The Captain's already worried face scrunched into a frown of consternation as Sigurd approached and began speaking so casually about the scene that had unfolded before him. Sigurd was an outsider, stationed in Rauru only temporarily as part of his investigative duties as a special agent. Technically agents under the King outranked regional captains (and they were certainly paid much more), but as long as Sigurd was serving in Viscen's fort, he felt that no opportunity to exert his authority over the young knight should go to waste. As Viscen was not of a sufficient rank to know the end of Sigurd's investigations, he assumed that the free agent had been sent to keep tabs on the Captain and see if he was fit to maintain command. This led to a lot of unspoken tension between the two men already, but with the sudden disquieting events unfolding he seem especially not in the mood to deal with Sigurd at the moment.  

"Perhaps other outpost captains let you walk all over them, but [i][b]I[/b][/i] am the law around here and you will address me as your superior as long as you're stationed in Rauru. If you are not willing to show me the proper respect, you are quite welcome to requisition the king for a new place to sleep," he threatened, leaning in close to Sigurd and lowering his voice. Viscen was all about maintaining an air of authority while in the town, and needing to discipline his soldiers publicly would reflect poorly on him as a leader. "Granted, it may interest you to know that the last man who departed for the King's palace from here ended up dead. Keep that in mind," he added, darkly. It was obvious that the Captain was not about to be a particularly helpful asset to Sigurd's investigation.

"As this is a matter of village security, my lieutenant will be the first to conduct an examination of the body. He is being sent back to the barracks now for that very reason. You may do what you wish with the body after that, but for now, there are other matters at hand that I can assure you are more pressing," admitted the Captain, sternly. After taking one more worried glance at the note he'd found on the knight's body, he sighed and reluctantly passed it to Sigurd. 

[indent][b]Sigurd received the Mysterious Note![/b]

A note found in the mouth of the dead messenger knight who had departed from Rauru for Lynna Palace. The parchment appears to be quite old and slightly soiled, and the messy handwriting reflects an unintelligent writer. It smells faintly of a dead person's mouth for obvious reasons.[/indent]

Scribbled in barely legible chickenscratch was the following missive:

[i]We know you are weak. It's too late to run to the King now.

We are stronger than ever, and we will soon storm your gates.

It's too late to prepare yourselves. Some of us are already inside.[/i]

"I'm certain the threat to attack is a bluff. We've already done plenty of patrols around the area and there's been no sign of any bandit or monster encampments, much less any that would pose a threat to our defenses. We're understaffed, yes, but we're more than capable of withstanding a siege with our manpower, fortifications, and provisions," noted the Captain, practically thinking aloud. "What worries me more is this that last part. 'Some of us are already inside'? If someone could potentially sabotage us from inside the village walls, that would jeopardize our ability to break a long siege," he surmised, anxiously. He leaned in close to Sigurd once more.

"I especially don't want news of this getting out to the rest of the townsfolk. If they find out that there might be traitors in our midst, they'll go off on their witch hunts and the town will erupt into rioting before long," he warned, rather gravely. His predicted outcome seemed comically severe, but at heart the Captain seemed to be concerned with the well-being of the townsfolk and that was admittedly a bit reassuring. "I hate to put your [i]highly important, extremely confidential[/i] [i][b]personal[/b][/i] investigation on hold, but would you mind acting in your role as a public servant and asking around to see if anyone's noticed suspicious characters hanging around town as of late? Try that old innkeeper, maybe. I think he's seen a lot more than he lets on, but like I said, be discrete about this traitor business."

Having received the smug satisfaction of bossing around the young upstart special agent who'd been breathing down his neck the last few weeks, the Captain turned to head off towards the barracks, but stopped short when he realized a young mage girl in a white robe had approached the two knights already and was likely privy to a good portion of the highly confidential conversation they had just concluded. The Captain seemed genuinely embarrassed for a few moments, then allowed a brief flash of anger to pass through his body, before finally settling on fake composure and feigned helpfulness.

[color=a187be]"Wow, I came out here to get away from trouble but it looks like you guys can't even do your job right."[/color]

"I'm very sorry ma'am. This incident is highly irregular for Rauru. We're known for being among the safest places to live in all of West Labrynna and I can assure you that my capable soldiers are currently doing their best to ensure that the village is secure and that the ones responsible for this crime are brought to justice swiftly," explained the Captain, his assurance thick with quasi-sincerity.

[color=a187be]"And what about us who just arrived, huh? We don't have a home to return to ya know. Maybe ya could do your job and show me to the Inn, huh?"[/color] continued the woman. The Captain resisted the urge to frown this time, instead affecting a smug grin as his eyes settled on Sigurd. What luck! An opportunity to rid himself of two annoyances at the same time had just conveniently presented itself.

"Well, speaking of capable soldiers, I have just the man to help you out!" he responded, cheerfully gesturing towards Sigurd. "This is my finest man, Sigurd. He loves meeting visitors and I assure you he would be happy to shepherd a nice young woman like yourself to the inn. I believe he was just heading there himself. Don't be shy, Sigurd!" he exclaimed, patting the young knight on the back and quickly snatching the note back from him as he turned to leave.

[indent][b]Sigurd lost the Mysterious Note! Dang![/b][/indent]

"Please make sure to stop by the fort if you have any more concerns, ma'am. Ask to see the Captain and if I'm available, I'll do my very best to help," he finished, absently, before departing for the fort in a hurry.