The days after the meeting with Monika Winterholm and Maya Blodfang passed in a blur. Linus kept training on his potion making, he remade the Lunar clarity potion again since his cauldron consumed his first one. He also made the Draught of living death, a sleep potion that is so good that the person sleeping looks dead.
Linus kept up with his normal training as well, if the rumors of Durmstarng were true he would need all the strength he could get in both body and magic.
And still no more movements from the ones responsible for the deaths of my family. Shooting a bombarda spell while thinking about it, the spell hit the training dummy and it disintegrated. "whops". I gave Astrid the task to increase spies around taverns, pubs and anything where people usually meet, this still didn't give any results. In Astrids report the shopkeeper who bought the mandrake leaves said the thieves had an accent, he said it sounded german. One thing was clear the robbers from the plantation were hired just to mess with my head.
The one responsible are most likely one the other pure-bloods. But as much as I look at it none had a good enough reason to do all this. Or is there something hidden. If only you would have told me something father.
I could send hundreds of Gray guards to every gang that there is in Scandinavia, and then maybe find something. But in doing so the ones responsible would know that I'm desperate to find them and just dig a deeper hole. I have to think one step ahead of what my unknown enemy is thinking. Father was on a lot of meetings before he was killed maybe I should start there.
Linus went up this his office, his fathers' former study.
Linus picked up his fathers Calander from the top drawer and opened it up. Father really had a lot of meetings, mostly shopkeeper, ministers, aurorers. He was at the Gringotts bank one week before… its worth looking into, the key should be in the safe. Linus stood up and waved his want in front of the bookshelf, it opened up. Inside the safe was the vault key, and other documents. In the corner of the safe there was a box, Linus took it and opened it, inside was a beautiful family crest brooch. "Wow… never saw dad wearing this" I quess no one would mind if I wore it now. Linus put the brooch on the uniform close to the neck where its suppose to be placed. Standing in front of the mirror, I must say grey is a damn good color and I this uniform looks amazing. Since he was now the head of the Gray family it was tradition that instead of all Gray uniform the head wears black pants and Gray uniform, gray uniform now had bacl details embraided on the arms. The Uniform was very military looking, as the Gray family always had been. The robe was still the same, dark grey with the Gray family emblem embroidered on the back.
Linus stepped out of his office, he went down to the main entrance where Alaric and Astrid stood.
"I'm heading out to Gringotts in Isgränd, I want to go alone" Linus said as he walked to the floo flame. Alaric and Astrid looked at each other.
Astrid finally said "Linus are you sure that is a good idea, it wouldn't be safe…"
"I know it won't be safe that's why I'm doing it, if those fuckers finally showed their damn faces I can finally end this." Linus stepped into the chimney. And threw a mark of Gray to Astrid. "If I get into trouble that mark will glow, and you can follow it to find me"
Astrid looked at the mark then at Linus "I understand…"
As she said this Linus used the floo powder and ended up in the same bar as lats time he used floo powder. It was pretty late in the afternoon but not a lot of people here… the people looked like they had seen a ghost.
"Evening gentlemen"
"Good evening lord gray" they said. I nodded and stepped out of the store towards the tree that opened up to Isgränd.
Linus walked with confident steps taking his time to look around and listen to the whispers. The Gray family usually doesn't go out like this, so seeing people surprised was not surprising. After a bit of a walk, I finally entered Gringotts, goblins at work like always, there aren't a lot of people. I stepped towards the vault counter and put my key on the counter. The goblin looked up from his book.
"Ah, vault 104, yes, follow me" the goblin jumped of his chair and started walking, he led me down stairs and hallways until finally we stood in front of a huge door. Why did it need such a big door? The goblin inserted the key and waved his wand, the door came to life creaking and ticking. After what felt like 10 minutes the door opened.
Linus stepped into the vault, looking around there were a lot of things but nothing that stood out. Galleons, books, painting. At the end of the vault there was a desk with a chair. "Did you really come down here to work dad?" sitting down in the chair I started looking in the drawers, some documents of nothing important. Hmm… in the last drawer there was a book, no cover or anything, just a leather book, opening it shows well nothing, just empty pages. But something didn't feel right why keep this book here, and why is it so worn if there is nothing written in it, sure its old but this much wear and tear doesn't happen in a drawer. While thinking about that I looked around the room opened some boxes, and in box number 4 we have… "oh is this were you have been" looking down into the box was a knife, mothers knife. Mom always said this knife or well it's a dagger, a black dagger, she always said it was for cutting fruit, I was fooled back then but looking at it now, a dagger has one purpose, to kill. Looking at the dagger showed nothing special. "Yrsa"
[Yes?] she answered in a sleepy voice
"Wait were you sleeping?"
[no, I was just bored]
"Well then help me here then, is there a way to like see how good this knife is or anything like that?" I wanted some kind of identify skill for items. Which would also help with the book.
[there is but you don't have that skill, but I mean try looking at it more you might get a skill if you focus enough on it or something]
I tried looking closely at it, trying to see the details in the dagger, but nothing.
"Did you lie?"
[No… okay maybe I don't know how to could get that skill, but I have a thought, the is a spell called revelio, maybe if you use that it might trigger something]
I opened my system and took out the Gray family spell book, there was indeed a skill called revelio, locates items of value… I'm in a vault is everything going the be revealed then. Let's find out.
"revelio" as soon as the words were spoken and the wand waved, a pulse of white light spread out in the room, painting, coins, chests a lot of it gained this outline around it. I quess these things are useful or expensive. I casted the spell again but this time while focusing on the dagger. But no nothing. "Alright I will look into it later". There seems to be nothing here, just this book. Let's bring it back and study it later.
Going out of the vault, the goblin still standing there. "All done Mr. Gray?"
"Yes" after that the vault closed the goblin locked it with the key and gave it back to me.
Outside of Gringotts, the moon was up, the clock was already eight. Looking around there really wasn't a lot of people out. I should take the moment to explore a little. Walking around he found a bar open. "why not, maybe I can get a butter bear." Walking into the bar there were a lot of people. Sitting around talking, there was music. The bar had this Swedish cottage feeling, with high roof and visible tree beams. On the walls hanged stuffed animals, very typical for Swedish cottages. Taking a seat at the bar, a bartender came up and directly I noticed that he blinked twice with the right eye and once with left, this guy was a Gray spy. "One butter bear, no alcohol" the bartender nodded and went to fill a glass.
The man beside me suddenly said "Finding a Gray here is like finding a needle in a haystack" the man had a rough voice.
"Finding a Gray anywhere is just as hard" I said casually, the man just chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess so"
Looking at the man he was well built, broad shoulders, arms that looked like the could rip your head off. And a big beard. He looked like the typical lumberjack.
Finally, the bartender arrived with my butter bear, I took a sip. 'Yup that's good'.
For thirty minutes I sat there just enjoying the butterbear. Then it was time to finally go home. Upon exiting the bar I walked the streets of Isgränd.
When I turned a corner, I saw something. 'So, someone is following me… interesting' lets find out who this is then. I turned more corners leading into an alley, it was dark, a perfect place. I turned one more corner, I stopped around the corner and turned around waiting for my dear little stalker. I heard the footsteps, light footsteps. As it got closer, I readied myself.
Pov: the follower
'Wtf is this guy doing, he's taking the weirdest route every' she followed the man into alleys. And even more turns. 'I've been following him for 10 minutes already where is this guy going'
The man turned sharply into a dark alley. The follower made light steps as she approached the corner. And suddenly *bam* the girl fell back, as she lost balance by the hit to her head, she fell into the snow-covered ground. 'Fuck that hurt like hell, oh crap' as she looked up again the figure was standing before her looking down at her. Blue eyes glowing in the dark.
'Fuck I'm dead'
"Tell me why you are following me" said the figure before her 'wtf it's just a boy?'
"Sorry kid must have followed the wrong guy I was waiting for a friend and you loo…"
"Stop with the bullshit" came the voice, it felt like a thousand kilos were just dumped on me. A kid can make me feel like this? "You have 3 seconds to tell me" as he said so and ice sickle was formed in his hand.
'wtf wandless casting, and what is even that spell'
"1"
"Okay hold on this is a missunder…"
"2"
Oh, he's serious. "Alright I will tell you, please! They hired me to follow you, they said they would give me 20 galleons!"
"Who hired you?"
"Some old man, he didn't say anything else, just to follow the person with they Gray cloak" it was not worth 20 galleons should have asked for more.
"Where did you meet them?"
"In the alley buy the bar you came out of"
"Lead me there"
"What…?" is he crazy or just dumb
"Lead me there now" yeah, he's crazy
"Alright alright"
Pov: Linus
Linus followed the girl through alleys, and shortly after arriving at the spot.
"here" she said still clutching her nose after I hit her.
5 galleons appeared in my pocket, I took them out and held them towards the girl. "Take these and never talk about this to anyone"
The girl took the coins and left, she looked back once before she left.
And now the cat became the mouse. I followed far behind the girl, with my skill wolf eye I could see her from very far away. Making following her much easier. The girl walked for about five minutes before she walked into a run-down looking house. Sneaking up to the house I could hear voices from inside. The girl's voice and two others, one sounded like a middle-aged woman and the third sounded like an old man.
"He hit me in the fucking face, it hurt like hell and he was just a kid" that was the girl.
"What did he do then?" the old man asked
"He wanted to know why I was following him, ow don't be so rough on the nose, he then told me to lead him to wear I said I was paid to follow him"
Well, I don't need much more evidence than that. Linus formed 3 ice sickles and aimed them at the wall, with his wolf eye skill he could make out where the stood through the wall. The ice sickles aimed at their legs. I should immobilize them. 'oh right I should make Astrid come here, by the time she arrives I should have these guys on the ground' Linus pressed the mark and I glowed faintly.
'Alright lets do this' with a swish the ice sickles penetrated the wooden wall and went right through the legs of the three individuals, before entering Linus casted a silencing charm. The three were now laying on the ground holding their leg. They squirmed. Linus kicked the door in and looked eyes with the three on the ground.
The old man raised his wand but didn't get to cast anything before a ice sickle pierced his arm holding the wand. Three ice sickles formed above their heads. The man was screaming of pain. "stupefiy" the man got knocked out. Walking up the two girls laying on the ground. The girl that had followed him before was crying the other one looked like she seen a ghost as she looked at me.
"Good evening, ladies" Linus sat down on the chair the girl had sat on before. "Let's have a talk, shall we?" I couldn't help but smile, finally I could get some clue. "now then who are you?"
The girls didn't talk, it was expected but one could hope. "You can make this hard for me and yourself, or you could make this very easy for me and you"
The middle-aged women hesitated "even if we talk we won't be guaranteed safety".
Well, she was right but she doesn't have to know that. "If you talk, and what you say is true, then I will release you, maybe not today you will be held until I know you spoke the truth." Its not a bad deal she won't be released but oh well.
The women looked at the younger one that had followed me before. And said "we got paid by a rich family to follow you, take notes about where you went, what you did, where you used the floo flame and such" the lady groaned in pain after she spoke.
"Good, and who was the family?" could this be it, was it really this easy?
Just then there was footsteps by the door, I turned to see Astrid and four guards. "Welcome Astrid right on time, sorry for the panic I had no other way to contact you"
Astrid looked at Linus then the three on the floor. "Who are they?"
"They are my stalkers, I followed them and asked some questions, they were just about to tell me something very interesting, please do answer my question that I said" I turned back to the women on the floor.
She hesitated looking at the intimidating guards and the young little devil sitting there smiling while there is a hole in my leg. "The family of Eldvind"
Linus brow raised, really? The duelist fanatics. "Astrid, do you have the Veritaserum with you?"
The women got nervous when the potion was mentioned. Linus didn't miss the reaction. Astrid held the potion.
"Give her it" Astrid nodded and two Gray guards stepped toward her, they forced her to her knees and held her in place, she tried fighting it, useless but I respect the effort. The potion drip into her mouth, Astrid forced her mouth closed and she swallowed it.
"now then, were you really paid by the Eldvind family?"
"no" who would've thunk.
"who paid you?"
"The Mörkhed family, Johan Mörkhed paid us." Now there is something I can believe.
"Do you know if the Mörkhed family killed the Gray family?" worth a shot.
"no I don't know"
"Astrid knock them out and take them to the cells in the mansion"
"Yes Linus" she nodded to the guards who casted stupefy on the two girls, they were later carried away. "What will we do now Linus."
Hmm… should I just declare war on them, it would be the easiest, but not the most fun. "Let's sit on this for a few days, maybe they will start to panic when they notice that three of their little birds are gone." Linus stood up from the chair. "But for now let's go home I'm hungry."
*Rewards gained 3: Take the first steps against your enemy*
First step huh…
****
Upon returning to the mansion, the three were taken to the dungeon cells deep under the mansion. I also debriefed what happened to Astrid. I Also asked Alaric about the office desk in the Gringotts vault, but he had no notion about there ever being a desk there. Something isn't adding up, dad was definitely hiding something.
After eating, Linus returned to his bed room and laid in bed. Looking at the book he had found. Still nothing huh, maybe a can get a reward to help me… please.
*Rewards claimed: Boots of snowfall (silent steps A-tier), veil fragment, Veritaserum x2*
Those boots will be useful, but what is this fragment. Holding it, it was a corner piece, broken at that. Well, it is just a fragment, looks like a have to collect these. The boots looked like normal boots, they are similar to the ones I wear with my uniform. The truth serum is great.
Now then what will I do with this Mörkhed family. They were nothing really special. The women had said that Johan Mörkhed had paid her but the head of the family is Viktor Mörkhed, so I wonder if the whole family is in on it or just Johan. We will need some spies first to collect some info. I know very little about this family, I've been to their manor once, it's located in a swamp, covered by fog. They like their poisons, and dirty tricks. I should get Astrid on it.
Linus laid in bed and sleep fell over him.