatly. Both women staring daggers into each others eyes.

Muscles tensed.

Jaws set.

Cleo halted recomposing herself. “Yes sir.” She would say reluctantly.

Fading into shadows once more.

“I wanted to speak with her. People say it helps…” Jexa would say as she turned back to the grave. She felt his presence. Getting back on her knees. “I just feel stupid.” Her lips thinned.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

"And why is that my daughter?"

Amadeus stepped into view from around a large crypt. His youthful features cast in a stony emotionless state as he carefully hid his feelings in the presence of Gwendolyn's grave and his daughter.
He limped forward, he seemed to move around just about the same, even without his brace and cane, though he still held the cane loosely by his side since it concealed his sword.

"Do not hold it against her. You and Cleo have much in common when it comes to mortal emotions, but you have the advantage of being mortal."
He came to stand beside her, planting his cane in front of him as he looked down on the grave he had meticulously maintained with Jexa's help.
He would have preferred to keep her in a crypt, her family crypt would have sufficed, but this was closer to where they could keep watch over her.

"You have something for me?"

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

“Because she can’t hear me. I am wasting my breath. It was stupid.” She said plainly. It was not bitter or sarcastic. Simply plainly stated fact of her current thought process.

“Faustian sent me to hunt down Angelica. She was not hard to find. However.” She handed him a rolled up parchment.

“She had a new body guard.” She paused for a moment. “ They’ve been detrimental to our operations.” Her hands balled into fists once more. But her tone and expression remained level as always.

“I have hit nothing but snags at every turn. I thought maybe there would be some guidance to be gained speaking with..Both of you..” She said with a slight pause nodding to her father and the grave.

The scroll contained a very vague description of this new ally. Vague was a kind way of saying scant to nothing.

Tall.
Elven.
Cloaked and masked at all times when they were seen. They never left Angelica’s side.

Ever. and the rest a simple list of her attempts and failures.

She needed him..

The emotions she had been dealing with were throwing off her focus. She was not meant to fight and feel.

The reason she was a great asset was her lack of allowing emotions to cloud her judgement.

This was what was biting her in the current situation.

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

“Because she can’t hear me. I am wasting my breath. It was stupid.” She said plainly. It was not bitter or sarcastic. Simply plainly stated fact of her current thought process.

Amadeus placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he bent down to sit beside her. Placing his cane in the grass beside him.
"I can tell you for a fact that souls are real... I don't know where Gwendolyn is now or where she's hiding or being hidden, but I am positive she can hear you."

“Faustian sent me to hunt down Angelica. She was not hard to find. However.” She handed him a rolled up parchment.

“She had a new body guard.” She paused for a moment. “ They’ve been detrimental to our operations.” Her hands balled into fists once more. But her tone and expression remained level as always.

“I have hit nothing but snags at every turn. I thought maybe there would be some guidance to be gained speaking with..Both of you..” She said with a slight pause

He looked over the parchment.
"I see you've tested the strength of this bodyguard. They've foiled you at every turn it seems, like they know exactly how you operate. You think it may be another assassin from The Family?"
His intuition told him something else was at work here, but he wouldn't disregard the idea. The Family were a tightly knit group of assassins, they all received the same training with a variety of specializations. Thus one assassin generally knew exactly how to kill another assassin and vise versa.

"If you need help, all you need to do is ask. We are a family too, and we are your family now, you are my daughter. You have sisters as well, they are there for you as you are there for them."

 

[Gwendolyn Vollmund]

Amadeus placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he bent down to sit beside her. Placing his cane in the grass beside him.
"I can tell you for a fact that souls are real... I don't know where Gwendolyn is now or where she's hiding or being hidden, but I am positive she can hear you."

She stiffened at his hand. She did not flinch. She was not worried of an attack. Simply still suprised by the touch... She had touched many people, and when times required...Been touched.

Not that they ever had a chance to scamper off and brag. it Always had felt cold regardless. Cold skin on cold skin. Numb. But this hand was warm. The gesture small. But the meaning of it was what meant most to her.

"I believe you father." She said calmly.

Not accepting the hand but not brushing it aside.

Allowing it to rest. "I just meant that it feels as if ive come to her covered in the stench of failure. Her killer still walks while i know where she lays her head. Anyone else should be so unlucky. But the one who i most wish to end eludes me. She would be disgusted.." Jexa said plainly. Her tone only hitching slightly at the final word.

He looked over the parchment.
"I see you've tested the strength of this bodyguard. They've foiled you at every turn it seems, like they know exactly how you operate. You think it may be another assassin from The Family?"
His intuition told him something else was at work here, but he wouldn't disregard the idea. The Family were a tightly knit group of assassins, they all received the same training with a variety of specializations. Thus one assassin generally knew exactly how to kill another assassin and vise versa.

She recompossed herself.

"Its highly doubtful." She thought for a moment. "Markus and Delaney are on assignment in the spine, Madison is infitrating a Cult of upper crusts in the reach." Jexa said listing off the only three assiasins the family had that could ever give her this much trouble.

"If it was any of them they would want me to know. Honorable and a bit too smug to not take credit." She relented slightly. "The same would be said for any up and comer. The family encourages the competition." Jexa continued still seemingly stumped.

"If you need help, all you need to do is ask. We are a family too, and we are your family now, you are my daughter. You have sisters as well, they are there for you as you are there for them."

"No.." She said finally shrugging off his hand. "I would not risk them on this path. Angelica has already taken Mother. I will not have her take any others..."

 

[Amadeus Greywood]

Amadeus nodded as he listened to her. She raised some good points, which confirmed that The Family was likely not involved... But that brought them no closer to uncovering who this mysterious bodyguard is.

"No.." She said finally shrugging off his hand. "I would not risk them on this path. Angelica has already taken Mother. I will not have her take any others..."

He took it back and rested on his hands in the grass, his eyes still focused on the headstone.
"I understand your reservations, Jexa. But Angelica had help to kill Gwendolyn, and Gwen was weakened and powerless. We are not, and I have made sure that all of you have all the power you need.

I know you love your sisters, but do not be foolish and believe that you can do this alone. Think logically about the situation and remember your shortcomings, weaknesses which your sisters can cover for you if they use your expertise. I think you should at least take Faustian to help you, she may have some insights or points of view that you did not consider."

He looked down, unable to continue staring at the name etched into the stone. A single tear escaped his right eye, and he did not stop it.
"Gwendolyn would never see you as a failure... And while I have been harsh to your failures in the past, I do not truly hold them against you... I love you more than I was ever free to express, and I know that you are doing your best. I chose you not because you were the best assassin in The Family, but because I fell in love with the little girl who shed tears without breaking."