Reynard and Adia... Friends? Lawrence's nose twists up like he's smelled something particularly unpleasant. Tamminy, for her part, seems more thoughtful. She furrows her pink brows and her downcast eyes drift around. Could it have been real friendship? Or was there an ulterior angle? She's got no evidence to support the former, but she's got no evidence to disprove it, either. Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence, after all.
But then comes the news of serial killing, which gets an eyebrow rise and averted eyes from Lawrence. Tamminy shakes her head and purses her lips. What a string of unfortunate developments in Adia's life.
"Well," Lawrence says with a sigh, "Harrowheart's basically a serial killer too. We all chose to ignore it for our own convenience, but I know he's killed people. A lot of people. But at least he knows his friends from his enemies. Usually."
He stops to rub at his ribs before he resumes his story. "Harrowheart was watching Anna to make sure she didn't get herself hurt. She took him into the woods and I guess Reynard made her start digging a grave. She says he made her say things to Harrowheart – cruel things that she says she'd never say otherwise. She mocked him and made him angry, and he took it out on her. She says he back-handed her and she fell over, and judging by the bruise that was on her face the night she came home? I believe it. She's lucky he didn't break her cheekbone."
Tamminy crosses her arms and turns away. For once this is gossip she's not too interested in hearing... Though she can't help stealing glances at Caspar to gauge his reactions.
Lawrence continues, "When she fell on the ground I guess he, I don't know, grabbed her by the head? He start shaking her. She said she was so scared but she couldn't do anything about it because Reynard still had control of her. And that's when he appeared. Reynard and Harrowheart started to fight about what Harrowheart was doing with that woman's body. Anna was forced to stand between them like some kind of human shield. She said she couldn't stop herself from saying she'd die for him. Light, it made me so sick hearing her say that."
He shakes his head and has to pause. Recounting this whole situation still twists his stomach up.
"Reynard said he'd let Anna die for him. Harrowheart was willing to call his bluff. Anna said he was going to kill her. That he got his sword out and pointed it right at her stomach. He said he was sorry, and then she said he just... I don't know. She said he looked soulless. Scourged. She said he was going to kill her for sure, and she was so frightened, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling and laughing the whole time."
"I don't think he would have done it," Tamminy says quietly.
Lawrence bites his cheek and shakes his head. A brief silence passes between them.
"Well?" she says, "He didn't, did he? He could have. He stopped himself."
"Reynard said he'd take the rest of us as his own," Lawrence corrects. "He said that if Harrowheart killed Anna to free her from his magic, he'd just come for someone else. Reynard said the only thing that would convince him to go away would be for Harrowheart to put the corpse down and never do necromancy outside of Azeroth again."
Fuck, he's got to stop for a breather. He tries to bend and stretch but his ribs ache and he winces, pulling quickly back into a more comfortable half slouch. A few more measured breaths and he's ready again.
"Harrowheart wouldn't do it. He said his magic is who he is. He wasn't going to stop doing fucking necromancy to save his sister or his family. Anna says he got down on his knees and begged and cried. He'd rather beg like a fucking dog than give up disrespecting the dead. I don't even want to think about it."
Tamminy takes over for him. "According to Anna, Reynard and Harrowheart eventually struck a deal: Harrowheart had to put the corpse down and bury it in the grave that Reynard made Anna dig in the forest. Then he had to promise that if he does necromancy off of Azeroth he can't keep the body around for more than three days. He's not allowed to take bodies as trophies anymore."
Lawrence says, "Good riddance. I still can't fucking believe it though. Necromancy over his own favorite sister. Anna ran home as fast as she could when Reynard freed her. Light, you should have seen the bruises she had. She told us all what happened, and I wasn't going to take that sitting down. I got our rifle and waited for Harrowheart to come home. I told him he wasn't welcome anymore. It wasn't easy to do, but what the fuck, right? His own sister."
He snorts.
"He tried to go into Naugus' castle anyway, and I told him I'd shoot. Well, came down to it that I had to shoot. Got him in the shoulder and he turned on me right away. Tore my arm off and kicked the shit out of me. Our younger brother, Matthew, he heard everything going on and hurried out of the castle."
"Matthew is trying to become a paladin," Tamminy explains, "A Light-caster and a defender of people. He's been learning to channel the Light slowly."
"Mmh," Lawrence confirms with a nod. "Just little stuff. Doesn't always come to him, and when it does he can't always control it. But he went out to try and save me, bless his heart. He managed to channel the Light, and Harrowheart went ballistic. He's got this magic power where he can choke people to death without touching them. He started doing that to Matthew, and the Light exploded out of his hand. Next thing I knew there was a scream and Harrowheart was gone. Haven't seen him since. No idea where he's at or what he's up to."
"Probably with the Durants," Tamminy offers, "But without his phone we don't know how to get in contact with them to ask."
no subject
But then comes the news of serial killing, which gets an eyebrow rise and averted eyes from Lawrence. Tamminy shakes her head and purses her lips. What a string of unfortunate developments in Adia's life.
"Well," Lawrence says with a sigh, "Harrowheart's basically a serial killer too. We all chose to ignore it for our own convenience, but I know he's killed people. A lot of people. But at least he knows his friends from his enemies. Usually."
He stops to rub at his ribs before he resumes his story. "Harrowheart was watching Anna to make sure she didn't get herself hurt. She took him into the woods and I guess Reynard made her start digging a grave. She says he made her say things to Harrowheart – cruel things that she says she'd never say otherwise. She mocked him and made him angry, and he took it out on her. She says he back-handed her and she fell over, and judging by the bruise that was on her face the night she came home? I believe it. She's lucky he didn't break her cheekbone."
Tamminy crosses her arms and turns away. For once this is gossip she's not too interested in hearing... Though she can't help stealing glances at Caspar to gauge his reactions.
Lawrence continues, "When she fell on the ground I guess he, I don't know, grabbed her by the head? He start shaking her. She said she was so scared but she couldn't do anything about it because Reynard still had control of her. And that's when he appeared. Reynard and Harrowheart started to fight about what Harrowheart was doing with that woman's body. Anna was forced to stand between them like some kind of human shield. She said she couldn't stop herself from saying she'd die for him. Light, it made me so sick hearing her say that."
He shakes his head and has to pause. Recounting this whole situation still twists his stomach up.
"Reynard said he'd let Anna die for him. Harrowheart was willing to call his bluff. Anna said he was going to kill her. That he got his sword out and pointed it right at her stomach. He said he was sorry, and then she said he just... I don't know. She said he looked soulless. Scourged. She said he was going to kill her for sure, and she was so frightened, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling and laughing the whole time."
"I don't think he would have done it," Tamminy says quietly.
Lawrence bites his cheek and shakes his head. A brief silence passes between them.
"Well?" she says, "He didn't, did he? He could have. He stopped himself."
"Reynard said he'd take the rest of us as his own," Lawrence corrects. "He said that if Harrowheart killed Anna to free her from his magic, he'd just come for someone else. Reynard said the only thing that would convince him to go away would be for Harrowheart to put the corpse down and never do necromancy outside of Azeroth again."
Fuck, he's got to stop for a breather. He tries to bend and stretch but his ribs ache and he winces, pulling quickly back into a more comfortable half slouch. A few more measured breaths and he's ready again.
"Harrowheart wouldn't do it. He said his magic is who he is. He wasn't going to stop doing fucking necromancy to save his sister or his family. Anna says he got down on his knees and begged and cried. He'd rather beg like a fucking dog than give up disrespecting the dead. I don't even want to think about it."
Tamminy takes over for him. "According to Anna, Reynard and Harrowheart eventually struck a deal: Harrowheart had to put the corpse down and bury it in the grave that Reynard made Anna dig in the forest. Then he had to promise that if he does necromancy off of Azeroth he can't keep the body around for more than three days. He's not allowed to take bodies as trophies anymore."
Lawrence says, "Good riddance. I still can't fucking believe it though. Necromancy over his own favorite sister. Anna ran home as fast as she could when Reynard freed her. Light, you should have seen the bruises she had. She told us all what happened, and I wasn't going to take that sitting down. I got our rifle and waited for Harrowheart to come home. I told him he wasn't welcome anymore. It wasn't easy to do, but what the fuck, right? His own sister."
He snorts.
"He tried to go into Naugus' castle anyway, and I told him I'd shoot. Well, came down to it that I had to shoot. Got him in the shoulder and he turned on me right away. Tore my arm off and kicked the shit out of me. Our younger brother, Matthew, he heard everything going on and hurried out of the castle."
"Matthew is trying to become a paladin," Tamminy explains, "A Light-caster and a defender of people. He's been learning to channel the Light slowly."
"Mmh," Lawrence confirms with a nod. "Just little stuff. Doesn't always come to him, and when it does he can't always control it. But he went out to try and save me, bless his heart. He managed to channel the Light, and Harrowheart went ballistic. He's got this magic power where he can choke people to death without touching them. He started doing that to Matthew, and the Light exploded out of his hand. Next thing I knew there was a scream and Harrowheart was gone. Haven't seen him since. No idea where he's at or what he's up to."
"Probably with the Durants," Tamminy offers, "But without his phone we don't know how to get in contact with them to ask."
"Or warn them at least."