Ignoble Ways [Closed]

[InnocentThorns]

Ianthe watched as Silvio lifted Oriana and the two of them disappeared into the trees to find the horse and head for home. She felt suddenly as if she had been left behind, forgotten in their success, the two of them the only ones who mattered. Then again, she knew that it was true. In the grand scheme of things, she was just a widow from a frontier city. She had only been involved because she had invited them to stay with her. If she had not, there was nothing that would have brought her into all of this.


Nor did she belong there. They were undoubtedly a couple. And she was, because of her station, forced to the outside of everything, looking in beyond the glass. It would be the same way eventually when Helena married. Her beloved friend would marry a man and have a happy family, and Ianthe would simply spend her life doing what she could, the widow of a great man who was in no way great herself. It stung, bitterly, and for a moment, she just stood there and stroked the nose of the horse she was holding.


Getting up on the horse, she straightened her dressing gown so that it was over her legs demurely, and then she nudged it forward. Her pride would not let it show how she felt. Instead, she just lifted her chin slightly, and headed for the road. They could take their time together. Her envy would just be something else that would confine her to her home eventually. It was getting difficult to exist outside her manor house.

 

[Lucyfer]

Neither Oriana nor Silvio had expected Ianthe to leave them behind, so when they arrived at the horse and Oriana got up into its saddle, she found it surprising. "Where did Ianthe go?"


"Mrs. Reinhart seems to be on her way back," they weren't too far that Silvio couldn't scent her. Her general direction was also in this direction, although her path would not cross with theirs if they just went straight to the town themselves. He lifted himself up into the saddle behind Oriana, and took the reins from her. By pressing his legs together on either side of the horse, he silently urged the creature forward and was pleased it knew that command.


He and Oriana needed no time on their own. They were concerned with the fate of the town, and with Ianthe who would likely go to break the news. That, or they would. It wouldn't be the first time they'd dealt with corrupt politicians.


At a trot, it did not take terribly long for the hunters to reunite with Ianthe, and to then slow their pace to match Ianthe's. Silvio asked, "Would you like our assistance in removing Cavendish?" No, it wasn't what they'd signed up for, but it was quite clear that their mission had died long before they finished off Lafayette. Silvio noticed that Ianthe seemed troubled, but he considered it was only the town's problems that bothered her.

 

[InnocentThorns]

Ianthe was surprised when Silvio and Oriana appeared, riding up behind her. She had not been trying to get away from them, riding at a comfortable pace, but she had thought they were going to take a moment for themselves. Looking up, she had the perfect, cool expression back on her face, because it was always easier to do that than to let the emotions show when they were painful.


"He is not a vampire."


Her smile returned though, unable to feel hurt when they were so noble, "But your concern is admirable. If you are offering assistance, I accept. He will have the city in a terrified fervor by the time we return. Getting through to them will be difficult unless we can make him admit that he had set them all up to be Lafayette's slaves."


She looked at them, "I suggest we go back to the manor first. I would like to change clothes, and get some things out of the armory. If Lafayette hasn't shown up yet, I doubt Cavendish and his thugs will still be skulking around my home. Hopefully Brandt and the others are okay."


Urging her horse to go a bit faster, she sat on its saddle-free back as if she were hunting fox on a leisurely afternoon instead of leaving a place where she almost died. She wanted nothing more than to see her home again, to ensure her city was safe again. If there were any people still suffering because of his brief stint as governor, she wanted to care for them as well.

 

[Lucyfer]

Oriana glanced back at Silvio at Ianthe’s statement that the mayor was not a vampire. Another quip was on her lips, but as Silvio kept his gaze forward, she decided not to say it. She turned her attention ahead again, and let Ianthe thank them for their nobility.


‘Should we tell her we’re just doing it to ransack his house?’


It wasn’t true, but they could say it and ruin the image. It was tempting. Oriana didn’t really want them to get too honorable a reputation, lest people take advantage of them. Ianthe hadn’t done that, though. She had fed them, taken them into her own home despite the risk of having a dhampir there, and had…well, she tried to help with the vampires and Lafayette.


It was for Ianthe they would help, in the hopes she’d change the town.


“As you say,” Silvio had no qualms with the manor idea, “Though it may give Cavendish time to prepare if he becomes aware of our return.” Silvio always preferred to handle things immediately.


“We could let her return and we could go after Cavendish.” Oriana knew she’d be shut down, but said it anyway.


She felt the movement of Silvio shaking his head. After Ianthe had been captured, he wouldn’t let her alone again. Not until all the business was done. “I am not sure how well Brandt or the others are,” he spoke to Ianthe.


Oriana added, “We saw Brandt harmed.” They had not revealed themselves. They had not saved him. If he was dead, the blood was certainly on their hands, and yet…both would easily move on. “I’m not sure about any others.”

 

[InnocentThorns]

"I will believe he's alive and well until I see otherwise," she said softly.


Ianthe had to believe so, or she would be deeply saddened and they still had work to do. Brandt had been there when Grey had built the manor, and continued to stay though Grey had died. She loved the older man, even though he worked for her. He was a good person and a wonderful member of her family. So they continued to travel back toward the city, the ride taking a few of the night hours. When they returned, there were still soldiers around the entrances to the city.


She took them around the barricades, bringing them to a wall she knew of where children who skipped school frequently got in and out of the city. There was a tree there, and she nodded to it, "We can climb that and drop over the other side of the wall. It will keep Cavendish from knowing we're here before we want him to."


Slipping off her horse, she went to the tree and looked at it for a moment before grabbing the bottom branch and lifting herself up. She then looked over the wall, her eyes widening a bit, and then she climbed back down, dropping to the ground, straightening her dressing gown once again. Even if she looked bedraggled, Ianthe was determined to retain some of her dignity.


"The way in this way is safe. There are a few citizens on the other side, they'll help us."

 

[Lucyfer]

It seemed Ianthe wished to be a hopeless optimist. Her companions were not so, usually anticipating the worst and hoping for the best, rather than believing the best. It had spared them more heartache than necessary in the past, and likely would again.


It was clearly night by the time they reached the city, and though Oriana wouldn’t have minded at all if they alerted the mayor, Silvio had control over the horse. The poison had at least worn off by then, and she was feeling more herself as they went around the walls to find a good way in.


“How did you get out?” Silvio asked in a whisper.


“Daggers,” a casual shrug. As if Oriana would take this long to find a way out, when Silvio was in danger. She felt his cold breath as he sighed, and she smiled. “We’ll have to find them. I’m about out now.”


He shook his head, and then perked as Ianthe started to give direction in. Up a tree. The horse would have to be left. “All right.” Silvio dismounted, and Oriana followed him, tying the horse to a nearby tree so that it could be found afterwards. Oriana was the first up the tree. She’d made it up one poisoned, getting up one now was no issue. Both of them would follow Ianthe into the city.

 

[InnocentThorns]

Ianthe watched the two of them climb the tree ahead of her, admiring how well suited to any task they were. She wished she was as nimble and prepared. Yet she could not forget that she had gotten kidnapped in her dressing gown, which was now ruined. Taking a breath, she climbed back up the tree, and was not surprised nor against the citizens that helped her down from the other side of the wall.


They gave her the information she was seeking. Cavendish was holed up in his home, waiting for the vampires to arrive. He had already told the cavalry that Ianthe's home would be his own once the vampire was in control. Thus, there was nobody there except the languishing servants. At least they had that going for them. With the help of the citizens, they were able to make it through the city, back to her manor where the gates hung askew.


There were cavalry men around, but they were easy to dodge, as they did not expect anything to be coming to the manor or trying to get inside. She led them in through the cellar doors, and up into the house where she found her staff sitting in the parlor, waiting stoically, assisting the injured figure of Brandt, who had been beaten but was still quite well.


Quelling the instant uproar, Ianthe gave orders quietly. The house was to be carefully watched over, and everything to go on as usual. No one was to go outside during the soon-to-arrive unpleasantness. She also asked someone to run the warm water in the rooms the three had occupied, so that there would be warm water from the taps when they went to clean up.


"Clean up, take care of ourselves, then I'll unlock the armory," she told Silvio and Oriana.

 

[Lucyfer]

There were plenty of people there, but Oriana did not accept their aid, nor did the dhampir, though the people were inclined to give him a wide berth. Oriana took her stabilizing help from him instead. The people who were close enough were now eying her suspiciously. They could see the two fang marks on her neck.


She knew what they were thinking. Most days, it did not bother her, but right then it churned her stomach in anger.


Oriana did not lash out at her assumptions, though. Silvio was holding strong, and they followed Ianthe back to her house, and got around the guards, though not without a few joking and pouting looks passed between the silent pair. They made it into the home without drawing attention, and to the parlor where the staff was, and Brandt. They lingered near, but still remained silent, unsure of the next moves.


‘Clean up?’ Oriana cast a look to Silvio, who shrugged. Hot water was to be run. He wanted to ask if it would be better to wait until the affair with the mayor was done, but he decided to just take a back seat to this. If Ianthe wanted to get fully cleaned before seeing the mayor, he supposed it could make for a nice impression. Looking clean and tidy after dealing with a vampire could be intimidating.


“Very well,” Silvio said.


“We’ll meet you at the armory,” Oriana wouldn’t waste time either way.


They left Ianthe to put themselves together. Oriana downed a clear liquid once there, as well as an iron supplement, to cleanse her system and restore her blood. It seemed that was going to be problematic otherwise.


Both of them cleaned up fast, and amusingly, both of them had similar thoughts. The attire they donned when they stepped out of their rooms looked more like formal hunting uniforms than anything else, and Silvio was the one to quietly laugh first, seeing what they’d done. It had never been intentional when they bought it, for the attire was leather and armored, but put together in such a way that one could imagine a military officer wearing it. A lace choker was around her neck, hiding the marks.


Oriana’s skirt had that perfect pencil cut, and the top was far more modest than anything she’d worn thus far. The shirt that Silvio wore did button up, but beneath it was the armor wrapped tight around his chest. “We should wear this during introductions, not endings.”


“Nah,” Oriana dismissed the idea as they made their way towards the armory.

 

[InnocentThorns]

Ianthe was thankful to be back in her own chambers. Undoubtedly, the two of them were taking care of Oriana's wounds, and the ripe, hot envy that bubbled up inside her was physically painful for a moment. She tore off her dressing gown and nightgown, both filthy, throwing them into a pile on the floor where they would be picked up and disposed of later. Going into her bathroom, she slipped into the tub of hot water and quickly scrubbed off the dirt and the touch of unholy creatures, remembering to dump in holy water so that she had that on her skin as well.


Getting out of the bath, wrapped in warmed, thick towels, Ianthe fought with her dark tresses, eventually getting the curls under control, braiding them and wrapping them around her head, pinning them into place. She normally would have pulled out one of her finest gowns, would have put on the jewelry that her beloved husband had given her. Had shown them the trappings of the lady she was, because it was what they respected. But instead, she found far more serviceable clothing.


Close fitting gray leggings tucked into dark leather boots, a white, ladylike blouse covered with a dark blue basque that buttoned up the front with little frog closures. Her stormy eyes saw Grey's axe still sitting in her room, Cavendish's people obviously not knowing its worth as they had left it in searching the house for Silvio and Oriana. Ianthe picked it up easily, always slightly marveling at the lack of weight it had, and carried it with her away from her rooms, heading downstairs.


The armory was still sealed tightly, and she got herself into it, leaving the door open so that Silvio and Oriana could join her. She already had her cross around her neck, and as these were humans, there was very little else she felt she needed. So she just found the cross-body sheath that would hold the axe for her and keep it from hindering her as she moved, slipping it on. She was adjusting the axe a bit when she heard the two vampire hunters and turned to greet them, taking in their appearances.


"...You really should start the jobs wearing that," she said. "Not end them."

 

[Lucyfer]

The armory was opened when the hunters arrived, which meant that Ianthe had cleaned up faster. That surprised both of them, though neither said it. They had not lingered to properly tend to themselves. Perhaps it was the time it took to dress in the attire, though; Silvio did find the buttons so time consuming to do up.


Ianthe looked practical, prepared, professional. Too clean to be a hunter, rather like themselves. Her comment earned a reaction, since such words had only just passed Silvio’s lips. Oriana let out an exasperated sigh almost immediately and Silvio held in a laugh.


Silvio looked to Oriana when Ianthe gave her declaration about their attire, both of his light eyebrows raising. Oriana just rolled her eyes blue eyes and he chuckled a little, before answering, “Oriana won’t allow it.”


“Best people know the truth before the pretty lie,” she offered to Ianthe, and then crossed her arms over her chest, “Speaking of truths, is there a reason we are here in the armory? We are just going to confront the soon-to-be former mayor.”


Silvio was curious as to what they were doing in the armory as well, and he noticed the axe upon the woman’s back with an approving glance. He could tell immediately that the metal was dear. To the untrained eye, one would think the woman supernaturally strong, but Silvio knew the sort of metal. It was light, but powerful.


The collection in the armory itself was quite lovely, from a hunter’s perspective. His eyes lingered on the bewitching incense, knowing how useful that was, before it started to move over other substances. It did not have much in the way of poison, but he knew that was not a popular method of hunting—which was, of course, why it so frequently worked out for them. He saw other weapons, not all for vampires. A few he’d prefer to use on werewolves, or other mutated fiends of the nobles, but her husband, Grey, had known what he was doing.


‘What a waste.’ So much here, and none to use it. A good, and a smart man, dead. A waste indeed.

 

[InnocentThorns]

"People might offer you more money if you show up looking like that," Ianthe suggested. "The pretty lie is usually worth more to people like Cavendish."


She looked around, nodded slightly, "I thought perhaps you would like to replenish your stocks in here. I have no delusions about the situation we were in. I am still alive because of the two of you. I appreciate that, and I want to thank you in the only way I know how without insulting you and offering you money as if you had no pride to speak of. Also...Grey would have wanted his stores shared with vampire hunters he could respect. You both are the first of those I've met since his death."


Tears stung at her eyes for a moment, "...Also, you killed him. If I said I was too good a woman to take joy in that, to relish the fact that he is no longer living his damned life of darkness, I would be telling lies. I only regret that I could not hurt him myself."


Ianthe had more strength in her than she realized, letting her bitterness fade, "So please, take what you like. The only items off limits are the axe, and my own cross."


Brandt coughed discretely from the doorway, and walked in with tea and three cups. Ianthe walked over to him as if she were in a gown and not prepared to go stop the former mayor and poured tea, "Would anyone else care for a cup?"

 

[Lucyfer]

Greedy as they were, both of them doubted what Ianthe said. It was the rough look that both imagined won them extra pay. A clean hunter was an untested hunter, like a knight in shining armor. “We may give it a shot one day….,” but Silvio spoke with evident doubt. Oriana would be difficult to convince.


When the stocks of Grey were laid open to them, the pair exchanged a look, questioning, wondering. Would they take anything? Could they, from someone in such a vulnerable position right then? Silvio hesitated to speak, and so Oriana did, turning her eyes to Ianthe. Her gaze softened as she saw the tears brimming, and she stepped forward.


She did not reach out to Ianthe physically, but there was a warmth in her eyes and in her posture. “You are honest, and we appreciate that, Miss.” A moment’s distance. A moment’s shock. “We will take some of the incense, and a little more, but nothing else. You are in no state to part with these memories just yet. We will see if you have a level head before we leave,” a smile twisted itself onto her lips, more sincere and more friendly.


She took a cup of tea, though Silvio shook his head, and she downed the hot liquid without so much as a grimace. Her tongue still felt numb, though she thought it just placebo. Juliet was difficult that way. Even when she knew it was worn off, her mind played tricks on her. “It is not good to wish to kill for yourself. It is not a path I wish for anyone. Right, Silvio?”


He just sighed and crossed his arms. “And you can see, he loathes that even I do it. Apparently it is a burden only for outsiders. He still thinks I’m an insider,” another sip of the nearly empty cup, and she moved to take some of the incense, as she’d promised, and she let her eyes skim over other things that were rare, but not unique. Things she was willing to buy.


Silvio did not move to join her. He would have preferred they take nothing.