"Huh.", says Gosk as the note is picked on by the colonel. "Now this is interesting. Think this group was hired to stage a kidnapping so she could be with this Ilya? And she got cold feet at the last moment?", he says, as his calm manner of walking around, eyes in the air stops to make way for a more energetic one. "Hm. I know there's a spell, Mending we call it, that lets broken and destroyed items be brought back. Doesn't work on magical items, though...", he says as he taps his fingers on the desk. "A-ha! There's an even stronger one, which can be used to restore magical items.", he says, grinning. "Mirode, would you be able to cast any of those just now? Or, you know, after the usual quarter-hour preparation?", as he looks at the colonel. "I think if not, we should go and ask that guard, Rajsi, onto the people in Yamuna's surrounding." He checks a nearby wall, and then leans on it, waiting for the answers.
Tapping his cane against his leg, the colonel considers Gosk's words.
"I hate to speculate without more information, but I do think it is clear that the daughter had second thoughts. One thing we should check is that the handwriting matches that of Yamuna."
Having finished searching the room, the colonel goes back to the window. "The roof looks sturdy enough. What say I climb the few feet down and investigate?" Looking around at the others, he adds "Unless one of you would rather take this on."
Mirode shakes her head "I don't have any mending spell prepared for the day. I can pray for one once it's the dawn though."
As the Colonel edges out onto the flat tile roof and makes his way across the ceramic tiles (with much clinking and clacking from his cane), the strange bulge comes better into view. The cut and frayed edges of two ropes point down into what seems to be a midden or compost heap far below, while another golden dagger sits near them against the iron pole, tip pointed toward the towering marble walls of the Old City.
The aforementioned guard, Rasji, is out in the garden, looking over the entrance gateway to the Rajah's estate. She offers a quick, almost casual grin from beneath her pointed steel helm, lifting scale mail-clad arms and offering an exceedingly relaxed bow and hand-press.
The colonel smiles, looks down and makes a slight bow with the hand-press to someone below. Then he goes over to the lump and examines it closely. Sighting along the blade, he tries to see where on the wall it points.
"Someone likes leaving daggers behind. This one points towards the wall." he announces as he points with his cane in that direction.
Looking down again, he says "I would rather not follow their path down at the moment. Quite odiferous. "
Gosk chuckles quietly. " If that track goes on. Much longer, we can all just retire off those damn daggers... Unless they go in pairs, like lovers.", he says with feigned sadness in his voice.
His eye catching the guard below, he returns a similar relaxes salute and sends a wink. "Huh. Guess my Taldan isn't as good as I thought, Colonel. What was that last word again?", replies Gosk, a shameless smile accompanying his question. "I guess we can check with the guardswoman after we're done here. I'd rather be thorough, though. There's always the chance of someone coming and... changing something we missed.", he mentions, retreating back into the room and starting to retrace the discovered information so far, gesturing around quietly.
Since the Hasa Arundhat put in earlier today, rumors have been flying about the strange foreigners disgorged on one of the little fishing boats. "Missionaries, here to push their gods upon us", say some, and "Growers looking for land." A few know the truth, but even the juiciest truth competes with tall tales and fantasies.
As soon as the ship arrived, a member of Rajah Gadhavi's household found you and Minali, out on the docks nearby, with word to appear before the Rajah at once. However, as you approach the Rajah's 'palace' above Chauri Padiskar, the only person outside is a single guard, a woman you grew up with. Rasji wears a steel-pointed helm and scale mail, with a spear leaning casually against the garden wall. "Jyoti. It's good to see you. Maybe you'll be able to talk those fools on the roof down; the Rajah said they wanted to talk to me, so here I am!" She offers a shallow bow to you and looks back up at the rooftop-bound Colonel.
The Colonel notices a second woman arrive near Rasji. The guardswoman waves, gesturing to the Colonel to come down, and then shouts. "Rajah said we should talk. Come down so we can. The stairs will be fine; no need for the rope."
Gosk's recap of the acquired information includes two golden knives (one left on Yamuna's bed, the other near the ropes used to escape), the ropes on the roof, broken glass, and a pair of notes (a third of which is quite burnt). The two contacts the Rajah gave you include Rasji, the guardswoman outside, and Kapil, the captain of the Chauri guards. Additionally, Raseed tailed a woman into the poorer district of the town and left an older child to watch the house. I think that's everything.
Jyoti greets Rasaji enthusiastically,"Rasaji! I haven't seen you around the store for a while!", and moves over to give her friend a hug. "Work's been keeping you busy, I see. How have you been?"
On hearing her friend's predicament, she looks up to see one of the foreigners on the roof. Her mouth forms a silent-O shape.
If the foreigners are climbing around like monkeys, its no wonder they're causing quite the stir. Perhaps their behavior is some kind of strange custom to pay homage to their foreign gods..., Jyoti thinks to herself.
"Hi there, we've got lots of monkeys out there in the jungle. I assure you, we don't need any more here," she waves at Colonel Tipper, her grin infectious, inviting everyone to share the joke. "The Rajah sent me. I've found that rooftops don't make the best conversation venues. You might want to come down."
Minali scratches her ear with her hindpaw as she watches the curious spectacle of Colonel Tipper on the roof.
Seeing the second woman below, the colonel presses his hands together and gives her a bow as well. Rather than shout down at her, he just waves back indicating he heard.
Taking one more sighting on the dagger, he then picks it up and makes his way back to the window. There he hands the dagger up to Gosk before climbing back in. Having seen him clamber around the roof like that, you realize he doesn't carry the cane because he needs help walking.
"Was starting to draw a crowd, it seems. It may be best to go down and join the guard and whomever the woman is with her."
Pausing a moment, he then adds "Keep a keen eye out. One of the maids reacted in a very suspicious way at the sight of us. Be good to find out who she is eventually."
After a pregnant pause, the colonel moves towards the door saying "Shall we be off?"
Mirode comes back to herself with a start. "Ah, sorry, I got lost in thought. My apologies."
The cleric leads the way out of the room and down the stairs. She feels a quiet moment of pride that she's able to retrace her steps; getting lost would be embarrassing. Although, if they have to do some clandestine snooping then pretending to be lost would be useful. She files it away for another time.
Once she's outside she makes a beeline for the women. "Hello hello! My name is Mirode, you must be Rasaji. Lovely to meet you. And you as well, although I'm sorry but I don't know your name."
Rasji nods, grinning at Mirode. "Yes, that would be me." She leans against a nearby wall, nonchalantly scratching an itch on her neck before looking to the party, her expression growing serious. "Rajah said you wanted to know about Yamuna's work in the Shallows? I usually went with her, but only so far as the inn. She paid me good coin to stay there, so stay there I did. What she told me, though, was that it was simply charity work. You know, Omrataji may be about the flow of silver, but there's no reason it can't flow from those who have to those who need."
While Rasji speaks with confidence, a few minor tells are enough to convince you she's not being entirely honest. First, she looks up toward the Rajah's home, as if worried about being observed. Second, she shifts on the balls of her feet, as if uncomfortable talking about the subject despite her otherwise calm demeanor.
Jyoti puts her hands together, in front of her chest, and bows to the party. "Namaste. I am called Jyoti, and I'm pleased to meet all of you." Behind her comes a small sized fishing cat, tailing her like a shadow. "Please do not be alarmed, this is my companion, Minali. She's really friendly and wouldn't harm anyone,"and bends down to give Minali a scratch under the chin. "We've been sent to assist you in the search for Yamuna. Could you brief me on your findings thus far?"
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The colonel returns the bow. "Namaste."
Looking to Jyoti, he introduces himself. "I am Colonel Tipper, Taldan Exploratory Services, Retired."
---
After each of the group has had a chance to introduce themselves, the colonel looks to Jyoti and asks "Sent by whom to assist us?"
"The Rajah, of course. No fancy titles here, I'm just Jyoti, the fish seller. I sell the best fish in town!" Her expression becomes somber, "Unfortunately, we have pressing matters to deal with at hand, so, it is not a good time to talk about my trade."
"I'm unfamiliar with the Taidan Exploratory Services, what do they do?" She pauses, then continues,"One of the reasons I've been chosen is probably for my companion's ability to track missing children. The other time, one of my neighbour's children, Asok, snuck off to play, I managed to find him by giving Minali one of his toys to sniff, then following Minali as she followed his scent. Though I would never have been able to do that without Minali," and beams fondly at her fishing cat.
"Anything that has Yamuna's smell would be good, maybe a pillowcase. With luck, it won't have been contaminated by other smells."
Gosk's brow narrows for a brief moment as he studies the guard. Not necessarily lying... And not necessarily telling the truth. And definitely not comfortable..., he thinks to himself as he nods. He puts on a smile on his face and turns his head towards Rasji. "Heh. Just isn't right to refuse money, I know. Makes you feel bad inside.", he says, relaxing his posture. "Did you ever sneak out despite her orders to see what she's doing? Curiosity is one of the four guard qualities, after all."
He suddently stops as he hears about the cat. "Hah! I wish I had someone like you, buddy.", he turns to the cat. "Oh, and sorry for not introducing myself, ladies.", he says, taking off his hat and putting out a slightly overextended bow. "Gosk Tereus. I'm with the Nexians.", he says, as he puts his hat back on.
"I'm unfamiliar with the Taidan Exploratory Services, what do they do?"
"Explore various lands outside the Empire. Sometimes it is something simple like investigate a certain ruin, other times make contact with the natives. Regardless, we report back to the crown on any potential opportunities."
Mirode ponders their new helper. Having an animal that's an expert in tracking is a boon, yes, but she can't see Jyoti being chosen by the Rajah unless there's more to her than meets the eye. She certainly isn't going to make any judgement but she resolves to get to know Jyoti better.
"We could retrieve one of her pillows from upstairs. Maybe we ought to take something of hers with us? It could come in handy."
Gosk nods at Mirode. Huh... "I guess we can ask the Rajah for something of hers. But for now, I suggest we all go to check out that charitable work place. Tomorrow we can do the rest in the room. I'm assuming that it's off limits for everyone but us and the Rajah, is it not?", he asks the guardswoman.
Mirode looks thoughtful "Won't her scent fade over time?" She looks at Jyoti and offers her a small smile "I think I heard that somewhere but I could be making that up. It wouldn't be the first time I confused my facts."
"Yes, you're right. Have you worked with trackers before?" she asks Mirode, pleased by her knowledge.
She continues,"Also, it does not necessarily need to be a pillowcase, any item with her scent, like a used hankerchief, will suffice. However, the passage through running water, or other powerful odors could mask her scent.", giving the compost heap a dirty look.
"I believe the Rajah also wanted someone local with the expedition, so that you would have knowledge of local customs and not give offence by mistake."
Minali butts her head against Gosk's shin.
The colonel wanders over to the compost heap, inspecting the area around it for any clues. He peers up to where the rope hangs, trying to find any marks on the wall indicating someone swung to the side in order to avoid a noxious landing site.
"Strong odors, such as landing here?" he asks, pointing with his cane towards the compost heap.
"Yes. Should her kidnappers have passed through this, it will make my job a lot harder."
"Minali, stay with Gosk", she addresses her cat.
Jyoti goes to Yamuna's room, to look for something that is small, light and easy to carry that has her scent.
Jyoti is able to slip back into Yamuna's room, where one of the two maids is already cleaning up now that the party has taken its look. She's able to find a pillow that doesn't seem to have been tampered with too much, and returns to her cat with her prize. The fishing cat sniffs at the pillow, looks at Jyoti for a moment, and then slowly begins circling, ever-expanding circles looping around the garden. After a few minutes, Minali points her head in the general direction of the Old City's walls and looks at Jyoti questioningly before stalking off in that direction, looking back every so often as if unsure she's got the right scent. Before too long, however, she gives up, dejected. It's clear either the scent is too old or too confused for her to follow exactly.
Rasji looks nervous at Gosk's line of questioning, and eventually looks off toward the Rajah's home. "Not here. Meet me by the piers tonight, after dark, or I won't be able to tell you anything." She raises her voice back to normal tones. "I do not know that I like the idea of the Taldans spying on us. We aren't simply another place to be explored and colonized, you know."
Gosk barely nods at Rasji, She didn't say anything about company, so I'm guessing the others can come. If not, her loss. "Well, I'm guessing you and the colonel can have a bit more chat about that. Good honest grunts like myself are the same everywhere.", he says, smiling. "I'd suggest keeping the pillow. You never know when the kitty can find out a smell.", he winks at the cat. "I'd pet you, but you don't get teeth like that for carrots, and I'm just as attached to my fingers as they are to me.", he says, leaning down to the cat. "No hard feelings."
"Well, I'd suggest we head back in town. Got a lot of planning to do, and I don't think we missed anything in the room.", he says as he starts making his way towards the gate.
The colonel sees the direction that the small cat is headed and quickly gets out his compass to check it. He pauses and looks around, making sure he has his bearings correct.
When the cat finally loses the trail, the colonel gets back out his compass and checks the direction. He also looks around, seemingly sighting in on a few landmarks.
"She was taken in the direction of the Old City. There, her kidnappers managed to hide their trail. "Jyoti's eyebrows crease for a moment as she informs the party, then it smoothens.
She gives Minali a piece of dried jerky as a reward for her efforts."Don't worry Gosk. Minali is very friendly, and wouldn't harm you."
"You're right, Gosk, with Chamidu's blessing we may still have a chance to pick up her scent later,"she continues.
"Heading to the town sounds great! I could use a hot bath and meal after all that tracking." she goes cheerfully."Are you staying at any particular place in town at the moment?"
Rasji looks nervous at Gosk's line of questioning, and eventually looks off toward the Rajah's home. "Not here. Meet me by the piers tonight, after dark, or I won't be able to tell you anything." She raises her voice back to normal tones. "I do not know that I like the idea of the Taldans spying on us. We aren't simply another place to be explored and colonized, you know."
Mirode tilts her head slightly at the last statement. Who was that said for? The cleric files it away as something to ask about later. In the meantime a slow smile spreads across her face. "I can assure you that, as a priestess of Sarenrae, I am certainly not here to benefit Taldor."
To Jyoti she says "We're staying at...at...well. I don't actually know the name. That's rather silly. It's a tavern by the docks."
It's been several days since the mysterious kidnappers carried out their raid on the Rajah's palace, but here and there the Colonel is able to find bits and pieces of hints at their passage. A ripped bit of cloth here, a broken branch there. In fact, the amount of sign seems to suggest the kidnappers expected, or even wanted, to be followed.
Rasji laughs at Mirode's consternation. "It does not have a name. It used to be a tribute to one of our goddesses, a woman with tentacles in place of legs like an octopus and the goddess of serene waters, but after a storm too the sign, it was considered a bad omen and the meeting-house remained unnamed." She grins again. "If you're heading back to the town proper, I suggest a close examination of the Shrine to Arundhat. Yamuna stopped there often before heading into the Shallows, and you might be able to find something." Turning smartly on her heel, she gathers her spear and resumes a half-lazy/half-disciplined patrol of the grounds.
The colonel waits until he estimates that Rasji is out of earshot.
"Someone wanted us to know the route." he proclaims. "They left a dagger pointing towards the wall." as he gestures with his cane towards the old wall.
He does not seem pleased by the thought.
"Hmm. We could check the shrine, gather what information we can in town before setting out for old Padiskar. Is there any place you can brief me on your findings thus far?"
Jyoti will think about what she has heard about old Padiskar.
"I was hoping you could recommend a place to stay that might draw less attention."
Gosk nods at the Colonel, then smiles. "It's kind of rude not to attend a trap so kindly revealed. Maybe we can use me as bait somehow?", he raises his eyebrow at the colonel. "It'd be rude not to volunteer for my plan.", he says, grinning. "As for the place, I assume that our new companion can share some ideas?", he asks, sending a smile in Jyoti's direction.
"I think we're doomed to draw attention no matter where we go." Mirode says mournfully. "We're part of the local gossip now."
"As far as this trail here, I'm wary of following it, at least right now. It's quite obvious, which means somebody from the palace must have followed it already yes? And if not, why not?" She shakes her head.
"Whoever it is made such an obvious trail that we know they want us to follow it. And they must also know that we know that they know we'll figure out that they want us to follow, and then...then I'm just twisting myself up in knots. But I think that trail will still be there if we wait, and I think we need to be, ah, settled in before dark."
Old Padiskar: You know many of the legends about a horrible beast that walks the streets some nights, howling and screaming. You also have a friend whose aunt's daughter's husband went missing inside the walls of Old Padiskar a few years ago and hasn't been seen since.
Lodgings: On a hill near the Rajah's home is the Three Lemons. It tends to cater more toward those both honored by a request to visit the Rajah and not offered a bed in his home. As such, its usual clientele doesn't include many foreigners, but perhaps that could be to the party's advantage?
After thinking on Gosk's question for a while, Jyoti replies "We could stay in the Three Lemons. Its a place that many of the Rajah's visitors use. Its private, the food is good and the lodgings comfortable. Lets go and pick up your stuff and we can head there."
She gives Mirode a mischevious grin, though her eyes are looking sideward towards Colonel Tipper, "Monkeying around certainly draws attention."
Then the grin fades. "I don't know if anyone from the palace has followed the trail, and I have no idea why the kidnappers would leave one...unless they have set a trap at the end of it? Wouldn't being bait be dangerous, Gorsk?", with a worried expression on her face.
"Trap is the most likely explanation, although there is a possibility that someone connected with the kidnapping did not like what was happening and left the clues. Let us wait to discuss it until we are at the Three Lemons."
He waits for Jyoti to lead the way.
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The Three Lemons perches atop a hill just a bit lower than the Rajah's home, and the building is much more expansive. Perhaps less elegant, but more expansive. A wide garden filled with flowers and three ancient lemon-trees borders on the open lobby, and unlike the unnamed inn down in Chauri below, the Three Lemons promises to be a much quieter, less busy stay. A sari-clad woman writes down the party's name in Vudrani, looking them over. "For a group of this size, there are a trio of private, but interlocking, rooms. You can pass between them, but each can be locked off from the others. It would be ten per night, per room, though." She looks the party over, and if she thinks anything's amiss about the foreigners, she says nothing and offers no hint. Instead, she stops writing, looking at the party until payment is offered. "Excellent. There's a small room off to the side if you're in need of drink or light food. If not, there is a proper dinner as daylight ends. Perhaps in an hour?"
She gestures, showing the way to the rooms before fumbling with a ring of keys and handing three over. "Myself and our staff have duplicates, but we pride ourselves on being...discrete." She turns gracefully on a heel and walks away, humming a little tuneless tune to herself.
The rooms are all identical; a pair of feather-stuffed beds, pillows in place of seats, and glass windows overlooking the town below. A pair of chests, keyed to the same key that opened the doors, provides a semi-secure place to stow gear, while single bars offer places to hang any non sea-stained clothes the party might have. Most friendly-looking, however, is the shared bath, an expansive, lemon scented pool filled to the brim with water and a bubbly soap.
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Gosk smiles at the hostess as she leaves, handing in two and a half dozen gold coins. "So, Colonel, I suggest we show some chivalry and share a room, while the ladies have one each.", he says, taking a key. "I'll do my best to stay as away from the alchemy kit as promised, place doesn't need a fire breaking out.", he grins. He lowers his voice. "Alternatively, we can use the middle room as a headquarters of sorts, and leave Minali there as a guard."
As they enter the room, he grins at the bath. "This job ends up better and better.", he grins, before sitting on a pillow. "Well, I suppose we have an hour or so to discuss things.", he says, staring at the bath and sighing theatrically. "We got until tomorrow until we can hopefully restore the parchment, and we can set about following the trail in the morning. Sound fair?", he says, twiriling the key on his finger. "Afterwards, I'll take a small walk around the place, see if I can find any entrances that weren't on the orientation process. Better safe than sorry, and we can head for dinner." This place would be fun to fight in. Though I reaaally like the bath..., he thinks to himself as he studies the room.
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Jyoti pays the hostess the remaining bill. "Mirode, do you mind if Minali and I share the room with you?"
Jyoti looks at the bath with undisguised longing. After the dust and smells of the street, a hot lemon bath to wash off the stench and massage those sore muscles would be sooooo appealing....
On hearing Gorsk flop on the pillow, Jyoti turns to look at the party, "Before we start our discussions, we should clean up. A bath would be ideal, but perhaps should be left till after dinner."
"However, that doesn't mean we can't freshen up some. You don't mind if I take a hand in that, do you?"
She closes the door behind the party,then uses Prestidigitation on the party.
"A useful little cantrip. I believe my powers are tied to the land, like my mother. But it's not the sort of thing you bandy around in public."
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Gosk nods at the spell, then raises an eyebrow and smiles. "Ah, I did forget about other places and, huh, customs about magic. Not used to such mysticism around spells, all and all. Then again, that could be the reason why you aren't living in a magic wasteland right about now.", he chuckles self-critically. "Think that got the worst of it out.", he smiles at Jyoti as he's feeling freshened. "Reminds me of the time we spend a week in a cave back in the days, with nothing but water, trail biscuits and a wizard. Never want to touch prestidigitated food again, that's for one. Or trail biscuits." He stands up. "Oh, and thanks."
Minali goes and sits next to Colonel Tipper, then meows.
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The colonel briefly looks the room over. In reply to Gosk's suggestion, he replies "Seems sensible, one room for each lady and we share."
As he sees Jyoti removing the accumulated grime from Mirode, he removes his suit jacket. When it comes to his turn to be freshened up, he holds the jacket out so she can easily clean it. Setting it aside, he then slowly turns so that she can more easily clean the rest of his clothing. Picking the jacket up, he says "Thank you, Jyoti!" as he puts the jacket back on.
Relaxing into one of the chairs, he states "Enjoy it when you can. I think all Military people learn that quickly."
When Minali comes to sit beside him, he looks to Jyoti for permission before petting the cat.
"Right, so I suppose it is time to debrief. Who would like to start?"
"If you wish to share I have no objection" Mirode says as she plunks her gear down. “If someone attacks in the middle of the night it’ll be good to have company” She grins at Jyoti.
Mirode grabs a pillow and settles herself on the floor. She wiggles around until she’s in a comfortable spot, leans back against the wall and sighs in contentment. “Much better.”
“Now. I think you know most of what we know Jyoti. Let’s see. While we were on the ship a nice man named Abhay spoke to us about Padiskar. His wife’s family is from Kolta, we have their name; he said they could help find us a place to stay. We obviously don’t need that-” she gestures to the walls ”- but it’s good to have an in with some locals. Well, locals beyond the ones present in this room.”
She looks to Gosk and the Colonel “What am I forgetting?”
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"Cool, thanks!" she beams at Mirode.
"Oh Minali, first Gorsk and now Colonel Tipper, what am I going to do with you?" she sighs in mock-resignation, as she flops on another pillow.
"Go ahead and give her a good scratch, at the base of her ears. She likes that, and will be your friend for life. " Jyoti shakes her head at Minali, with a wry smile on her face.
"Well, if there's a stream or river near the cave, usually there's fish to be caught in there. I brought along my fishing gear, so we don't need to survive on biscuits if we can find a water source."
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Having been giving permission, the colonel reaches down and scratches Minali at the base of the ears, as described.
In reply to Mirode's question, the colonel says "Abhay said Kolta is a farming community across from here. I'm a little unclear as to exactly where it is."
Getting out a sheet of parchment with one hand (the other still occupied with a certain cat's ears), he scans down it as he continues.
"We have the mysterious woman in the tavern that hurried to report our arrival. Raseed is the one who followed her, any idea where he has disappeared to?"
He looks around for a moment, hoping someone has more information on this.
"Well, he seemed a capable sort. Hopefully he will show up soon.
We also have one of the two maids in the hallway outside Yamuna's room who reacted in a strange manner. She seemed both surprised and angered by our presence there.
In the room itself we have the two letters, along with the ashes of a third letter." Looking towards Mirode, he says "I look forward to seeing what you can do with the ashes in the morning. Could you please show Jyoti the first two letters now?"
He waits, giving Jyoti a chance to read the two letters. While waiting, he switches his notes to the other hand so that he can more easily scratch behind Minali's other ear.
"Finally, we have two daggers decorated with the symbols of Naderi. The first was evidently found on Yamuna's desk, the second on the roof pointing along the route that the kidnappers took. One found in the room, the other on the roof just above the trash heap where only a monkey would find it." He gives a brief smile to Jyoti as he makes the monkey comment. "The one on the roof pointed towards the old wall."
Looking towards Gosk, he says "Perhaps we should more closely inspect that second dagger, see if there is anything different about it."
Pausing a moment, he then asks Gosk "Anything else I may have missed?"
Minali purrs in contentment. Man-with-yellow-jacket gives such nice scratches! Then butts her head into his lap.