Chapter One- "The Letter"- Part Three

[Ílarolén'yliás (Drustai)]

"I need to speak to him. Now."

Drustai clasped her arms over her chest and stared sharply at the two human males in front of her. At least, stared as well as she could in the dim lighting of the sewers. If the vast labyrinth beneath Strata could be called a 'sewer'--most of the tunnels were ancient, filled with dust and sand from centuries of disuse, and passages were regularly known to come crashing down as the stone from an age and culture long-forgotten gave way to time.

The two humans looked at each other, their features dancing in and out of darkness from the flickering of the torches on the wall, and Drustai's lip curled in response to even this slight delay of response. She hadn't been expected, but 'the boss' had apparently been making plans behind her back--plans that he was assuming she'd go along with.

She had only agreed to go along with his 'job' because of the human Denrykmar's disappearance. That human was the one she needed, but the fool had probably managed to get himself captured or killed by the enemies that were hunting him Now, she was forced into the service of these filthy ruffians of Strata's underworld. Distasteful as this was to her, it was the only way she could find out where she could track the Remusian to.

"Well," the shorter one looked at her, and rested his hands on the edge of his belt around his protruding waist. "The boss is busy right now, see. You can come herkpt at him when 'e's done."

Drustai took a step forward, a low growl rising from her throat as she reached forward and gripped the hem of the human's shirt, pushing him back slightly. The metal claws on her gauntlets dug into the material. Neither human seemed particularly phased by the aggressive posture, which annoyed her even further. She didn't have time for these pompions.

"If he wants someone for this plan of his, then he can get Jarmis."

"He doesn't want Jarmis. He wants you." The short pudgy man tilted his head, his jaw twisting to the side of his face as he clapped his lips together. The other half of the pair, a slender, gangly shaped man, just yawned.

"We had a deal."

"Listen, lady. The boss will give you your information, but if you want it, then you'll have to do what he says, yeah? It's a Zarathian deal."

Drustai scowled again. "Then you can tell 'the boss'," she all but spat the words, "that this is my last job. After this, he had better fulfill his side of the bargain."

Drustai released her grip from the human and took a step back. Without waiting for a response from him, Drustai spun on her kneels, her Xazure cloak flaring outwards for a moment. She balled her hands into fists and took several strides towards the exit of the makeshift room the three were in. She paused only to give another glare and departing snarl at the two humans as they snickered behind her back.

*    *    *

Drustai's movements through the catacombs were only visible by the torch she carried, and her shadow stretched long and far until it reached pitch black. Splashes echoed with each step Drustai made in the dank wet darkness. In parts of the sewers, the water came up nearly to her thighs--and that was still fairly low compared to the deep floods that frequently filled these ruins during the high tide. Even if not for the city's reputation for harbouring thieves and cutthroats, Drustai would have still refrained from wearing her more elaborate outfits because of having to venture constantly down these tunnels. Instead, she wore dark brown leather boots that came up to her knees, as well as black wool pants and a sleeveless black tunic over a toccon shirt of sou'cald. Even that she kept hidden beneath her Xazure cloak, which draped completely over her body.

She pulled her wide hood over her head as she continued on down the winding passageways, constantly keeping an eye on the shadows on the walls for any that clearly were not emanating from her. She was alone, of course. While she was not the only one to use these southern tunnels near the harbour, she was still one of the few. They were dangerous because of the chance of flooding, but she had little to fear from that, thanks to her magic.

She furrowed her brow as her thoughts wandered. She was still not sure why she was so interested in this human from Remusia. She had followed a group that had apparently been pursuing him here, and only found out that the two had a link when she had helped him fight them off. Other than that, she should have had no reason to bother herself with him. But the man had implored her to help him find his niece. He must have thought that I had more involvement than I actually did. But that wasn't true. She had only followed them because she had run afoul of them farther north and they had eluded her and came here--to chase this Denrykmar as she only recently discovered.

Drustai shook her head. She didn't care about this human barbarian and his lost girl. She had more important things to be worried about.

Within a few minutes of walking, she spied the dwindling sunlight coming from the opening to Boltrupp's Entrance, and immediately extinguished her torch. The less notice she drew while exiting this thieves' trail, the better.

She left a hand on her mace as she took a step outside, and her ears perked underneath her hood while she gazed over the rocks for shadows or movement. Though the tides covered the entrance during certain parts of the day and the slippery stone made sure there were no footprints, she didn't trust the rock facings, which were an ideal spot for an ambush.

There! A small soft spot among the rocks. She pulled her mace out from its clasp on her belt and held it up menacingly. Instead of meeting an impending attack though, her eyes softened for a brief moment. A child? She instantly turned her gaze to her sides and behind her, wondering at first if this young human female was bait meant to distract her.

Drustai turned her gaze back to the human girl, but did not lower her guard. Just because it was a child did not mean that she was not some thief or pawn for someone else. Such brats were common in this city, and she was not inclined to believe that this was just a simple curious child that so happened to waiting outside one of the city's underworld entrances.

"What are you doing here?", she demanded.

[Damien Scar]

Tyrr

It perturbed Tyrr to no end that Grallen, though and orc, was actually intelligent and beligerent as well. The beligerance he might have expected from what little he knew about orcs but the intelligence is what surprised and irritated him. He had hoped his veiled threats would give him information about how the big man, who was now talking to the other foreigner, had found them and their hideout. Well, it really was not a hideout, more like a place to stay until the job was done and he, Gres and Quar got paid. He wondered about Quar and thought perhaps he got more information from that street whore than Tyrr is going to get from Grallen before he cut her pieces and fed her to the crabs.

He chuckled as he thought of that and then Grallen's voice interrupted his thoughts as she demanded to know what they wanted or leave. Tyrr glared hard at Grallen's yellow eyes, whose were glaring right back at him. She had no fear. Shame...

"I don't care what you want, Grallen. I already told you more than I cared to. I had expected a person with your talents as a thief would be a good addition to our little enterprise as well as make yourself some good coin but I guess I figured wrong."

Tyrr put his daggar away as Gres moved reluctanctly away from Grallen. "Last chance Grallen. Either you are with us or not. If you are then meet us outside, if not, fine. But, if I discover you opened your mouth, there is not enough sand in the Rhaz-Dhaz to hide you from me."

He motioned to Gres and they both walked out, quickly turned the corner and watched as the big man made his way down theif's lane toward the harbour area. "We will wait here for no longer than a few blinks for Grallen. If she does not show up, we leave," Tyrr said with no room for objections.

Damien Scar

Damien was kind of stunned by the cool, non-commital talk he and Altario had as Altario finished his meal. Then Damien was hurt by Alt leaving and not asking for him to come along, though in his condition he doubted he would be of any good anyway, but the thought that one of his best friends would not even ask; hurt more than the cracked ribs and disease that had him breathing fire with each breath he took unless he took this medicine.

Damien sat back in his chair. He knew he should go upstairs to his room and rest, but what did it matter? No one trusted him anymore. His friends had all deserted him. The only ones he had were the ones he had were those who thought they could get coin. Perhaps Pagran could be a freind, but Damien had his doubts. I just may as well be happy. I was happy when I was drinking, was I not? The answer in his head was a resounding no. Drinking just made you forget...for awhile.

Alone and in despair Damien slowly rose up from the table holding his right side. His posture looked a bit askewed as he leaned more to his right as he began his walk toward his room. He then noticed the elven gilr, Airyn, sitting at the bar. Well she is healer and much better looking than Hyram for sure. He chuckled to himself.  He went to the bar and sat down gingerly next to her. "Hi Airyn," he said, "I..um..had some trouble and I think my bandages need changing. Hyram is out of town and I was just wondering..if perhaps you would be willing to help me?" He removed his arm from his right side and uncovered the pool of blood that his shirt had been soaking up. "Of course your under no obligation or anything and I will pay for your services of course," Damien quickly added.

[Lori Lo]

"What are you doing here?"

Lori froze till the core of her heart and tried to shrink or melt with the rock in her back. Eyes wide open she looked at the figure standing before her, which seemed to reach into the sky. A faint last shimmer of the Injèrá‘s rays reflected by the Void lay on a fiercely and minaciously looking face, floating in its paleness under a dark hood.  Lori looked away, but the dark long boots which were so near were as menacing as the face. In addition  she was overhang with a swinging cloak which seemed to her the embodiment of darkness. She closed her eyes tight and curled up as tight as possible. Maybe that nightmare would go away, if she didn‘t look.

She had waited for ‚that person‘ to come, but though she had wished to get her job done soon, her hidden hope had been, that it would take long, till she had to face ‚her‘. In the beginning, she had listen to every little noise, had tried to make out footsteps, though it was not an easy task with the sea battering at the shore not far away. With time to think, she imagined ‚her‘ and got afraid the more her fantasy was allowed to think up menaces. It did not take long, till her thoughts drifted away, so that she was caught by surprise, when suddenly somebody stood before her. Somebody who was not far away in appearance than her nightmares.

And now she sat curled up right before that nightmare and imagined herself away.

Nayriss!  Suddenly it was as if she heard an echo from past times. Mido‘s voice whispered Nayriss!

And without thinking she looked up, still curled up though, with her arms around her knees:

„Nayriss“ she said and „Ryk“.

[grallen gast]

Grallen sat speechless as the two men left, as abruptly as they’d arrived. She looked down at where Earnest was poking his face out of her pocket. “we’re well out of that, huh?”

The frog gulped at her, and seemed unusually disapproving in his golden-eyed stare. She frowned at him. They were scum – more so than me, I mean. I’ve nothing to gain from associating with them – they’ve made it perfectly clear that even if I help them with whatever scheme they’re working, the best I can hope for is to escape with my life... but they also promised coin... which I can get by my own means, no problem. Yeah, I should leave well alone.
And what will they do? They’ll carry on like normal, and some other sucker will provide what they think they need, and they’ll carry on acting like slimy vicious little limpets, making the world a little worse for everyone they come into contact with. I’m not like that, am I? I have style, at the very least? I don’t involve kids, do I? I don’t sink to slave running? I don’t – I’m not like that. Am I? 

The orc pushed herself up, the chair shooting backwards with a conspicuous clatter in the low-level noise of the inn.

“Damn damn damn damn damn. Damn.”

She muttered curses to herself, to the world, as she stormed out, past astonished guests. She passed by the blood-smelling man who Tyrr had been so cautious about. In the second it took to pass him in a whirl of coat and inky-black, tousled hair, she met his gaze with a fierce glare, part threat, part cry for help.

And then she was gone, running before she’d stepped out the door, a thief’s run, fast, ducking between people and avoiding hazards quicker than thought, and never, never for a second, looking back. You never know, maybe they took the other direction. The desperate hope that she was running away, not to the two men, flared, bright and hard to ignore. But she had to try to follow, even though every step she took filled her with fear and anger, at the men, at the “baron” back at the inn, at herself, at the whole world. But here they were. She stopped running, and approached at an uncil-footed walk, forcing the anger back with a struggle. The harder she pushed, the bigger it seemed to grow - better than fear, at least. She strode up to the two men, but didn’t speak. She simply folded her arms and stood, her face challenging them to speak. Their last chance as much as mine.

[Lili the Elfcat]

Do you remember Shania?

Well, that’s not a fair question, for even though you’ve met her before, you won’t know her name. Shania was the new girl in Lori’s band of urchins. Lori had given Shania a box of biscuits, instead of handing it over to fat Kaltoora, the current leader of their gang of little thieves.

Shania had kept those biscuits safe from Kaltoora’s voracity. She was, in fact, older than Kaltoora, and could climb walls much better. Yet she was new to the gang, and not as brave as the others. Also, she couldn’t think as quick as Kaltoora could. Or maybe she was just not ruthless enough to be a leader.

She did hold on to the tin of biscuits, though, against Kaltoora’s wishes. Anyway, Kaltoora was occupied with finding a place to boil the crabs that Lori had caught. So Shania had set off with her biscuit tin on her own. She was walking the streets in the harbour district, sneaking from shadow to shadow more out of habit than out of a sense of danger. She had decided that she would save the biscuits for later, when she would be properly hungry and could really enjoy them.

Shania sat down on a tub next to the entrance to a cloth shop. There was a tall woman with an extravagant hat, who was gazing at the displays in the shop window. She didn’t look like a Stratanian. Probably she was a rich lady from the North, who was here to buy nice clothes for herself. The urchins had picked the pockets of quite a few such Northerners, recently.

Yet Shania was not thinking of thievery tonight. In the ray of orange light that came through the shop window, she looked at her biscuit tin – and found that she couldn’t resist any longer. She lifted the lid. “I’m not going to eat them,” she said to herself. “I just want a little look.” The biscuits were round and brown, and Shania could smell how sweet they would taste. She imagined how it would feel to let one roll on her tongue. Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord, and soon they had grabbed a biscuit. “Just one,” Shania thought. “Just one.”

Suddenly, she heard a child’s voice.

”Nice biscuits, they are!”

The voice had come from high above. Shania looked up. The child who had spoken had to be sitting on the roof of the shop! Yet Shania couldn’t see anybody.

The voice spoke again:

”Can I have one?”

Shania realized that it was the tall Northerner who had spoken. Why did she sound like a three-year old girl?

”If you give me a biscuit, I let you stroke my bird!”

The woman with the girl's voice pointed at something that was perched on her shoulder. It was a bird with an enormous beak shaped like a dagger. The animal stared at Shania from under the shadow of the woman’s hat.

”Um, no, it’s okay. You can have one, anyway. Here!” Shania said and stretched out her hand with the biscuit.

She wasn’t quite sure whether the woman was trying to be kind, or trying to threaten her.

Yet there was nothing menacing about the woman when she grabbed the offered sweet. Her fist closed around it, almost clumsily, as if to make sure she wouldn’t drop it. There was an odd contrast between the childishness of the gesture and the enormous hand into which the biscuit disappeared. Without hesitation, the woman stuffed the sweet into her mouth and chewed noisily.

”Thank you!” she said, with the same little-girl voice.

”That’s okay,” Shania replied and got up.

She was not sure what to make of this stranger and her sharp-beaked companion. It was better not to take a risk.

”I have to go now. Bye!” she said, and ran away.

”Bye!” Lili called after her.

A few crumbs fell out of her mouth, but she didn’t notice. For a moment, the was puzzled why the nice girl – whom she thought of as ‘big’, much older than herself – had run off so suddenly. But soon she turned back to the shop window, where there were so many bright colours to look at.

”Will mummy buy clothes for me when she comes back?" she asked her bird.

Kassandra nervously shifted her weight from one claw to the next. Despite her loquaciousness, Kassandra didn’t actually think in words. Yet if it were appropriate to translate a bird’s feelings into human language, we would have to say that her thoughts were something like: Not again!  She flattered her wings and hopped from Lili’s shoulder onto the top of her hat. From there, she would be able to fly up and away at a blink’s warning – in case her walking-tree-companion did anything stupid.

“I'd rather kiss a stinking rabid blood bear on the snout than smell you from across the Liben River,"

she said in Lili’s voice, with some indignation.

Then she sat quietly, listening. Hadn't she just heard someone whisper? What was that shadow over there?

[Garret Arroway]

     Obviously Alt couldn’t sleep and therefore, Garret couldn’t sleep. Even before his Remusian friend has begun pacing, Garret had found it difficult to sleep. He’d tossed and he’d turned, mercilessly beating the lumpy pillow and growling in frustration until he lay on his back, starting up at the ceiling, attempting to ignore the stabbing pain in his back. Usually, after plenty of tossing and turning he could manage to settle himself enough that it would stop bothering him, but tonight the nagging pain would not leave.

     It didn’t matter too much though as shortly after settling on his back with one arm behind his head and the other across his stomach, Altario had started to pace. Garret just laid there silently, knowing if his friend wanted to talk, he would start the conversation, as he obviously knew that the Kyranian was lying there, wide awake. For a moment, he saw Shadowfoot glance up from the place he’d commandeered at the foot of the bed to watch the pacing northerner for a moment, but he soon lay back down to sleep. Growling once again in frustration, Garret moved his knee to nudge the dozing wolf, who in return for the interruption nipped at his human’s knee in response.

     After that, Garret just lay there silently. When Altario left the room in the early morning, he considered getting up and following his friend, but as he shifted slightly, the pain in his back receded to nothing more than a dull throbbing, and he closed his eyes, thankfully letting sleep take him.

     Exhaustion had taken over and Garret slept late into the afternoon, regaining the energy the pounding sun had sucked from his body the day before. Though, his sleep wasn’t entirely peaceful. As the sun was going down he awoke, soaked with a cold sweat, he sat straight up in his bed, gasping for breath. Before he could calm himself he felt the muscles in his back spasm and his panic worsened. The next thing he knew he’d tumbled from the bed, landing hard on the wooden floor, one hand gripping his shoulder while the other held on firmly to the opposite wrist. His mouth opened in a wordless cry of pain, he lay there for a few moments before the muscles spasmed again and released, leaving the large man laying on the floor gasping for breath.

     After about fifteen minutes he picked himself up off the ground, brushing off the cold, concerned nose of his constant companion of the last fifteen years. Once on his feet again he reached down and patted Shadowfoot on the head, managing a small smile. Straightening himself once again he turned towards the dresser, where bowl of water sat. He glared down at his reflection for a moment, his tanned face unusually pale. Ignoring the reflection he submerged his hands, cupping them and bringing up water to wash his face and the back of his neck. He ran his hands through his tousled hair and over his graying beard before getting dressed. Back throbbing he pulled a clean grey short-sleeved shirt over his head, wincing as a typical morning pain jabbed him right between the shoulders. After pulling on his pants, he sat heavily on the bed and pulled on socks and boots.

     Leaving his chainmail behind, he tossed on his leather vest, slipping the straps through the slits and tying them off so they don’t dangle while the vest remains open. Finishing off by buckling his swordbelt around his waist, Garret headed to the door, allowing Shadowfoot to slip through it before moving out into the hallway himself. He rolled his shoulders as he walked down the stairs, glancing for a familiar face in the busy common room. A majority of his company from yesterday couldn’t be found. He was about to go claim an empty table when he spotted the blonde haired elf, Airyn standing at the bar next to another man. With Shadowfoot at his side he walked up to the bar, standing on her free side.

     “Evenin’ Airyn,” Garret said, nodding and summoning up a smile that didn’t reach his eyes that were currently a stormy, dark grey from the nightmare that was part of his past and the brief moment of helplessness he’d just encountered.

     He quickly hailed the barkeep and ordered an ale, mainly to have something to wrap his shaking hands around. After years of dealing with these encounters with the past and his cursed back, he should be used to it, but they unnerved him each and every time as they had the first time, dragging back the scared 17 year old boy. Attempting to shake the thoughts clear of his head, he sat himself down on one of the bar stools, his hands wrapped around the mug, shaking slightly with the darkening burise on his right wrist showing.

[Ílarolén'yliás (Drustai)]

Even before the girl spoke, Drustai's aggressive posture lost tension. Though she took a look around her once again, she realized that this human girl was no threat to her. In truth, Drustai had been distracted, and jumpy. She pushed her lower jaw forwards for a moment as she eyed the cowering girl, then straightened back and returned her mace to its place at her belt. Her eyes remained focused on the human, though her ears remained searching for any foreign noises beyond the crashing of the waves against the rock facing.

"Nayriss." the girl said. "Ryk."

"What?" Drustai's eyes widened for a moment, before her brow furrowed and she focused all of her senses on the girl. This had to be a trick. Meant to lower her guard and lure her into a trap. She shifted her weight onto her right leg, as she eyed the human and considered her words.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the only sound came from the ocean waves and the distant shades of Strata's civilization at the edge of hearing. Drustai let out a breath, then folded her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side.

"You know Denyrkmar?"

[Damien Scar]

Tyrr

Tyrr was bit more than surprised when Grallen showed up. I guess greed runs in all of our veins, he thought. She just stood there staring at him, he stared back trying to make up his mind. She could not have told anyone, for they were all gone and out into the twilight for whatever reason they had to do so. "So you decided, good. Now follow me and stay close," Tyrr ordered and took off at a light trot.

He led them through the alleyways to avoid the throng of people that had come out into the night air to refresh from the oppresive heat of the day. The amount of people were a curse and a blessing depending upon on how you viewed your situation. They rounded a corner and Tyrr almost crashed into Quar who was standing there waiting for them. "Blasted Quar, you almost made me skin jump off me bones," Gres said.

Quar just chuckled and then saw Grallen and his eyes narrowed. "So the orc decided to come along. I told you Tyrr that I could do her job just as well as she could. Why brring her into this?" Quar asked.

"Quar, you are very good at disposing of evidence, but you are not a thief and we need a thief for this operation and that is why I asked Grallen to join us. That and in case we get caught we need a scapegoat, he thought but did not voice. "Speaking of what you are good at, what did you find out?" Tyrr asked.

"She know nothing about us, and neither does big man, he looking for a girl-"

"Ar'nt we all," Gres said as he swept his eyes over Grallen.

Tyrr wanted to vomit. "What girl?" He asked.

"Someone named Nayriss," Quar answered. "She no bother us no more, crabs eatin good tonight," Quar added with a wide grin on his face.

Tyrr's body relaxed some. He did not have to worry about the big man. It was actually just an coincedence that the big man had walked into the inn where he and the twins had been staying, huh, he thought.

"What about our quarry?" Gres asked. "if'n we do not hurry we may never-"

"No problem, seen her lookin at some shops when I come back from feeding crabs," Quar answered.

"Then lead on," Tyrr said.

Quar led them to the harbour district. It was very crowded with sailors, their women and other's including many shops that were still open. Quar pointed out their quarry. "There she be," he said.

Their quarry had her back turned to them. She was wearing that crazy pink hat and some sort of bird was sitting on top of that. She seemed to be acting strange as she looked at the brightly lit shop window. "Let's get closer," Tyrr said.

In the crowd they were not noticed as they made their way closer. Tyrr saw the cutlass hanging from a worn scabbord around her waist. He turned to Grallen. "See that cutlass she is wearing. I need you to steal it and I want you to have her chase you down that alley," Tyrr pointed to an alley that was several shops farther down the wharf and headed back up into the city, "where we will be waiting for you. Just watch us until we are in the alley and then make your move. We will be watching you all the time," Tyrr said, just to remind Grallen not to do something stupid.

Tyrr and the twins began to walk close to their quarry when Tyrr noticed a young girl running through the crowd and suddenly stop by their quarry and sit down. She seemed to be holding onto some sort of tin. Tyrr held up the twins and edged closer until he could hear the two speaking. He shook his head. Their quarry was talking more like a child than the street urchin who had sat down next to her. When the urchin offered a biscuit that had been in the tin their quarry took it and stuffed it into her mouth. It was weird. The urchin must have thought so too because she dashed away as if the authorities were after her. Then Tyrr recalled the first night he had seen her and how she had acted with Damien, the supposedly Baron, that was his name. Tyrr had forgotten until now. Funny how your mind works, he thought.

Perhaps there was an easier way to lure their quarry into the alley, he thought. Would this person chase after someone who stole their cutlass? Tyrr did not know, but if she was acting like a child, then she would probably scream for help instead of chasing down the thief and that Tyrr could not afford.

Tyrr quickly walked back to the twins and then back to Grallen who had been standing in the crowd. "Change of plans," Tyrr said when they all got back together. "Our quarry is acting like a kid. Like she did the first time we saw her and she danced that crazy dance with Damien, the supposedly baron-"

"Oh yeah, I 'member now. I t'ought I knew 'hat fella," Gres said, interrupting Tyrr which incurred a glare. "Um...sorry Tyrr," Gres mumbled.

Tyrr nodded and continued, "I think we could just lure our quarry into the alley. Grallen, you will take the lead as you are a woman and I think she would trust a woman a bit more than some strange men and it would look better to the crowd just in case someone is watching. I just thought of something," Tyrr said snapping his fingers, "I will be right back. Stay here.

Tyrr quickly left and returned almost as quick carrying a small bag with buns inside it. "She liked the buns an urchin girl gave her. Grallen offer her the buns and become friendly with her. We will be right behind you and with a bit of luck we can just herd her into the alley, knock her out, and be on our way with no one the wiser,"

Tyrr was grinning from ear to ear. This was planning to be more simple than he thought. He was counting the silver already when he saw Grallen's face. She looked...different, somehow, but in the dark he guessed everyone did. "Did you understand the plan, Grallen?" He asked.

[grallen gast]

Grallen followed sullenly, forcing herself to smile through her rage whenever Tyrr or one of the twins looked directly at her. As soon as the three had met up, they began talking about her as if she wasn’t there. She glared. Gres gave her a sickly look, and she lifted her lip, half smile, half snarl, depending on your point of view. Every word they said made her surer she’d made the wrong choice. But she couldn’t run off now. The word “quarry” rang through her boiling mind like a bell, and she perked up a little, trying not to let this impossible anger keep her from paying attention. She would not be a pawn. She would show them just exactly what happens when you treat a real professional like the lowlife pondslime they were-

The quarry. In a big pink hat, with a green bird perched precariously on top. A sitting duck. Grallen’s stomach disappeared, to reappear a moment later, the wrong way up. Lili. Her mind worked frantically whilst the others bickered over their plans. Lili wasn’t some innocent kid – she’d cotton onto things quickly, hopefully – would she trust me? She’s little enough reason to... ok, so we’re working with someone probably smart, possibly experienced, given the talk her bird came out with, but by no means on our side. She pricked her ears as the men described her “childish” behaviour. She remembered something similar, but she was loathe to jump to the same conclusions. So maybe she’s not gonna be as quick on the uptake as we’d hoped. But there again, she could be more trusting... and the bird. Oh hells, what d’we do about the bird? Tyrr had run off, and returned with buns. Grallen still had nothing.

“Grallen offer her the buns and become friendly with her.”

You wouldn’t know friendly if it dropped on you from a great height, mate.
She glanced back at Lili. Run, dammit, disappear, hop on a cart and ride away to the end of the word, you stupid human!

“We will be right behind you...”

I bet you will. She wanted to run, to draw sword and spit the lot of them, anything. But anger had made way for a fear only barely on this side of panic, and was backed up by a cold logic that said “this is how things will go: you will do what they say, because if you don’t they’ll stick you where you stand and nobody will care. You will walk over there, and talk to Lili, and you will hate yourself every second you do so, but you’ll do it, because you’re not a nice person, or a brave person, you’re damn sure not a selfless person. You’re really very little better than these people; you do what you have to in order to survive, and you do it well.” Damn and blast them all into the jaws of K’ahn’uck, and let him chew slowly, then spit out the pips into the sea.

She took the buns, and strolled across the street. It vaguely amazed her that she could be so calm... and then she pushed even that astonishment to the back of her mind, and sealed it off with a barrier marked “working: come back later”, and smiled at Lili and her bird. An open, honest smile, despite the teeth. The kind of smile you would gladly but a used warg from.

“Hiya. Hello bird. Look I’m sorry about... I’m sorry, for, y’know, everything. D’you want one of these? I’m stuffed.”

Surely from this distance, in this crowd, the men wouldn’t hear more than a few fragments of her words. Her yellow eyes flicked over Lili’s face. Strange, there really was something very different there – Grallen considered herself better than average at reading faces, but this one was a puzzle and a half. She found herself looking to the bird – Kassandra, wasn’t it? anyway, it seemed to have more of a handle on the situation than the person it was standing on. Had it really just looked at where the three men were hiding? She stopped herself from following its gaze, but kept half an eye on it. She may have spent most of yesterday hating its feathered hide, but this bird might just offer a way out.

[Lori Lo]

When the embodiment of what might be a demon did not send her straight to the netherworld, but even voiced such a  simple word as „What?“ Lori‘s tension dwindled slowly. So when that towering giant asked a question, she was able to utter more than two words.

"You know Denyrkmar?"

Still curled tightly together she looked up, and as there were no red glowing eyes, she timidly, but loudly enough to understand her, said:

„No, but I know his brother who is looking for him or a person who can tell him about his whereabout.“

And suddenly in an onset of bravery  she stood up, craned her head to look into that face for a bit longer (and recognised on a second level of her awareness, that it didn‘t look demon like, but indeed quite normal, compared to what Lori had imagined) and blurred out.

„I was told, that you have been seen with Denrykmar and that you use this entrance to the sewers. And I know that Altario would like to talk to you. And, and , that you know, I‘m right: I know the full name of Alt, it is Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin, and he is from far in the North, from Remmosia. And they have blue grass there and icicle monsters and...“

Lori got quiet again, somehow this was not the right person to be gabby with. Pressing her lips nervously together and shifting from one foot to the other, she waited for a response. And, again on her second level of awareness, she checked the surrounding for a possible way to escape. 

[Ílarolén'yliás (Drustai)]

"No, but I know his brother who is looking for him or a person who can tell him about his whereabout."

His brother? Drustai remembered Denrykmar saying something about a brother, another human from Remusia. But she frowned to herself. Such information would not be that secret, and this girl could still be trying to lure her into a trap.

Before answering, she watched as the girl stood up, seeming to have gotten a small boost of confidence. Drustai looked down at her--their differences in height making that quite the distance.

The girl spoke again, "I was told, that you have been seen with Denrykmar and that you use this entrance to the sewers. And I know that Altario would like to talk to you. And, and , that you know, I‘m right: I know the full name of Alt, it is Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin, and he is from far in the North, from Remmosia. And they have blue grass there and icicle monsters and..."

Drustai placed her hands on her hips as she eyed the girl. Her behaviour was nervous, but Drustai could not be sure if that was fear of her or nervousness about telling a lie to lure her somewhere. That the girl knew of Drustai's use of these sewers told her that it was time she changed entrances, though if the girl was a pawn of those who wanted to ambush her, then they wouldn't be trying to lure her somewhere else.

Drustai furrowed her brow as she considered what the girl had said. Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin. Shialt-eck-Gorrin was Denrykmar's name, and she believed she had heard him mention his brother's name was Altario. And if Altario was here, perhaps he could shed some light on this matter--or, even help her deal with the criminal that was keeping information on Ryk from her.

She curled her lips into a smile, and then bent down slightly, resting her hands against her knees. She looked at the girl, and spoke quietly. "Maybe I know where Denrykmar is," she paused for a moment, "but I would like to meet this Altario first."

[Lili the Elfcat]

”Why are you sorry?” Lili asked.

She had turned away from the shop window and was now facing the grown-up that had spoken to her. Or was it a grown-up? Lili looked the person up and down. She never noticed that she was two heads taller than the other. It was something else that made her wonder.

The person looked peculiar. Lili couldn’t tell whether this was a man or a woman. Also, it had very big teeth. That was a bit scary. But it had said hello to the bird, and that was nice. Anyway, Lili was a brave girl. She made a step forward.

Right now, the bun did not interest her. Far more fascinating was the weird person itself. It had a pretty coat on, with many many pockets: big pockets, small pockets, pockets with buttons, pockets without – one was more mysterious than the next. What might be inside those pockets?

Lili was still gazing at the coat when she repeated, rather mechanically than with real interest:

”Why are you sorry?”

***

Meanwhile, Kassandra had recognized the voice of her favourite duet partner. Shifting her feet on top of Lili’s hat, she had followed Lili’s turn, so that she could now look directly downwards onto the top of the walking-tree with the grey voice. Kassandra tilted her head to one side, which made her beak stick into the air at an oblique angle. She listened. A pleasurable sense of expectation rose in her little avian heart.

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

Altario reached the bottom of the stairs at the Beauty of the South.  This brought him face to face with L'hars, who regarded the northerner with cold eyes.  Somehow, Altario doubted the man ever smiled.  Holding out his hands, he waited for L'hars to deliver unto him his sword back.

"Done so soon?  I expected more from you."

Altario turned to see the girl who had first served him.  Her hand came up toward his face, and he pulled back his head, but her fingers found his cheek and gently rubbed something off.

The girl laughed.  "Don't be so nervous.  Just wiping away the rouge from your face."  She winked at him.

Altario felt his face redden.  "No, you don't understand.  Nothing happened, we just talked."

"Uh huh."  She laughed again.  "Don't worry, we won't tell your wife.  But if you come back, perhaps we can talk next time."

Altario sighed and pushed past her and made his way to the door.  He had told the truth; he had made his getaway from She'heya without losing his honour and without insulting her.  It had not been easy, as she was extremely attractive and that first kiss she gave him had caught him unaware.  For a brief moment, he has almost given in the the passion that burned within, but Valannia's face flashed through his mind, followed by the image of Riztalyanna.  Between those two women, he had the strength to turn her down.

Once outside, Altario stood for a moment and stared up at the night sky.  He took a deep breath.  What gods were staring down at him?  Kor'och, like he had been raised to believe, but now rejected?  Foiros, who Valannia tried to teach him?  Now that she was gone, it felt as though the god had disappeared as well.  The traditional gods of his people?  Nechya?  He sniffed.  He didn't even have his amulet anymore.

What was he doing here?  Was this simply a fool's errand?  Was Nayriss even alive anymore?  He leaned backward against the building and his hands found the sides of his head.  He rubbed his temples and slid down to the ground.  The world suddenly felt so very big, and he so very small.

[grallen gast]

”Why are you sorry?”

Grallen paused. Dammit, that’s not the right kind of question. To tell the truth she was barely ever sorry for anything she did, except for now. Now she had a myriad of things to be sorry for – her involvement in this sorry escapade, for a start. But apologies never mopped up the blood and ashes before.

”Why are you sorry?”

Grallen blinked. She hadn’t realised she’d lost concentration – that was bad. Things hadn’t been this bad since, well, since it rained ashes, and she was damned if she was going to go into that again. So, think – can they hear you above this crowd noise? Pointed ears twitched, just barely. No, masked fairly well. She grinned at the little- she’s taller than you, for k’ahn’uck’s sake, why does she seem so little? Again, she found her gaze flicking to the bird. It was looking right at her. Well, we at least know that you’ll listen, huh?

“I’m sorry t’see you in such surroundin’s as these – a lady like yoursel’ should be wandering the pretty districts of Strata, not this glorified crab-market. What d’you say you come with me, I think I’m gettin’ the hang of this city, an’ I found some dead posh streets –we could escape this dump for a bit?”

The orc grinned, innocent, well meaning and just a little bit cheeky, but in a happy, blithe, inoffensive way. Inside she panicked. She sincerely doubted that Lili was anything like as posh as she’d just implied – there was more of the pirate about her than the princess. But if they could just get on the right side of a crowd – and if anyone can read crowds, it’s me – then I’ll drag her all the way across the town if I must, but we’ll be away. Just this one chance. And I could escape, alive.

[Lori Lo]

"Maybe I know where Denrykmar is," the elven woman said "but I would like to meet this Altario first."

Lori backed off, when the elven woman bend slightly down to her. She wasn‘t as horrible as Lori had thought at first, but you could never know. She had not survived on the street so long with being a trusting dork.

„I don‘t know, where Altario is right now, for he wanted to search for Ryk or somebody who knew something for himself. But he might come back to the inn where he stays and I know which one it is. Do you know the Seashaol‘s Inn? Right at the harbour lane? I‘ll show you, if you wish so? May I?“

Lori was still a little afraid of the woman, but on the other side, she had acted quite normal until now, in no way threatening, apart from her appearance. It would be great, if some of the gang were still hanging around and seeing her, Lori, in the company of that impressive woman.

„Maybe his friend Garret is there, I can show him to you too.“

   Hopefully Lori looks up. Occasionally a shimmer of the moon‘s light shoos over the woman‘s face. It is an unearthly situation, but suddenly Lori‘s stomach grumbles and the spell is broken.

„I‘m hungry, I need to go home.“

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