Library:Through the Lunar Rift II

This Journal finds the tavernmistress visiting a friend in her hometown, and being pulled toward a mystery in the local prison. The story was first published on the Shroud of the Avatar Forum, and the first four paragraphs were excerpted in Update of the Avatar #76.

Conspiracy in the Clink
by FireLotus

I’ve finally decided to repair the dry rot in the loft, as it was making the whole Tavern smell a bit musty and, truth be told, I was worried the kegs I store up there might end up crashing through the floor onto an unsuspecting Thomas. The previous owner must have been less handy with a hammer then I am. Lucky for me, I’ve discovered that Morton can be quite the handyman when he’s not drunk. And he’s willing to be my fixer-upper for a few tankards of free ale. I’m sure the fact that I don’t let Thomas throw him out of the Tavern when Morton starts to get obnoxious helps a bit too.

So I paid Myra a visit to pick up the supplies that Morton needed. She was in a fretful state… looked as if she hasn’t gotten a decent night’s sleep in weeks and her eyes were all red and puffy as if she had been crying. Though I swore I’d keep these people at a safe distance lest they find out who I truly am, I could not help but feel the urge to sooth her obvious suffering somehow. So I asked what was wrong.

I had no idea that the infamous coward Myron was her brother; though in hindsight, the names should have been a clue. And twins no less. She told me that she’s been having nightmares that her brother was being tortured down in The Clink. She begged me to help her look into getting her brother out of there. Said that she had even been to see Lord Enmar himself. Unfortunately for Myra, the good Lord Enmar was of the opinion that Myron would die a prisoner of his own cowardice. Apparently, Enmar has little sympathy for deserters.

The way I see it, we all have our moments of weakness. We all have that moment when we let our emotions get the best of us and act without thinking. And fear is one of the most difficult emotions to reign in before it makes fools of us. Some people run, like Myron. Some people lash out, even kill…

Anyway, I decided to keep my ears open and try to help if I could. I even went to see Warden Tully to ask about Myron’s ledger. But is was clear in a heartbeat that there was no amount of gold that would free Myron from the fate he’d fled into. But something happened while I was there to make me suspect that Myra’s nightmares may not be all that off. I wasn’t even allowed to see Myron, though normally, prisoners are allowed short visits. Some cock and bull story about him being in solitary for attacking another prisoner. That certainly did not sound like the man Myra described. It all just felt contrived. In fact, in the short time I was down there (they were sure to scuttle me out quickly after I asked to see Myron) every inch of my being was tingling with the sense that something just wasn’t quite right.

Maybe there was some truth to the whispers that I’ve overheard at the Tavern. Maybe there is something sinister happening deep under Owl’s Head. Maybe it’s true that no one has ever payed off their ledger and emerged from The Clink a free man. But that begs the question, what if all the rumors are true. What if people are being charged and taken without cause? Convicted without a crime? What price are these prisoners paying just so the people of Owl’s Head can feel safe? I can’t just sit back and do nothing, can I?

See what happens when I go against my solemn vow to keep my distance and not get involved…