Gale's Inquiry (Part 2)

The soldiers defense is as quiet as anyone has seen it in some time. Maybe it's the weather, or maybe it's just the grace of the gods. Either way you can easily make your way to the room holding Galon Calogref. The son of a knight who himself has never amounted to much, lays in bed, sullenly staring at the ceiling of his small room. The entrance of those who are gathered to see him causes Galon - also known by some as Gale - to sit up with a wince and slide toward the wall. His eyes flicker over Andelena - a scowl, to Telamon - a flash of real anger, and then lastly to Dolan - a flash of fear and something else that's harder to distinguish.

GAME: Andelena rolls Sense Motive: (5)+12: 17
GAME: Telamon rolls detectBS: aliased to sense motive: (16)+25: 41
GAME: Dolan rolls sense motive+1: (12)+21+1: 34

For his part, Dolan has taken no chances with this meeting. Gale can now see that Dolan had indeed come to that first meeting stripped down and with no desire for trouble. Now is a different story. He carries not only the longsword, but a mighty greatsword over his back, secured over a breastplate that has seen hard use and, interestingly, a soft leather cuff that encases his left shoulder and disappears into the breastplate. This time, too, he has chosen to wear a white and gold mantle over breastplate and shoulders, over which hangs openly the pendant of a stylized dragon.

Initially, he'd hung back to read the room , but the initial read draws him further into the room. "You're awake," he greets. "Good. No, I'm not here to hurt you," he adds gently. "I know better than that. How you feeling?"

When Andelena enters the room, it's with her in full armor and the white cloak of her Sunguard station, Deliverance peace-tied on her sword-belt. Her steel-gray eyes regard Gale with a look that's a little more... soft, if not sympathetic. "And we're not here to gloat, Gale," she adds to Dolan's comment. "Just here to talk about what we need to talk about and nothing more."

She looks at her older brother and seems to have something more to say, but she just lightly shakes her head.

Just behind the Donnellys comes the sorcerer Telamon. Unlike them, his dress is elegant, polished... but only a blind man could miss that his garments are not just chosen for looks. The white silk ruffled shirt over black riding trousers, tucked into well-kept, silver-buckled boots, there is that. But over this he wears a sleeveless mantle of light blue-grey, trimmed in geometric patterns. Holding his hair back is a circlet of gold and silver, and a ring sits on each finger. Radiating that calm, dispassionate power, as inexorable as the tides.

He does not entreat Gale, contenting himself with watching the man with those starry eyes. Studying his posture, his expression, everything he might say without speaking.

Gale seems uncomfortable with Dolan's gentle tone. "I'm fine. They say that I'm lucky to be alive." He looks between the pair before him. "I admit I have never seen that move before, and that it was very nearly - if not for Andelena - the last thing I ever saw."

He doesn't seem happy to say it. He sighs. Finally he seems to pull his thoughts together and looks at her. "I never approved of you and... him." Gale makes a small motion toward Dolan with his hand. "But I think you've a right to know that it was... It was never easy for me either Andelena. I never wanted to marry any of the women that mother insisted that I court. It's just the way things are _done_. I thought... that it was the way things are done."

Here he looks at Dolan. "But... If a man can call down the might of a god to strike me into my place; who am I to argue? I'll answer your questions."

"They're right." Dolan seems about to say more, still in that quiet and gentle tone, but instead walks up and plants a gauntleted hand onto the foot of the bed, leaning on it. "I'm used to demons, not dandies. Hesitate with a demon and they'll have your heart for a snack." He gestures with his free hand to the gem where his right eye should be, and the mutilated flesh of the right side of his face.

He drops that hand, then, and the subject. "I'll let Andie explain your family's situation right now, but I need to know what you can tell me about Rida. Where she might be, or who she might be with. She may be a target for a pretty powerful demon that wants to use her."

Andelena stares at Gale for a long moment when he talks to her. It begins then silently. There's nothing in her eyes, nothing in her movements, not a quiver, not a murmur, not a breath.

Until there is. A tremble of the hand. And something welling up in those steel-gray eyes of hers that so often are hard like the metal they resemble. Because she has had to be. Her whole life, she's had to be. One of the reasons is right here in front of her, speaking to her the way he's doing now.

"And that a woman can bring you back from the brink of death. Is that it?" she asks then. Andelena's voice is oddly quiet in a way it very rarely ever is. "What about before Mother wanted you to go courting? What about all the bruises you put onto me as a kid? What about all the damn times you tried to beat up little baby Seb? Was that Mother too?"

Her voice shakes, but it's not fear. It's caught somewhere between sorrow for what their childhood was and anger at what it was. Anger at him. Anger at their Mother.

"Mother and the gods-damned cook are in jail now for demon trafficking, Gale." It's said like she's trying to remind herself what's important here. "Our family was being torn apart long before I ever tried to make a life on my own terms and it has to do with _demons_, Gale. And this girl--she's the key to putting them all down."

"The Calogref family stands at a precipice," Telamon says quietly. He's remained behind Dolan and Andelena, content to let them call the tune as it were. "I won't speak for the temples, but this sort of accusation can do incredible damage even if unfounded -- and I assure you there is considerable proof."

"Your family will need you, Galon Calogref," Telamon continues. "It will need someone to hold it together in the coming weeks, months, even years."

Galon meets his sister's eyes. "No Andelena, I did it. It was me. Mother just made it okay to do. It was me that did it. I can't take it back." He touches his chest. "I always thought that what mother did, she did for our house. That she did it for the best of us, but I'm not sure I can afford to think of her like that anymore.

The older brother of Andelena takes a short breath and nods to Telamon. "You're right ser. If Calogref is to survive, it will need someone who will really does what's best for it. And... that's not me. I guess we'll see what happens when Father is found."

That note in Andelena's voice draws Dolan's attention, and he straightens, looking over at her, the lone flesh-and-blood eye softening. It's a look that says that this man would do anything for Andelena. He moves back towards the redhead, reaching to put his good arm around her back, resting the gauntlet on it on her shoulder. "It won't ever happen again, baby."

Still next to Andelena, he turns a meaningful look on Gale. _Will it?_ He doesn't say those words, though, instead listening to all that is said. "You can get a start, though," he offers. "The first step is to get all of the fiendish presence away from your house, and to do that, we need to find Rida. What can you tell us about Rida?" Yes, he's persistent.

Gale's words have an effect on Andelena. Her eyes close, and she draws in a heavy, heavy breath. Her form leans into Dolan a little when his arm goes around her. The woman has been so reluctant to show anything that could suggest a scrap of weakness to her older brother. Anything at all. This is the man who hurt her. _This is the man who hurt her._ The...

"Gale."

Her voice leaves her very softly.

"Seb's here in the city. I can take you to him if you want to see him. He's been involved too. But you have to promise me--you're going to apologize to him for everything you've done too. If we're gonna be a family again..."

Andelena's eyes open again and they're misty. "If we're gonna be a family again, it'll be the three of us. Mother's in jail and will probably rot there. Father's... He's never been a fucking father. Never been fucking _anything_ besides a knight. Bry and I just need to find these fiends first so we can be a family again and not be _destroyed_ when we try and come together again."

There must come a point where you decide to let things go. Telamon has been there, after all. And he conceals an approving smile at Andelena's words. This is, after all, her family. Not his. He doesn't add to Galon's woes -- he's got enough on his plate.

Instead, he slides over to a chair, inspecting it and the small table for any dust, but it's all a ruse; his dark eyes are still on Gale, watching. Measuring the man to see if he's truly turned over a new leaf.

He takes a small breath again; Gale does. "I don't know if I can fix everything Andelena. But if Father abandons us... I intend to give Seb control of the house." Gale is looking down at his hands. Finally he looks up again nodding. "I... I really don't know that much about Rida. I barely remember being in love with her. It's all like a bad dream. I know it was me but... I would never have been like that over a woman."

Here Gale frowns. "I only met her a few times. Only at her mother's house. She always seemed like the most desirable woman I'd ever seen, and when she was gone I was... obsessed with my painting of her. Nothing else mattered. I don't understand it."

-TBC