The Wars of the Roses - Complete -- The valley is safe from the Thorns!

[Aiden]

That was not the response he was expecting, but the way she brushed him off and stormed out made him want to follow after...and he did. He returned to his home and single handily carried the thick and heavy reinforced head-board to her cottage, he intended to break it in with her to test the mastery of his craft.

[Marguerite]

God, look at Aiden trying to get his hip swerving on with Ladysky which only amused her even more. Oh, if he was not careful, the Thorns could get him. For all she knew ladysky could be a Thorn seducing the men though she wondered what to make for dinner.

[Valerian]

Current Voting:

Aiden (3) - Bliss, Kaz the Beast, Maeven
Kaz (3) - Aiden, Lady Sky, Sir Desan
Marguerite (1) - Nanoki
Sir Desan (1) - Marguerite
Nanoki (0)
Bliss (0)
Caeli (0)
LadySky (0)
Maeven (0)


Yet to vote: Caeli

There are 3 Thorns, 1 Ladybug, and 5 Roses.

[Bliss]

The previous day's events had worn Bliss out terribly, and attempts to sleep had left her tossing and turning, plagued with nightmares; only inhaling the dust of the poppyflower finally helped her to slumber dreamlessly... and late into the morning. When finally she rose, she looked at the things she'd brought home from market, and remembered her basket! She'd left it outside LadySky's cottage.

heading there, she found the others - and with fresh worry upon their faces. Fear twisted her gut. "Has something more happened?"

[Maeven]

Painstakingly Maeven worked, carefully blending the morning glory dew she'd gathered the day before into elixirs and potions ensuring that each would last much longer than without.  But all the while she fretted over the events.  Three of them had been lost already, two to the Thorns directly and, sadly, one at the hands of the villagers in their haste to execute after Charlotte's death.

There would be another vote soon she knew and hoped that this one would reveal a Thorn amongst them.

But who? Who would she cast her vote for?

Shaking her head in resignation, Maeven withdrew a piece of paper and etched a name on it before slipping it back into her pocket: Kaz the Beast.  Did he not call Aiden's name immediately? He who cast the first stone...

[Aiden]

Aiden opened the door to Ladysky's cottage, his clothes wrinkled and pulled on sloppily. The grin on his face faltered when he saw Bliss around her cottage, he looked around nervously and feigned interest in whatever was going on within the group.

[LadySky]

Not long after Aiden emerged from LadySky's cottage LadySky herself stepped out into the daylight. Her skin was flushed and her eyes glittered brightly and upon seeing her fellow villagers she quickly hung her head and took off toward the field where Thunder was munching away.

Mummbling quickly as she made her way out of the village, "I change my vote to Kaz the Beast."

[Nanoki]

There was little he could do but wonder when they would turn on him, not that he wanted them to but things always changed when the Thorns were involved.  Silently he made his way to the grave sites, once he was there he gently set himself on his kees.  Closing his eyes he sent up a quiet prayer for Saku, Charlotte, and Rockin, he then proceeded to recite the two poems he had prepared the night before.  Taking his time Nanoki just sat at the graves as if he were mute not saying a word.

[Bliss]

Watching the goings-on with pursed lips, listening to the conversations and murmurings of the others, Bliss sighed sadly, and gave up hope of getting her basket back... joining the rest in writing down a name to slip into it. Aiden.

Then she went to Rockin's house, trying not to cry as she prepared his terribly damaged body to join Saku and Charlotte in their rest.

At the gravesite, she found Nanoki in quiet contemplation and said nothing, having no wish to disturb his reverie; instead, she joined him in it, gazing down upon the freshly turned earth, which here and there slowly darkened with the quiet patter of her tears.

[Aiden]

Some villagers had yet to make themselves known since the killings began, but he disliked being accused of anything and focused on those pointing fingers at him. Had he been accused of adultery, it would be a different story.

Kaz was always exhausted and rambling as if he was drunk during the day, who was he to blindly accuse people of crimes, when he was the one that looked like a vagrant. On a note he wrote the name "Kaz" and showed it to him before dropping it in the box.

[Desan]

He walked up, earplugs evident in his ears so he could get a good nights rest.

"I vote for Kaz the Beast!!!" He shouted loudly.

[Marguerite]

Maybe she was wrong, there had to be something fishy with things. Though Kaz could easily be a Thorn like any other, she changed her vote from Nanoki to Sir Desan. Desan looked to be too sleepy to be a Thorn but it would be nice to irritate him a bit.

[Nanoki]

Hearing someone approach he glanced over out of the corner of his eye, seeing that it was only Bliss he returned his eyes to the ground in front of him.  He never really let his guard down around people, and now was no different even though they were all in this together.  Without moving or looking over he simply asked "Why now?  Why us?"  Looking down to the name wrapped in flames that he had tattooed on his left wrist he wondered how much more they could take.

[Kazyth]

"I keep my vote as it is, though I view Maeven with suspicion as well... she and Aiden have both voted the same way since the first murder, and methinks they've had some sort of collusion going.  The kind of teamwork that only a murdering pair of Thorns might have!'

He glares at the both of them from behind his curtain, then rumbles, "Desan is just an ass, and wants to pay me back for the time I mistook his front porch as my bathroom!"

[Maeven]

Hearing his rants, Maeven stepped from inside her cottage, eyes narrowed at her accuser suspiciously. What if Aiden was a thorn?  The woman glanced to the others while she  toyed nervously with the paper in her pocket. 

"I am no Thorn, nor am I in collusion with anyone but those who wish to keep us all safe from that which would do us harm," she said to whomever might still be listening and then turned back to her door.  Once inside, she pulled out the slip of paper and scratched out the first name, underneath she wrote in her changed vote: Aiden





edit: to fix typo. I have hate for typos.

[Aiden]

Aiden watched Kaz with his own suspicion.
"Perhaps the system we use to rid ourselves of the thorns is not the wisest, but what choice do we have. You are the one manipulating others and planting doubts, a fine way to behave if you have a guilty conscious."

[Bliss]

"I only wish I knew," she whispered despondently, glancing over at Nanoki, and shaking her head gently. It was a tragedy, all of it - horrible and senseless, and already she could see how the monstrous Thorns were tearing them apart - body and soul.

[Nanoki]

Hearing her answer he looked over at her for a moment, and smiled soflty.  "What ever reason, I just hope it ends soon."  He replied lightly taking a deep breath, then placed a hand gently on her shoulder.  Nanoki had no idea what would happen next, nor did he have any idea on how to deal with people most of the time.  So instead of trying to say something and only have it come out to make him look even stupider than before, he pulled the page with the poems he had written on it out and handed it to her before he stood and left her to some privacy.

[Bliss]

Silently, she braved a watery smile beneath her soft tears as he laid his hand upon her shoulder, and took the page he handed her with some little confusion, watching him go.

The weight of his touch a lingering warmth of connection against the sick chill that recent events had been giving her, she watched till he was out of sight before sinking against a headstone, reading the poetry-laden page in solitude.

[LadySky]

It had been some time since she had left the village center. LadySky simply sat atop the fence that encircled her little field watching Thunder play and munch the day away. He was so very lucky so thought sadly, no worries and no cares to ruin this beautiful day. Looking to the clouds she let her tears fall quietly as she prayed for the souls lost from their once peaceful home.

[Caeli]

Apart from the group, Caeli frowned, watching everyone thoughtfully, trying to figure out who the thorns in their midst were.

But of course it would be impossible to pick out anyone unless they let something slip... so who should she vote for? Biting her lip, Caeli considered the people milling around in groups, talking uneasily as they, too, tried not to look too frightened by the recent (and continuing) events. After some long moments of consideration, she nodded and slipped back into her house.

She would vote for Aiden when the time for the vote came. Well-liked as he was, he would have plenty of excuse to talk to people. Especially the other women.

[Valerian]

Final Voting:

Aiden (4) - Bliss, Caeli, Kaz the Beast, Maeven
Kaz (3) - Aiden, Lady Sky, Sir Desan
Marguerite (1) - Nanoki
Sir Desan (1) - Marguerite
Nanoki (0)
Bliss (0)
Caeli (0)
LadySky (0)
Maeven (0)



And it was decided -- Aiden would fall victim to the villagers.  He was led out into the town square, and once more a villager hung at the end of a noose.

But this time, the victim howled as he died, enraged; and as he drew his last agonized breath, the tips of his fingers became claws, and the mark of the Thorn appeared on his hand.  One of the hunters had at last become the prey.

• Aiden - (thorn) lynched
• Bliss
• Caeli
• Kaz the Beast
• LadySky
• Maeven
• Marguerite
• Nanoki
• Rockin - (rose) killed by Thorns
• Saku - (bee) lynched
• Sir Desan

There are 2 Thorns, 1 Ladybug, and 5 Roses.

[Bliss]

Much as she hate being party to it, Bliss forced herself to attend and observe the entirety of the lynching; and with a gasp, she watched as Aiden's true nature was revealed, with wicked claws and a terrible marking upon his hand.

Watching him swing out his last breaths and sway in the breeze, she exhaled softly. Perhaps this was it - perhaps they were lucky enough that there was only one.

She hoped.

[Caeli]

That evening, while the noose was readied in the town square and everyone milled around uneasily to watch as Aiden was led to his fate, Caeli remained in her home, watching the hanging in its entirety from her second-story hallway window. Unconsciously, her hand clenched tightly as they fitted the rough rope around his neck. What if we make a mistake again? What if we've killed one of our own?

But that was not to be. As the life slipped out of Aiden's limbs, he howled with his last breath - and then his fingers became claws, and the villagers beneath gasped as they saw the mark of the Thorn appear on the back of his hand.

Quickly, Caeli rushed to her writing desk. Grabbing her peacock quill from the inkwell, she added to the list she had written up last night, as she'd wondered what they could do about the Thorns. They didn't know how many of the enemy were in their midst... But from the way the votes had fallen, she could now rule out some people as Thorns: Kazyth, because Aiden had voted to lynch him; and Maeven and Bliss, who had voted to lynch Aiden.

There might well be more than one Thorn among them; legends never spoke of them acting individually, but always in small groups. And if they were disguised as regular villagers, they would not vote to lynch their own unless it was a dire circumstance.

Four of us who are most likely not Thorns... but that yet leaves many others who are the enemy.

[LadySky]

LadySky attended the hanging with her eyes filled with tears. She had suspected Aiden to be capable of evil but he had once again worked his magic on her and convinced her to switch her vote. As he howled with rage upon his death and it became clear he was indeed as evil as she had suspected she hung her head in shame.

Making her way to Kaz she begged for forgivness, she never should have allowed Aiden to sway her mind. Kaz was odviously an innocent and LadySky was ashamed to have been so gullible.

Finally she made her way to her small home and slept of the floor before the fire, she could not bear to see the headboard in her room.