Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Miss Falfaren chases abbey ghosts (parts I and II)

This is a draft of a short story I am working on.  This involves the elf detective Ireniana Falfaren.  She goes to an abbey to investigate what her sister believes to be a haunting.  With her is her half-sister Jane, who is also a priest.
 
Although this story is in the early stages (which things are always changing) one thing that has remained is the references to the song Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles (the most obvious so far is the reference to Father McKenzie)
 
Here are the first two parts and keep in mind, this story is continually changing. 
 
Miss Falfaren chases Abbey Ghosts

I

The elf investigator Ireniana Falfaren walked along the dirt trail, while behind her, her half-sister Jane stared at the map they had taken with them when they had Falfaren’s office in Mauertain, two miles away. 

“Are you sure the abbey is up this way?” Falfaren asked her sister as she removed her plum colored fedora and the  sweat trickled from the base of her black hair and down her forehead.

Jane, who inherited her sharp eyesight from their father, stared into the distance and spotted the large stone castle-like structure that was Charbanough Abbey.  She could even see the priest Maxwell pacing around the front gates, waiting impatiently for the sisters to arrive, ignoring the dirt that was building up on his dark blue priestly vestments.

“The abbey is indeed this way,” Jane said as a soft breeze flew through her black hair, which went just past her ears.  Although she knew her elder sister was not someone who liked to get involved with religious matters, she had requested her presence because she thought the problem the priests of the abbey were facing could use a set of fresh eyes.

The two sisters continued down the road until they were met by Maxwell, who greeted Jane with a soft embrace.  Falfaren looked over the young priest, noting his ash colored skin and bushy mustache.

“Thank you both for coming,” Maxwell said in a soft voice as he looked at Falfaren.  “As Jane must have told you,  strange things have been happening around the abbey.”

“Yes, she informed me of  strange noises in the dead of night,” Falfaren said in a quick voice, glancing at her sister. 

“I also told her about the screaming and we found some things broken,” Jane added.

Maxwell shrugged her shoulders as a man dressed in white and red vestments approached them.  “This is Father Paul McKenzie,” Maxwell said before doing a quick bow.  “He is the headmaster  of the abbey.”

Falfaren hesitated for a moment, then McKenzie’s hand.  The headmaster straightened his monocles and said.  “Miss Falfaren, jane has told us that you were quite a figure in law enforcement back in your own city in Delnair.”

“Yes, but I have moved away from home recently,“ Falfaren said as she noted the man’s stature.  She pointed to her sister and added.  “Jane has quite a nack for mystery, something we both get from our father.”
  
Jane shook her head and looked at the two priests.  “Headmaster McKenzie does not believe that there are  strange things going around the abbey.”

McKenzie turned to Maxwell and Jane, before looking back at Falfaren and Jane.  “I have told you both, and the others that the noises you are hearing are coming from the forest, thieves running around in the middle of the night, and others who are hoping to find refuge in the abbey.” He straightened his monocles once more before continuing,” I did however say that your sister could come and look around the abbey.”

“I assure you that I will not take much time looking through the abbey,” Falfaren assured.

Headmaster McKenzie nodded at the elf’s words.  “Yes, Jane has told me of your animosity towards the divine.”

Before Falfaren could react to the priest’s words, Jane stepped forward and said,” Her lack of religious background has nothing to do it headmaster father.  In fact, Ireniana has told me that she has cases back home that we must look at.  The Mauertain watch looks to her as a consultant.”

Headmaster McKenzie bowed and walked away,” Then I will not heed your progress.  Good luck Miss Falfaren.”

“I wonder what he meant by thieves coming and going through the abbey,” Jane questioned as she watched Father McKenzie walk towards the abbey’s steps.

“He means all of the refuges who come to the abbey to seek shelter or sanctuary,“ Maxwell answered as walked ahead of the sisters and passed through the front gate.  “Some of them come from villages attacked from warbands, others are travelers from cities and are just passing through.  And there are some who come from who knows where.”

“Father McKenzie is a wise man, but he holds himself higher than the average priest or person who comes through these doors,” added Maxwell.

“That sounds like a lot of priests,” Falfaren said quickly.  “No offense.”

Both Maxwell and Jane let out a laugh.  “No offense taken,“ Jane said to her sister.  “Although I do hope you will behave yourself while you are here, and please do not try to ruffle the robes of the priests.”

“As long as they do not try and convert me Jane,” Falfaren said as they approached the door.  “So if thieves and refuges are not the cause of the noises, what do you think is going on around the abbey?”

Maxwell stepped by, allowing Falfaren and Jane to enter the abbey.  “Honestly big sister, I think this place is being haunted by a ghosts of someone who was murdered on these grounds.”

II

Moments after she entered the abbey, Falfaren proceeded to spend the next hour talking with priests and acolytes who tended to the refuges.  She then spoke with caretakers and housekeepers, learning of what she could about the other priests who worked within the abbey’s walls.

After she was finished, she found Jane in the abbey’s library, looking through a thick stack of books about dwarves religion.  

Jane lifted her gaze to her sister and smiled.  “Did you find what you were looking for?“

“More or less,“ Falfaren answered as she grazed her finger along the spines of several books as she made her way towards her sister.  “Most of the staff have heard these noises, but they seem surprised by the decreasing amount of refuges and travelers.”

“Headmaster McKenzie,” Jane corrected as she shut the book and escorted her sister to the wall where they passed a mother walking with her two children.  “We are noticing that there is a less amount of travelers coming to the abbey.  Part of the funding for the abbey comes from travelers who would rather pay less to spend a night here than at an inn from the town down the street.”

“I noticed that Father McKenzie has felt the need to not even make contact with these refuges,” Falfaren said with a snort as she and Jane walked towards the abbey‘s mess hall.  “He probably feels that watching the Abbey’s finances are more important.”

Jane raised an eyebrow smirked as they entered the hall and sat at a small table.  “Headmaster McKenzie has a habit of sitting in his room for most of the day, writing sermon after sermon.  Sometimes he spend hours mending his clothes.”

“Maybe he is the one making noises,” Falfaren said as the mess hall began to fill with more people.

Jane shook her head.  “He lives on the other side of the abbey, away from the priests and away from the refuges.”

Falfaren stood up to get some food.  “Interesting, perhaps we’ll speak to Headmaster McKenzie later this evening.”  She looked over the mess hall, watching the priests serve the refuges.  Among the crowd, she saw the headmaster sitting in a circle with three soldiers.  “In fact, I may go talk to him now.”

In less than five seconds, Falfaren was able to gracefully walk across the hall to where McKenzie was sitting.  “Good evening Miss Falfaren,” the headmaster greeted with a smile.”

“Good evening Father McKenzie,” Falfaren replied before looking over the steel armor and weapons the soldiers were wearing.  She felt her nose twitch as it picked up the faint smell of rotten flesh.

Father McKenzie pointed to the three men and said,” I am just having a conversation with these fine young men.  I was once a soldier for several years before I heard the call to don the robes.”

“And how long have you worn the robes father?” Falfaren asked. 

Father McKenzie spread his arms.  “I have been a servant to the war goddess for over seven years.  I have spent a great deal of time with this abbey.  I hope to make it one of the grandest churches on the continent.”

Before Falfaren could walk away, she felt the headmaster touch her shoulder.  “Jane told me about your mother Nancilia.  I am sorry for your loss, and I am sorry that such an event has made you not believe in the gods.”

Falfaren pulled away and looked McKenzie in the eyes.  “It is not that I believe in the gods, but I believe that we mortals can make our own destiny.  Now if you excuse me, I must join my sister.”

As Falfaren walked towards the back of the room, she saw Maxwell sitting with Jane.  In front of them were two large steins, filled with what she hoped was alcohol.

Jane gently pushed a glass towards her sister.  “I thought you might want a drink.  As I promised, the finest ale the abbey has to offer.”

Falfaren grabbed a glass and took a large drink.  “So both of you failed to mention that  McKenzie being a soldier.”

Maxwell shrugged as he ate some potatoes and sipped some of his ale. 

Seeing the look in their eyes,  Falfaren stared into her glass,” Is this made with any special kind of holy water

“It is with the Earthmother’s blessing that I made this,” Maxwell answered.  “However, Headmaster McKenzie has not had us brew beer or make wine in the cellar for quite several months.  We currently brew it in two small sheds behind the abbey.  He said that the cellar has gotten so crowded and polluted that it would be dangerous for us to be down there.” 

Falfaren shrugged her shoulders as she toasted her glass with Jane and Maxwell

Maxwell sipped some more ale, then watched as Falfaren drown her drink in several seconds,” Perhaps you should slow down, as the alcohol will hinder your ability to investigate.

Falfaren had just finished her drink as the priest had finished his words.  “I assure you that it will take a lot of alcohol before my abilities are hindered.  For instance, I could not help but notice your headmaster smelled a little bit like rotten flesh.”

“He does sleep near a graveyard,” Jane said.  “Perhaps that smell lingered into his room

“He sleeps in a room, separated from the graveyard,” Falfaren retorted.  “Maybe instead of going to McKenzie, we should pay a visit to his quarters, or at least to the graveyard.”

Maxwell had almost choked on her drink.  “But that is hallowed ground, and visitors can not go there unattended.  You would have to get a priest, or at least a groundskeeper to go with you.”

Falfaren patted her sister’s shoulders.  “Then it is good that I have two priests who can go with me.”

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