"Guy, you have to come." His trusty coutilier walks into the antechamber where the vassal of Ramon Roger de Saint Volusien is eating supper.

Guy looked up in surprise as de Courcy entered so abruptly. He laid down his knife and fork and gave the maiden his full attention. "What is happening?" he asked her.

The sun is beginning to set, dim light seeps through the narrow windows of the small chamber. The whitewashed walls are adorned with worn tapestries and lit candles cast flickering shadows. "There's a girl in the kitchens. She's the niece of the cook, I think. She has walked from Saint Volusien and claims she's being chased by brigands," Normina says and shrugs. "I don't know what to make of it".

"Very good," Guy replied. He looked at his meal. "Well, she must be hungry too. Bring her up here, and have Cook follow shortly after  with a plate of whatever leftovers are available. I would hear her story."

After Normina left he pushed his plate aside and walked to the narrow window, and stood gazing out into the courtyard.

The heavy wooden door creak open, and in shuffles the head cook, Penota. She carries herself with the weariness of a long day spent in the bustling kitchen, her apron stained and her face lined with fatigue. At her side stands a small, trembling girl, clad in a simple, rough-spun gown of undyed wool. The gown is stained with dirt and greens like she has been running trhough the forest. Her eyes dart nervously about the room, avoiding direct contact with Guy.

"Seigneur," Penota begins with a curtsy, "This is my niece, young Jehanne." She looks down at the girl and frowns.

In reply to Referee (msg # 5):

"Jehanne! Enchantée, mademoiselle!" Guy exclaimed, striding forward to greet her.

"Penota, you look tired, it's been a long day. Please, sit yourself down. I must say, that beef and mushroom stew was delicious. You have surpassed yourself. And Jehanne, you have come a long way, please, sit" he smiled, pulling out a chair for her.

When both were seated and comfortable he sat down too, and smiled reassuringly at the maiden. "You sem most distraught. My dear. Pray tell, what troubles have brought you to my door?"

Jehanne's eyes, wide with apprehension, dart from Guy to the room's dimly lit corners. Her hands, which had been trembling slightly, clutch at the edges of her rough-spun gown as she hesitates in her seat. She tries to muster a polite smile in response to Guy's warm greeting, but her lips quiver involuntarily.

"Seigneur," she begins in a soft, timid voice, her gaze still avoiding direct eye contact with Guy, "I... I'm grateful for your kindness, but I'm frightened. I didn't know where to turn." Her voice trembles and becomes a sob. "I can't remember what happened. I was working at the castle as usual and then... I was in the woods. I'm sure I'm being followed but I don't know why. All I could think about was to get here, to my aunt."

She glances briefly at Penota, who watches her with a mixture of concern and sternness.

Guy was silent for a timeas he considered the girl's words. He shared a quick glance with Penota, and then said slowly "You were in the castle, and then you woke in the woods. Tell me, when you woke in the woods, did you see any blood? Anywhere? He looked at her closely to guage her reaction and see if she was lying or hiding something.

OOC: 14:46, Today: Guy de Roquefixade rolled 18 using 1d100.  perception.

Jehanne instinctively looks down on her dress, frowns and then shakes her head. "No, seigneur, no blood." She seems honest about it and you see no sign of deception.

She goes on to describe how it was like she gradually awoke from slumber while walking, not like from sleep but as from a great distance, a blur that gradually shifted into focus... the smallest hint of a known past but then nothing. Her amnesia seems to be limited to earlier this morning, she describes how she went to work as usual, collecting laundry from the castle builders.

Guy frowned. "You didn't fall, or hit your head? Excuse me, May I check? Have you had any strange dreams, or headaches, or stomach pains?"

If she doesn't object, he would like to check her scalp for bumps or bleeding. If she does object, he won't press the issue.

"You told us that you thought you were being chased by someone. Why would you think that, did you hear anything?"

She don't object to being examined but Guy can find no visible signs of trauma to the head. She opens her mouth to answer but falters and frowns. "No, I don't know... I was so certain. Now that I think about it it seems silly, who would chase me?" She seems honestly confused herself, like everything that has happened this afternoon is a dream that starts to fade.

"I have had headaches for the last few days. But nothing else that I can think of," she falls silent as she tries to recollect anything else. Finally she shakes her head. "No, nothing else I think."

"Well, it could be that you were being followed  - by people from the castle who were worried about you and looking for you" Guy pointed out. "I think you need to go back there. I am sure there is a spare bed in the servant's quarters. You will spend the night here, and I will escort you home in the morning. I need to pay my respects to Lady de Volusien, it has been some time since we last spoke." He looked at Normina. There were arrangements that would need to be made.

"But Jehanne, one last question, I am sorry, I am still concerned about this. What have you been eating recently? Any mushrooms? Do you have any food left?"

Jehanne nods in agreement. "Yes, seigneur," she says and then shakes her head. "I haven't eating anything out of the ordinary, that I know of, no mushrooms. I ate gruel this morning."

"Oh, well, so... it is very strange" Guy said. "It is possible that you were being followed, it will be interesting tomorrow to see if there are any tracks." He looked at the cook and Normina to see if there was anything else that they wanted to add.

Normina seems to have left during the questioning but her aunt nods, "I'll see her settled, seigneur, thank you," she says and shows the girl out.

Just as the door shuts behind them it opens again and one of the guardsmen comes in. He bows and clears his throat. "Apologies, seigneur, to barge in like this. There is a knight waiting for you in the great hall, a Quintillian de Seignac from Saint Volusien that just arrived and wanted to speak with you. It sounded important." The guard bows.

Guy's eyebrows rose. "From Saint Volusien? How curious. Yes, I will be down directly.Thank you Gaston, lead the way."

He accompanied the Guard downstairs.