"For the time being. It's just keeping your head under the radar, not hiding in a hole."
The woman gives a confused look, tears still streaming down her face. "But I don't understand, what do you want from me?"
"For the time being. It's just keeping your head under the radar, not hiding in a hole."
Dalton resigns himself to being in the shade of the unknown. "Very well. Have your eyes and ears spotted Rilka? She is missing yet, a bargaining chip with some mercenaries." He summarizes the tale.
Toramin gives Heff a very dubious look. "You've proven to be less than trustworthy and you are goading us. Why?"
"Does the Council have any recommendations to deal with the 'possessing witch' defenses? There is clearly old magic in these sands."
She looks hurt, as if the world is being unjust to her, but also just slightly revealed. "He'll make sure I get out of this..." Fuero walks back in, setting down the bowls and glancing over at the woman. He gives a loose grin. "Rise and shine angel. You're gonna be good for us right?" The woman's face clearly shows her thoughts of what kind of man Fuero is.
Heff gives a shake of his head. "I can estimate with a few dozen miles of her location but that only helps so much." His lip twitches and he itches it, listening to the tale quietly. "Ah, so that's the truth of it. I hope that cube doesn't contain what you thought it might, otherwise we are going to have bigger problems than just an army of slaves." He listens to Toramin with a bit of an amused smile. "Goad? Well I certainly didn't mean to, only expressing my opinion. I apologize good dwarf." He gives a flamboyant bow.
"A protection from evil spell might do wonders against this creature." He nods. "That there is. A land buried in the past holds many secrets."
"It worries me that you are renown for your people skills. Truly the Aestherics are troubled."
"Wherever Rilka is I think she will be fine. The halfling is capable, Far more than those half-wit mercenaries. By now she probably has him taking orders from her. As long as the white cloaks don't find them and make her talk of course."
"It's up to you 'Ares'. If you want to fight or not. It will be dangerous we know, you haven't brought us any new information there Heff. In fact, the Council's own private army? Knowing that doesn't help our mission in the slightest. We need something useful." He looks at Heff as if studying him, "How much time do we have then? Oh and have you ever heard of a man named Yix?"
Heff gives a hmm, not seeming overly happy with the answer to just believe Rilka is fine.
Heff shrugs. "The council deemed that you should know and we didn't want to trust a message. We also think it's important to check up on new recruits in the field, both to keep an eye on them as well as let them know that we're still with him. There have been times in the past where agents defect because we leave them alone for weeks or months without contact."
He gives a smile at the mention of Yix. "The catfolk? He's one of my local contacts in Akropash, I've been trading information with him for years. And he's been in that game longer than I have."
"A regular family reunion then; it seems yours is spread across the world." Dalton's voice was a mixture of haste and annoyance. "I, for one, am worried about the girl." Care uncharacteristic of his recent time incognito was clear on Dalton's face. "If you cannot discern her location, we are truly in the dark on that end; we will need to stir things up a bit to retrieve her from her holder. This seems to contradict your wishes, but unless you wish to leave her to the dogs, I don't see another way."
Heff arcs a brow. "It seems you have left Malley unharmed, I see no reason why Rilka would be in any different shape." He frowns slightly. "I can't be omnipotent. When one of you just strolls off into the desert without telling anybody it's fairly hard to find them. Still, I could contact one of my trackers and see what I can do. That should ease both our minds."
Finally, him extending a helping hand. I half thought I need offer a firstborn... "Thank you. One last question: If your web of contacts is so extensive, why entrust us, the new group? Except for Rilka - who is now missing - we are the novices."
Fuero nods, turning his attention away from the woman. "Whenever he's ready. All he needs to do is tell Malley he's ready like I said, then Malley will get in touch with me. We have enough food here for a few weeks and I can't imagine it would take that long."
The woman sniffles a bit, then quietly asks [smaller]"Could I have something to eat?"[/smaler]
At the woman’s request for food, Rilka shrugs then address Fuero, ”What do you think? I don’t see why not.”
"Food's cheap, we don't know how long we're going to be here."
Bjorkus snorts again. It was all he could do to keep his rage from boiling over and putting Heff's head through the rotted walls. The snake was here playing games again and this time it was more than just life and the lives of his companions. He was wagering the lives of every soul in this sun-baked s%$$hole.
"If you don't think I'm strong 'nuff, you really don't know me very well", the bull growls.
"If you're serious 'bout helping and this isn't another bluff, find out what you can 'bout the competition - anything that'll give me an edge. And find Rilka. The girl's clever and brave but this place is a den of vipers, you'd know better than anyone", he adds with a derisive glare.
"Ah, novices at playing my game but you're inventive at problem solving and either very good or very lucky fighters. My contacts get me general information like where Targ is and who he's meeting with, but every since he got that little pet spellcaster I haven't been able to get anybody close to him for anything of importance."
Heff laughs at Bjorkus, picking up on the joke and going with it. "We don't hurt friends of the family, don't worry. So how is the proceedings with this merchant going? My understanding is that if you get the money you need only give the word to that Malley fellow and Rilka will be brought back."
Dalton blinks. "Are you implying your pockets happen to be that deep today?"
Dalton blinks. "Are you implying your pockets happen to be that deep today?"
Heff laughs. "Always trying to get them deeper. Mercenaries aren't the subtlest people."
Heff laughs. "Always trying to get them deeper. Mercenaries aren't the subtlest people."
"Quite unlike yourself, which is why I'll now be more pointed: Is Miss Featherfeet worth the coin to you, or would you leave her fate to chance?" Dalton was sick of feeling like he was a pawn in some game. Time to lay some cards on the table.
"She's an Aestheric, there would have to be something more important than coin involved to just write her off."
"She's an Aestheric, there would have to be something more important than coin involved to just write her off."
"Then I appreciate your upcoming assistance in rescuing her." Barrowwheel's dislike for Heff grew at his non-answers. "Is there anything else?"
"Nothing for now. You can expect to see me again when the Aestherics are here in full force."
She lowers her eyes, ”Well if she eats the same amount of food as me, that’d be equal to a human adult. I’ll get her some hard cheese and nuts for tonight.” Rilka takes two handfuls of shinas nuts and a good wedge of camel cheese to the woman. The halfling clearly is unaccustomed to feeding another person. She practically drops the nuts one by one into the woman’s mouth. The cheese is easier. Rilka can hold it firmly while the woman takes a bite. Half a dozen bites, and it’s gone.
She gives the woman more water to wash the food down.
”Do you have any paper and a pen?” she asks Fuero.
This man talks a good game, but are we not Aestherics also? Why does he insist on lying and manipulating us?
Toramin pats Bjorkus' arm comfortingly.
"We are decent fighters and we have stone in our bellies, but neither will do us much good caught between your lies and some evil that is handing out powerful magic like it is candy. I do not doubt that there is some relation between the evil in Xilres and what is happening here."
"Yes I thought so. Yix has been quite helpful. I will get the ratfolk to run ahead and see if the arena schedule has been posted yet. A pleasure to see you again Heff." Lindale excuses himself and heads outside casting Detect thoughts before exiting the building. The last thing he wanted was for the white cloaks to suspect anything else.
He gives Ninnec a coin tells him to see if the arena schedule has been posted and tries to scan his mind as he runs off. Then he turns to the mercenary speaking so only he can hear. "Your partner better not be getting my halfling in danger. They were the ones that left last night with the merchants wife weren't they. Where are they? If you don't tell me I've a mind to hand you over to the whitecloaks." Mind scanning ensues.
Bjorkus continues to rumble unhappily but nods in appreciation of the dwarf's support.
Heff takes on the image of a bent over old man again, then opens the door and totters out with a smile as if he just got the sale of his life.
Lindale manages to get a reading off one of the white cloaks. They going to spend all day in there? It's just some damn foreign nut...ah there they are, finally. He gets some feelings of annoyance but no suspicion.
Ninnec happily pockets the coin, giving a deep bow. "Of course master, I shall be swift as the wind." He patters off, giving Lindale a brief glimpse of his mind first. He's never felt one so full of happiness. Such nice masters and they pay extraordinarily! Evidently he's very happy in his current situation.
Malley turns, pinky in his air as he tries to dig something out. "Eh?" He seems to miss the threat, not understanding the situation. He looks down at himself, then laughs. "Well I appear to be in fine shape so she will be as well!" The white cloaks threat is a little more serious and he picks up on it. "I have a dozen guesses at where Fuero could be, but he did not tell me where he was going. Why have you decided on the sudden anger? I thought we had a deal to get money and go our separate ways?" His mind doesn't seem very well protected. He doesn't seem to understand the direness of the situation, believing that he only has to wait a day or two more and everything will end happily ever after.
Once Heff has exited, Bjorkus looks to Dalton and Toramin. "That bastard spins so many lies I don't think even he knows what's true anymore."
"I'm gunna win this thing, not just for the mission and not just for me", the bull rumbles.
"We do have a deal. That deal didn't include taking hostages and now the whitecloaks are looking for them too."
"The quicker you do, Ares, the quicker we'll be out of here." Dalton waves Heff's departure as he glances around in the bright daylight.
"You guys got me just the same as Fuero's got the little halfling. She don't come back, I don't come back, pretty simple to me."
Satisfied with the chubby elf's mutual frustration, Bjorkus snorts and nods in agreement.
After a good twenty minutes the little ratfolk slips his way back into the marketplace. He bows, but has a bit of an apprehensive look on. "I apologize masters, but it appears as if the tournament is being delayed a day. I could find no reason there, so I ventured outwards to - a friend of mine and learned that..." He pauses, fear clearly displayed on his face. "Targ is arriving today and intends to change something about the proceedings. I hope that my tardiness does not displease you, I only thought you may appreciate a fuller reason why the tournaments are being delayed."
Surprised, Bjorkus grunts and nods to his 'master'.
"Information is useful, even if it's not what one likes to hear." Dalton certainly did not want to chastise Ninnec for doing a good job, but he was upset at the change in plans. Combined with the unforeseen incident with Rilka and this meeting with Heff, there are too many loose ends in play here. "We must find what the cause for adjustment is. If you're to win this tourny, Ares, it may help to know your opponents." And if they're playing above board.
He turns to the natives in the group. "Where might be a good spot to listen to some passing words on the matter? A bazaar? Tavern? Any one in particular?"
After Heff is gone Lindale tells the others about the contact he has to meet and says he will meet them later at the arena.
"Master, if it pleases you, the stable boys often hear more than what others think about incomers of the city and often talk for a bit of coin."
Lindale wanders a bit into the marketplace - conveniently already there - and eventually sees what he believes is the man he's looking for. There is a short human in brown silks idly leaning against a building, gnawing slowly on a green-yellow apple. He is scanning the crowd slowly.
"Then it is to the stables we go."
He walks towards the man lookingto see if there are many whitecloaks about. "Greetings friend. The sun is bright today."
~Stables~
Ninnec leads the party to the stables, where the ratfolk gives a few clicks of his teeth to a little gnome girl who runs over with a half-smile on. She gives Ninnec a friendly shake, looking up at the taller party members. "I'm guessing this is a business trip." She gives a polite bow to Dalton. "Greetings master. What is it you require of me?"
~Marketplace~
The man swallows his bite, juice running down his chin. "Well met. It is indeed." He indicates a spot next to him in the shade, sliding over to make room. "Lucian isn't very optimistic about working with you, but he's willing to give you a chance. If you're interested he'll meet you half a mile north of Akropash at the Sinner's Oasis. he has other business there as well so he'll be there most of the day." He takes another bite. "You have any updates you want him to know about before I head back?"
Fuero seems to pick up on the surprise. "I'm selfish, not cruel." The woman gladly eats what she can, giving Rilka a small nod of thanks. After a moment of digging in the crates Fuero pulls out some old, crinkled parchment as well as a pen and ink. "Has to be pretty old, but it should work."
"Thankyou. No, just tell him I will be there this afternoon after the arena fights."
Lindale gets a reading off the man, but he seems pretty plain and honest about what's going on.