Wars of the Roses II: Return to Rosebriar [Complete]

[Mithlomwen]

After taking all things into consideration, Mithlomwen finally spoke up.  "By revealing himself as the Bee, Remiel is putting himself in great danger, as the Thorns will now want to eliminate him before he finds out who the third Thorn is.  I am inclined to believe what he says as his argument makes a lot of sense."

Her gaze travels over each one of the people present, her eyes studying each person closely.  "My vote is for Elandra, and I can only pray that we are right in this, else our numbers will dwindle after this night and the Thorns will have won." 

[Valerian]

Final Voting:

Elandra (4) - Remiel, Bliss, Kurzyk, Mithlomwen
Remiel (3) - Elandra, sinera, morningsdreams
Kurzyk (1) - Marguerite
Bliss (0)
Mithlomwen (0)
Morningsdreams (0)
Marguerite (0)
sinera (0)

Elandra was led to the Hanging Tree, following in the footsteps of several innocents, insisting that the villagers were making yet another tragic mistake.  Then the rope tightened around her neck, and her face twisted with rage, her fingernails suddenly transforming into the wicked, sharp talons of a Thorn as she died.  The villagers had at last scored a victory against their enemies.

• Bliss
• Darkly Dreaming Doomsday Rose, lynched
• Elandra Thorn, lynched
• Kurzyk
• LadySky Rose, lynched
• Marguerite
• Mithlomwen
• Morningsdreams
• Remiel
• Ryven Rose, killed by Thorns
• sinera
• Xandi Rose, killed by Thorns

There are 2 Thorns, 1 Bee, 1 Ladybug, and 3 Roses.

[Mithlomwen]

Mith let out a sigh of relief when she saw the razor sharp thorns appear.  They had finally managed to rid themselves of one of the Thorns that had led to the death of so many innocents.  Now if they could only find the other two, perhaps the rest of the Roses could be saved. 

[desert ashes]

Stunned and shamed, Morning was starting to doubt her own sanity.  She had been so sure of Elandra's innocence!  The arguments had been so compelling, so believable... But Remiel had been right.  He'd been right about Elandra.  Unable to fight her tears, Morning left the green.

[Remiel]

Remiel relaxed, all the tension unwinding from his body.  It had been a very close vote, with the fate of the village balancing on a razor's edge; he had been vastly relieved when Mithlomwen believed him, after all.  He registered no surprise at all when Elandra turned out to be a thorn, but nodded, matter-of-factly.  Returning to his house, he slipped into bed, sure in the knowledge that, even if he didn't survive the night, RoseMart would not now lay their grasping claws on his prize-winning Blue Fire rosebushes.

[sinera]

Sinera's face was pinched as she watched the villagers string up Elandra. "Please be a rose, please be a rose," she whispered over and over; a mantra, surely, for if Elandra was a Thorn, as accused, then the villagers would believe her a Thorn as well, thanks to Remiel's broad statements.

As the proof of Elandra's guilt manifested, Sinera fainted dead away.

[Bliss]

Were her ears hearing right - was Sinera actually pleading that they be stringing up an innocent? Bliss hoped it was not so, but before she could ask, the other woman tumbled to the grass.

She had her doubts about Remiel's powers of deduction - after all, he'd been rather convinced of her own guilt, which was preposterous, of course - but Sinera's whispers made her wonder. That didn't stop her innate desire to help, though, and she went to Sinera's side to fan her awake, and help her home.

[Valerian]

The villagers sighed in terrible relief.  They had been betrayed, but at least there was one less danger in their midst.  Doors and windows were still barricaded, but the innocent, at least, slept a fraction more easily that night.

But all was not well.  Thorns were still prowling, as was evidenced by the fact that with the sunrise, once more a villager was found to be missing.  A visit to Marguerite's little house revealed her body there, torn and bloody.  Another innocent Rose had not lived to see the morning.

• Bliss
• Darkly Dreaming Doomsday Rose, lynched
• Elandra Thorn, lynched
• Kurzyk
• LadySky Rose, lynched
• Marguerite Rose, killed by Thorns
• Mithlomwen
• Morningsdreams
• Remiel
• Ryven Rose, killed by Thorns
• sinera
• Xandi Rose, killed by Thorns

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

[Remiel]

Again, Remiel arose the next morning,  and again he was surprised to still be breathing air.  Anticipating death on a nightly basis had given him a new appreciation for life.

Still, it meant that another innocent was dead.  It was a weighty thing to have on his conscience, but then the life of a Thorn-hunter was never easy.

"One down, two to go," he muttered, as he dressed himself and strolled out to the village commons to find out who the night's victim was.  "Sinera is next, and then morningsdreams." 

He rolled up his sleeves, prepared to carry out his grim duty, a duty which, nevertheless, had to be done.

[Valerian]

Current Voting:

sinera (4) - Remiel, morningsdreams, Mithlomwen, Kurzyk
Remiel (1) - sinera
Bliss (0)
Kurzyk (0)
Mithlomwen (0)
Morningsdreams (0)

Yet to vote: Bliss

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

[sinera]

Sinera awoke with dread in her heart. Elandra had indeed proved to be a Thorn; whether Remiel was the Bee or a Thorn using rhetoric to sway the remaining Roses to his side, the others would believe that she too was a Thorn now, no matter what words she would use to protest her innocence.

She rose from her bed, wondering who'd had the kindness in their heart to help one already accused and proven guilty through false logic. She gathered up the last of the roses from her garden to adorn Doomsday's grave, knowing that after today there'd be no one left to tend to them anyway.

[Kurzyk]

Slumped outside Marguerite's house, Kurzyk grieved her loss. So much tragedy and as he churned in anger at the murderers still out there, his mind spun in suspicions.

He saw Remiel walking up to the Commons. With hesitation at the decisions that must follow he got up and approached him.

"Regarding Elandra, it seems your argument held merit," he said with suspicion. These days noone could be trusted and for all he knew Remiel was manipulating them all.

"How do we know the murderers, or.... " Stepping forward he peered at Remiel's eyes. "You perhaps, did not sacrifice one of your own to throw us from our trail and increase trust? After all, the Thorns are not known to be honorable even among themselves."

Leaning against a tree he lit a pipe casually then continued while taking a puff, "I heard you muttering the belief that it was Sinera. What thinking do you have of this? She was seen this morning resting roses on Doomsday's grave. Surely her love for him would negate the possibility of her conspiring to have him killed with the rest of us? Are you suggesting her to be some sort of black widow?"

[Mithlomwen]

Mith had gotten word that Marguerite had been murdered during the night.  So many innocents had lost their lives in all of this.  So much death.  How many more were going to have to die before it was over?

Her mind raced, recalling all of the past events that had led them up to this,  wondering if they were going to be able to identify the last two Thorns.  She prayed that they would be able to, and quickly before even more innocent lives were lost. 

[Remiel]

"Considering that I was the one who led the charge against Elandra, Kurzyk," said Remiel, wearily, "I either have to be telling the truth, or I'm the sneakiest, most disloyal bastard that ever there was, to sell out my fellow thorns in order to save my own hide."

He thought about it, and shrugged.  "Which, of course, is certainly possible. I don't blame you for being suspicious.  But consider that both sinera and morningsdreams voted with Elandra last night.  That alone should convince you of their guilt.  When the chips were down, when it mattered, they could not vote against one of their own."

"Now, I'll admit I'm not perfect.  I was dead wrong about Bliss, for example.  But I am now one hundred percent certain that Sinera and morningsdreams are Thorns."

[sinera]

Sinera rose from Doomsday's grave and trudged into town to see who had been murdered in the night, sure it had been Remiel. Elandra's co-conspirators could not have allowed him to live after his proclamations the day before.

In her heart she hoped they had taken Remiel; surely she could be forgiven wishing him ill after he had tried to convince the others she herself was a Thorn. She raised her eyes in surprise when she realized the others were gathering at, not Remiel's door, but Marguerite's.

She darted in to see for herself - maybe he'd been killed at Marguerite's instead of his own home - but no, she caught a glimpse of a feminine foot.

"You BASTARD!" she screamed and launched herself at Remiel. "Why her? They should have taken YOU! You with your hateful accusations!" She beat at him as she raged.

[desert ashes]

She couldn't take it anymore.  Huddled in the doorway, her shawl wrapped tight around her and with tears still staining her cheeks.  "Stop it, Sinera!"   She hadn't listened to Remiel before and look at what happened -- Doomsday's death, Elandra being a thorn.  Perhaps her own innocence might end up being ignored, but if it meant taking down the Thorns then so be it. 

[Mithlomwen]

Watching Sinera's display she couldn't help but think that perhaps the woman was over reacting in an attempt to sway people's opinions away from the fact that she was a Thorn.  If everyone thought her so upset and distraught about Marguerite's death, they might assume she was a Rose. 

Mith watched for a moment, listening to both Remiel and Moirae before speaking.  "Remiel was right about Elandra, and as he's taken a great risk to reveal himself as the Bee, therefore I am also inclined to believe what he says about Sinera as well." 

[Kurzyk]

A slight grin at the emotions flying, crossed Kurzyk's face. It wasn't that he was cold, it was more an unusual sort of tension in the air, the kind that was for show. Something was not right.

"It is difficult to believe Sinera would work against even her own love, but I believe the solution lies in ascertaining the sincerity of Remiel. He says he is the bee and is revealing the thorns among us. So far he was correct with Elandra."

He walked towards the center of the group eyeing Sinera and Remiel. "One of these two is not telling the truth. If I vote for Sinera and she turns out to be a Rose, Ladybug or even the Bee, then Remiel will be shown to be a liar and manipulating us all. If she is a thorn then trust is strengthened in Remiel and another threat is gone."

Deep in thought he continued, "Either way, the most logical choice is to vote for Sinera."

Walking over to Sinera he held a frown, "I'm sorry my dear, but it is for the greater good."

[Remiel]

Remiel was unprepared for sinera's onslaught, and grunted in pain as one of her fists connected with his nose with a solid crunch.  He fell back, clutching at his nose; the strength of sinera's blow bounced him off a wall and sent him sprawling to the ground.  Blood trickled from his nostrils to drip down his chin. Throwing his arm up to defend against further attacks, he muttered softly to himself:

"And thus I clothe my naketh villainy with odd ode ends sto'n forth of howy writ; and seemth a saint, when most I pway the devil. "

Raising his voice, he looked up at Sinera, daubing at his broken nose.
"Ow much thid RoseMart pay you, Thinera?  Ow much? Wad it Tirty pieces of thilver?  Or wad it much, much more? Ow much thid id take to betray Doomthday?  Ow could you?  You make me thick."

[Bliss]

Biting down on an untimely and most unseemly laugh at Remiel's sad slur, and the terrible joke about what "makes him thick" that sprung to her weary and emotionally overtaxed mind, she slipped in and reached down to cast a baleful glance over at Sinera. "Only a Thorn would have the gall to display such violence, and beside the deathbed of one of our own sweet Roses, too!"

[Valerian]

Final Voting:

sinera (5) - Remiel, morningsdreams, Mithlomwen, Kurzyk, Bliss
Remiel (1) - sinera
Bliss (0)
Kurzyk (0)
Mithlomwen (0)
Morningsdreams (0)

With Remiel's accusation against Elandra horribly proven, the townsfolk followed his words once again.  And so sinera was doomed, her desperate lashing out proving of no avail as the survivors banded together as one against her, putting the noose around her neck without hesitation.

And once more Remiel had not led them astray, for just as with Elandra's death, at the last sinera was revealed to be one of the terrible Thorns, her eyes flashing in helpless fury as her talons sprouted, and now the little village was that much safer.

• Bliss
• Darkly Dreaming Doomsday Rose, lynched
• Elandra Thorn, lynched
• Kurzyk
• LadySky Rose, lynched
• Marguerite Rose, killed by Thorns
• Mithlomwen
• Morningsdreams
• Remiel
• Ryven Rose, killed by Thorns
• sinera Thorn, lynched
• Xandi Rose, killed by Thorns

There are 1 Thorn, 1 Bee, 1 Ladybug, and 2 Roses.

[Mithlomwen]

Mith breathed another sigh of relief at seeing the tell tale talons of the Thorn.  At least they had not sent another innocent to their death.  She was also very relieved that she had put her faith in Remiel, feeling much better in the fact that he had not led them all astray.  One more Thorn remained, and she hoped they could find out who it was before any more of Roses died. 

[Remiel]

"Two dowde, wud to go," said Remiel, covering his face with a handkerchief.  He went home to set his broken nose, more confident than ever that, even if he did not survive the night, the townspeople would do the right thing.

[Kurzyk]

With an immense sigh of relief Kurzyk grinned.

"Well done Remiel, turns out you weren't deceiving us." With a slight tilt of his head he showed respect  then looked at the darkened blue slowly spreading across the sky. Night was coming.

"Everyone be on your guard. Night is nearly upon us and if history is our guide, danger still lurks."

With that, he walked back to his hutt on the edge of the village. Murder or not, he was damn hungry and looked forward to the warm fires of his stove.

[Valerian]

Alas, the meal that Kurzyk enjoyed that night was to be his last.  With the rising of the sun, it was clear that the thorns had claimed yet another Rose, and the village had lost another friend.  It was a smaller, but still determined, group that met that morning, searching desperately for the last evildoer in their midst.

• Bliss
• Darkly Dreaming Doomsday Rose, lynched
• Elandra Thorn, lynched
• Kurzyk Rose, killed by Thorns
• LadySky Rose, lynched
• Marguerite Rose, killed by Thorns
• Mithlomwen
• Morningsdreams
• Remiel
• Ryven Rose, killed by Thorns
• sinera Thorn, lynched
• Xandi Rose, killed by Thorns

There are 1 Thorn, 1 Bee, 1 Ladybug, and 1 Rose.