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The Crime Lord Bard - Chapter 139: Gone Missing
🕑 Added 2025-07-16 00:00:06 +0000 UTC"Your sister, Yessika. She was stationed among our defenses, assigned to a crucial post. Following the last attack that occurred two days ago..." He paused. "She has gone missing."
The announcement struck Jamie like a physical blow. The change in his demeanor was immediate and unmistakable.
Anyone observing might have thought it impossible for the atmosphere to grow colder within the stronghold, but Jamie's gaze proved otherwise. His eyes hardened, glinting like shards of blue ice, a tempest of controlled fury swirling within. Yet it was not an incendiary rage that consumed him; rather, it was a deep, unyielding cold. A glacial resolve capable of freezing even the strongest of hearts.
"What has been done to find her?" Jamie demanded. He stood tall, shoulders squared, attempting to maintain his composure. He resembled an actor striving to stay in character after the script had slipped from memory, desperately clinging to the facade.
Lord Varric appeared momentarily taken aback by the intensity of Jamie's response. For a man used to control, the shift unsettled him. He glanced aside toward his son, seeking support or an escape.
Andrik cleared his throat, stepping forward. "We are assembling an expedition to search for her beyond the fortress," he explained. His tone was calm, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes, betraying the confidence he tried to project.
Standing nearby, Maria felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She could almost hear the grinding of Jamie's teeth.
Jamie took a slow, deliberate breath before speaking again. "Allow me to remind you," he began, "that although I am no longer officially part of the Frostwatch, my sister is." As he spoke, he rose from his chair, the wooden legs scraping harshly against the stone floor, a calculated move that drew every eye in the room.
He fixed his gaze on Varric and then on Andrik, his stare unwavering. "She is, in fact, one of my father's favorites," he continued, a clear hint of warning through his words. "Now, imagine what he will do upon arriving at the wedding and finding out that his cherished daughter is missing. Worse, that she's missing because you are still 'assembling' an expedition."
A hushed murmur spread through the hall. The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, some of them aware of the gravity of the situation. The implications of Jamie's words were clear. Their failure to act in searching for Yessika could have dire consequences.
Lord Varric's jaw tightened, a shadow passing over his face. His veneer of control was slipping, challenged openly in his own hall. Beside him, Andrik shifted uncomfortably, his previous arrogance waning under the weight of Jamie's gaze.
Jamie allowed the silence to stretch for a moment longer before delivering his final remark. "I would say you have a great deal of work to do," he concluded, each word meticulously enunciated. The challenge in his tone was unmistakable.
With a curt bow, Jamie turned on his heel and strode toward the exit of the grand hall. The heavy wooden doors creaked as they swung open. Neither Lord Varric nor Maria found the words, or the will, to halt his departure.
"I believe we can resume our negotiations at another time," Maria remarked, rising from her seat. She cast a measured glance at Varric, whose weary eyes betrayed his fraying patience. He seemed drained, worn thin by the relentless dance of politics. With a resigned nod, he dismissed her, waving a hand in a gesture that spoke of both authority and fatigue.
Outside the mansion, two Frosthell soldiers were patrolling when Jamie started questioning them.
"Look, I don't have the patience or time to argue," Jamie stated flatly, sensing the soldiers' reluctance to assist him. "I wouldn't hesitate to cut off a finger or two to get the information I want."
He allowed a predatory smile to curl his lips, one that sent a chill down their spines. The two soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
"This way," one of them blurted out.
"Are you mad? Without the Lord's approval?" the second soldier hissed, casting a furtive look around as if expecting Lord Varric himself to materialize.
"Shut up," the first soldier snapped back. "I've been here long enough to know danger." He nodded toward Jamie. "He's not making idle threats. That was a promise."
He began to lead the way toward the walls. "Besides, even if we refuse, do you think the Lord will reward us? More likely we'd find ourselves in an even worse predicament."
"Your colleague seems quite smart," Jamie remarked.
The second soldier scowled but said nothing. He shook his head in disapproval.
Close to the walls was the building he was looking for. The barracks, a series of robust buildings nestled against the northern side of the fortress. Their sturdy timbers and stone walls carried the scars of countless winters.
"The paladin. You'll find that she stayed in the barracks with the other soldiers." The first soldier explained, gesturing toward the structure.
Jamie studied the barracks, his gaze intent. "What were they facing when she went missing?" he asked.
"A group of orcs," the soldier replied. "They're growing bolder with each passing day."
"Three attacks in one day," the second soldier added, a note of despair creeping into his voice as his eyes drifted toward the towering walls. "Things are not going well. It seems that—"
"Silence!" the first soldier interrupted, casting a wary glance around them. "You know the Lord hates pessimism."
Jamie raised an eyebrow at the exchange. "So the situation is getting worse," he mentioned softly, more to himself than to the soldiers.
The first soldier hesitated before replying, his voice lowered. "The Orcs have been relentless. Our defenses are strained, and morale is waning. But speaking of such things is... discouraged."
"Discouraged?" Jamie echoed, a hint of disdain coloring his tone. "Keeping silent won't change the reality we face."
"Perhaps not," the soldier conceded, "but open worry breeds fear, and fear leads to chaos."
Jamie, accompanied by the two soldiers, made his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the barracks.
At last, they arrived at the small chamber that had been assigned to his sister, the paladin Yessika. Jamie pushed open the heavy wooden door, its hinges creaking in protest. The room was modest. Rough-hewn walls surrounded a narrow space where a simple bunk bed stood against one side. The bed was layered with furs and blankets, arranged to ward off the cold that reached in even here.
“Meow.”
Jamie started at the soft sound, glancing down in time to see Jay slip between his legs. The golden-furred cat looked up at him with eyes that gleamed with intelligence.
'Where have you been?' Jamie thought, with surprise and mild irritation.
"Surveying the city," Jay replied. "They're in quite a difficult situation."
'What do you mean?' Jamie inquired as he began to search the room, rifling through Yessika's sparse belongings.
"The number of attacks is escalating," Jay explained, leaping gracefully onto the top bunk to observe. "But at a pace much more aggressive than in Hafenstadt. At this rate, the city will fall in a winter or two."
Jamie paused, his hands stilling over a worn leather-bound journal. He suspected that the absence of one of the gods was accelerating whatever was happening.
"There are no weapons or armor here," he noted aloud, his brow furrowing. "She was ready to fight or fighting." He straightened, resolve hardening his features. Turning to the soldiers, he issued a curt command: "Take me to the wall."
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances but nodded. "This way, sir," one said, gesturing toward a passage that sloped upward.
The barracks were connected to the walls to ensure swift deployment during an attack.
Reaching the top of the wall, they were met with a vast expanse of night sky. Below, the rugged landscape of the Frozen Forest sprawled outward, its trees skeletal and cloaked in frost.
Jamie began to stride along the battlements, his boots crunching over a thin layer of snow that had settled there. Sentinels stood at intervals, their breath misting in the air, eyes ever-vigilant for signs of movement beyond the walls.
"Soldier," Jamie called out, his voice carrying the weight of authority. A group of patrolling guards halted, turning to face him. They snapped to attention, sensing the urgency in his demeanor.
"Paladin Yessika Frostwatch. Where is she?" Jamie demanded, his gaze sharp as a blade.
One of the soldiers, a young man with weary eyes, stepped forward hesitantly. "S-sir, we have already submitted the report. She wasn't found after the last attack."
Jamie felt a surge of frustration knotting in his chest. "If we were to go after her, where might we find her?" he pressed.
The soldier glanced nervously at his comrades before replying. "Sir, the command was to abandon anyone taken," he stammered.
Anger flared within Jamie, hot and immediate. His jaw clenched as he struggled to maintain his composure. The thought of his sister abandoned, left to her fate under orders, was almost more than he could bear.
"This is a special case, soldier," he said, though each word was laced with barely restrained fury.
Behind him, the two soldiers who had guided him shifted uneasily. They understood the peril of challenging directives, especially those from Lord Varric.
The young guard hesitated, then nodded cautiously. "In that case, sir, your best chance would be to search the dungeon near the Frozen Forest," he offered. "The last time we ventured there, we found a few soldiers still alive."
Jamie's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Thank you," he said, inclining his head. "You are dismissed."
The soldiers saluted before resuming their patrol, relieved to be out of the tense exchange.
Without wasting another moment, Jamie turned on his heel and headed back toward the stairwell. With quickened steps, he walked toward the northern drawbridge.
The two accompanying soldiers hurried to match his pace.
"Where do you think you're going, sir?" one of them asked, concern evident in his tone.
"Beyond the wall," Jamie replied, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Venturing out there is dangerous," the other soldier cautioned. "It's not safe to go alone."
Jamie halted, turning to face them. "By the time they decide to do an expedition, she may already be—," he said. "I cannot afford to wait. I'm going now."
"Wait," Maria called out, slightly breathless. "You didn't think I'd let you go alone, did you?"
