Tristain straightens up as Zellara enters, polishing off the bread in his mouth with a gulp of wine.
Tristain takes a seat.
"Greetings, Zellara."
"I explained how it was different," says Fredo slowly, clearly pronouncing each word. "I don't want him dead out of service to my ego, or because his spirit can tell me things about Aless' death that his mouth can't. I want him dead so that he can be seen to be dead. He can't be seen in the sewers or tucked into the corner of a warehouse." As Raseri looked away, so now Fredo looked away, not down towards the floor but to the threshold.
"Good evening, Zellara. Of course you are familiar with the subject of our discussion." Fredo does not rise to shake her hand. She had bade them sit, and if she wanted to greet them more thoroughly, she could.
Durriken follows suit, sitting next to Tristain. He opens his fists that he didn't realize were clenched, placing his hands, palms up, on the table. "Perhaps now you might care to explain why you've brought us all here?"
Raseri takes a seat. remembering the card in her pocket, she pulls it out as she speaks.
"Evening, I'm guessing that you already know us, so maybe you could explain this."
Raseri holds up her card with the face towards Zellara, and smiles, oddly enough.
"I've never thought myself a fool, although I have been called one several times."
Tristain reaches under the table and pulls out another loaf.
"Durriken, is it? Have you eaten yet?" Tristain says offering him half a loaf.
He seems peckish...I get peckish when I don't eat too.
Theron takes a seat as well. He looks at Zellara, arms folded, but doesn't speak.
As you all sit down, Zellara speaks and her face wanes away from its previous welcoming and warm appearance. Her voice is soft but clear.
"“Thank you for coming, my friends, and for putting up with my unconventional method of contacting you. I have reason to remain hidden, you see—a terrible man would see great harm done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This is a man you know, for he has done something terrible to each of you as well. I speak, of course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by his gift for avoiding reprisal. You see, a year ago, his thieves stole this, my Harrow deck, from me. It is important to me, an heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also my 12 sole means of support. When pickpockets stole it, my son, Eran, tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Gaedren Lamm, and in reward for finding them, Gaedren murdered my son.
“I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures.
“And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go to them, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in advance. Even if they did arrest him—what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
Raseri eyes go wide at hearing where to finally find Gaedren Lamm, but...
"D-does he keep the children there as well?"
Tristain stops chewing as Zellara speaks, his mind both listening and remembering.
Trina!
Lamm. What did he do to you?
Durriken absently accepts the bread from Tristain, leaving it on the table between his hands. As Zellara tells her tale, he watches her closely. Too neat. Too simple...
Something does not add up, thinks Fredo, looking at the bridge of Zellara's nose to avoid making eye contact. If these Harrow cards are so valuable to Zellara, why did she entrust each of us, complete strangers, with a card? If we had never found them, or lost them, or threw them away, or had come late or not at all, her deck would be rendered incomplete. Either they are not so precious to her as she says, or she thinks she knows enough about us to confidently predict our actions.
But while overconfidence is a fault I'm willing to grant her, there's a bigger hole in her story. Eran found the thieves, and was murdered for it. When did he get the deck back to Zellara? If he did not get it back to her, how could she consult it for advice? If he did get it back to her, why was she not murdered for knowing the same secret? Fredo can see Durriken's eyes locked on Zellara, but he does not share his questions. Calling suspicion down on their host could sever the only link to Lamm, and to learning who put the hit out on Aless, he had found in six years. If she was lying, Fredo would have wasted an evening accepting her invitation. He wouldn't gain anything by confronting her, and could lose much.
Instead, he tries to shift the direction of the conversation. If Zellara was telling the truth about Westpier 17, it was only a matter of time before Lamm packed up and moved. If they were going after him, for whatever reasons, they would need a plan of action. "Before he pays, Zellara, we need to know much more. As we all know, Lamm is a dangerous man who keeps dangerous goons as well as children. Do you know anything of these goons, their number, kind, and preferred methods of murder?
"What about Westpier 17 itself? How many entrances does it have? Where are they? What are the approaches like? How sound is the structure?" Fredo casts an expansive glance around the table. "And I'm sorry to those who like to keep everything a secret," he says, his eyes lingering on Theron and Durriken, "but I will need to know how you all fight. You are not the only spellcaster present here, Theron. But my expertise is in shaping things and bodies to be more effective at their tasks, and it does not help an archer to be the size of an ogre.
"Luckily, I did not fix more than a few spells in my mind this morning. I will require an hour to do so once I know what repertoire will best aid our efforts. I suspect I'm not the only one who will need to prepare."
She is scared .. I suppose as a fortune teller her best defense is being enigmatic.. Theron unfolds his arms .. he listens to the others, thankful that the one named Fredo is interested in learning as much as he can about the target.. good sign I guess..
"I am a healer, Fredo. I'm not much for combat .. but I am a decent shot with the crossbow. "
She fiddles with her cards nervously as she tells you some more information. "My divinations were not so clear as I had searched for its general location rather than specific details. I can tell you however that he is with his right hand and I have seen a couple of the children. I am not sure though on the numbers of these groups.
"Westpier 17 looks to me as an abandoned fishery, weathered by age. Due to the angle of my divination, I was only able to see the main entrance, which hosts old double doors."
Durriken's eyes gleam at Goffred's question. "A fair point. I would want to know the same, in your place. I'm a fair bowman, but I prefer to face my enemies in close. And combat...Is one of the few things I am good at."
He turned his attention back to the fortune teller. "Are you certain he is there now? Your divination was recent?"
"Not so. However it is the only lead I have and the closest you will probably ever get."
Tristain listens and as others start asking question, he begins to chew his bread again.
Trina? Trina might be there?
"Zellara, did your divinations tell you whether my lov-, urhm...friend...Trina might be there? Does she live?" Tristain asks, trying to be nonchalant about his deep interest in finding Trina.
Tristain thinks of what he knows of Westpier 17 and/or the Westpier area.
Know Local
Raseri points a thumb at the hilt of the sword strapped to her back.
"This isn't just for show, although I can handle a bow."
Otherwise she listens to the others in silence. Her sisters might be there and the man who knew where to find them probably was there, that's all she needed to know and her impatience was starting to show through nervous movements.
So close. I'm closer than I've been in four years and I'm having to sit and listen to these men talk.
Durriken's impatience is mirrored by the woman, Raseri, although she's doing a poor job of concealing it. Good. She can at least be counted on to act. "Well, we have a location, and at least an idea that Lamm will be there." He looks at Goffred. "Can you think of anything else we might need to know? Too much delay, and Lamm may move. I don't want to lose this lead."
Pausing, he looks at their host again. "I take it that if we do you the favor of removing Lamm, you'll consider us even for providing this information as to his whereabouts?"
Tristain thinks a bit about his ability to contribute to this.
"I want to help...I *REALLY* want to help on this. But I need a day to prepare...heck, a day to even scout the location might be better than going tonight. If we can move against Lamm tomorrow night would be grand."
Tristain realizes that he needs a day to prepare...his mind goes to the coins he's been scraping together for months for something like this.
Now is the time to do this. I may never get another chance.
"What a thing to say, Durriken!" says Fredo. He stands up, and his pouches bounce on his hip. He seems more amused than offended, despite his words. "Zellara hasn't asked us for anything except that we deal with Lamm. Why assume she has other, hidden, demands?" Of course, she was hiding something, but whatever it was, it couldn't be something else she wanted from them. She'd been up front with what she wanted; what she was hiding was information about herself. That was no more than Durriken or Theron, or Fredo had done. Fredo walks to the door, and puts his hand on the latch.
"I can think of many things we need to know, but we will not learn them here. We should take a good look at this old fishery. Barging through the front door may not be our best option. And I still need to prepare spells." Fredo opens the latch, and the door swings out into the street. Incense fumes escape the house in a gray cloud, and disperse into the city air. "Thank you for the wine and the lead, Zellara. We shall let you know how we fare."
Tristain shouts to Goffred before he leaves.
"Let's meet back here at sundown tomorrow. We can each do our scouting tonight/tomorrow and be prepared for what we must do."
Tristain looks around for agreement amongst the strangers he just met...but those he's trusting with his life (and vice versa).
Fredo turns back to Tristain. "We should case the building tonight, when we won't be spotted as easily. Look for entrances, sound and unsound planking, blind spots, that sort of thing. Then we sleep. We come back in the morning, case the people. We might spot your friend, Tristain, or Raseri's sisters. But we will get an idea for Lamm's thugs. Then we break in at night."
"I am going to check out the fishery now. Any company would be appreciated. If we need to change the plan for tomorrow, we can do so there, based on what we see."
"I'll come along."
Raseri walks over to the door and waits to see if any others are coming.
Tristain stands then sits back down again.
He reaches under the table for another loaf of bread and bottle of wine and pulls them out to take with him.
He smiles and thanks Zellara for her hospitality.
"I'll need my strength to make this happen. Thank you again for pointing the way."
Tristain gets up again to leave, then sits back down while remembering something else.
"Madame Zellara, one more question: this card, the Midwife, what does it mean? Why was it chosen for me?"
Raseri suddenly realizes that Zellara never answered her question about her card either.
"If you don't mind. I'm curious about why you chose 'The Juggler' for me, as well."
Zellara smiles.
"It's quite hard to explain, but for the simplest of terms, it was the card that chose you, not I. Now, would all of you care for a free Harrowing before you leave? I insist that you do."
The fortune teller starts shuffling her deck while before your very eyes, the cards that were with you this morning fly straight into the pile.
Fredo continues to stand by the door, letting it swing almost closed. There was already a draft. He taps his foot, wishing he'd thought to check out the book on Harrowing. Then they could be on their way and he could satsify the others' curiosity as they walked. The Inquisitor he'd left on the table looked back at him accusingly before flying back into Zellara's deck.
"Make it quick," he says. It would be foolish to ignore the diviner, and the divination method, that had pointed them to Lamm. It would be equally foolish to while the night away arguing about it. Besides, it was free.
Raseri stands there speechless. She had heard of Harrowings before, but had never seen one herself.
This will be interesting. And maybe Desna is trying to say something.
She notices that Fredo is tapping his foot and shoots him an icy glare to get him to stop.
Tristain bounces back into his chair.
Free Harrowing?! After a free meal?! And a lead on Trina? Wow. What a day.
Tristain moves closer to Zellara to listen. He barely breathes in anticipation.
"Yes yes fine .. Although skeptical, I am a firm believer in the significance of chance. Let us see what the cards say."
"I assure you, this will do more good that evil and will not take long."
Zellara places her right hand on the 54 cards as nine mysteriously rise out of the pile. she shuffles these and flares them out face down.
"The first step is called "The Choosing." As you are searching for the children, I will harrow on that subject. Each of you, please pick a card."
Tristain chooses "Nine," though he would be at a loss to explain why.
Raseri reaches for one of the cards and picks it up.
With a shrug, Fredo lets the door close behind him and walks over to Zellara. He picks a card without thinking much about it.
Theron looks a little ruffled when Tristain picks nine ahead of him .. then realizes what a petty thing it was to be so peeved and picks the third card.
Durriken nods. "Very well, if you insist. And for what it's worth, I meant no offense. Information is seldom freely given, where I come from."
As he waits for Zellara to deal, he nods to Goffred and Raseri. "I'll go as well. I'd like to get a look at this place."
Zellara prompts you all to show her the cards and explains The Choosing.
"As you all now are part of a group fighting the same cause, your futures are intertwined to a common destiny. However, as all teams are, each of you have a specific role to fulfill. That is what your Chosen cards explain.
"Let us start with Tristain, as he was the first to choose," she says as she takes a gander at the card, "Your card is the Locksmith. As you pick this card, it gives you the keys to the group's destiny. You will grant access to something important as new location, a clue, or a treasure.
Zellara's eyes widen as she faces the girl. "Raseri, you have picked the Avalanche card. It represents disaster. There will be a loathsome event that you must avert for the sake of the group's prosperity.
She takes a look at the transmuter's card and nods in agreement. "Goffred, what lies in your hand is the Dance card. As a dance is a delicate framework of precisely planned steps, so should you be wary of your actions. Let yourself flow in the world's pattern, lest you falter.
Zellara smirks as she senses Theron wished to pick Tristain's card first. "Theron, although you have not chosen the Locksmith as your intuition pushed you to, everything comes with a reason. You have chosen the Juggler. Your destiny is a chaotic one, as if the gods play with it. As long as you find your rhythm and keep it, you will achieve your goals.
"And finally, Durriken, the silent one who drew the Demon's Lantern. This card is one of traps and tricks, sleight of hand and sleight of mind. An impossible situation is headed your way. Whether that situation is impossible for you or your foes depends on your actions.
"Now hand me the cards as we shall do the final and second step of the Harrowing, which is called the Spread, which is for you all as a group, telling us something about your past, your present, and your future."
As you all pass her your cards, she shuffles them into the full deck and draws nine. These cards are laid face down on a three by three grid.
"These nine cards represent a certain balance. From top to bottom, they represent positivity, unclarity, and negativity. From left to right, they represent past, present and future."
She flips the cards over one by one, starting from the past cards, and ending with the future.
"The past reveals the Lost, the Eclipse, and the Marriage. At the row of positivity, the Lost tells me that each of you had a great hardship in the past. However you retained clarity of mind. Perhaps that hardship and the resolve you expressed is why you're here. The Eclipse, at neutrality, reveals that you were once lost along your path. This misdirection could have been literal or metaphorical. All people lose their way, however the cards state yours was of great importance. The Marriage is at the negative aspect of the past, and resembles a bad union of people, ideas, or the like. Hopefully, it does not talk about the union of the group. It may also represent a permanent change in your life.
"Now we move on to the present. We have the Tangled Briar, the Foreign Trader, and the Cricket. The Tangled Briar at the positive side is an interesting sight. It represents a painful event. Perhaps something is happening to you right now, or something happened in the past that still effects you, retrospectively as it is positive, this painful thought or event brings hope for the future. The Foreign Trader is a bargain you may be unsure of, but the card cements its sincerity. However, be warned as there may be ramifications that may surprise you if you are not sure what you are getting into. The Cricket represents treasure. However at negativity, you may be losing something important to you.
"And finally the future. The Joke, the Publican, and the Waxworks. Positively, it represents a difficult person that you found your way through. Maybe you had not crossed paths with Lamm only once, or perhaps this speaks of another thing. The Publican at neutrality represents refuge and fellowship where you least expect it. Perhaps a defining bond between the group or a newcomer. As this is in the row of unclarity, whether this fellowship or refuge is mostly good or bad is uncertain. The last card is the Waxworks. Out of the nine, this is which I fear the most. Not only because of its placement, but also its representation. It calls for helplessness and physical entropy"
As none of the cards drawn during the Spread are the same as the ones during the Choosing, she looks for your individual cards and lays them out with the Spread.
"I may not be able to answer all of your questions as Harrowing is a very vague subject, but is there anything you would like to ask me?
Tristain listens to Zellara speak with rapt attention...forgetting all about his new 'friends' and the food he has yet to eat.
Wow. Such an artist is she. I chose the wrong profession.
Tristain's mind slowly wraps around the potential futures offered by Zellara but is still confused by the significance.
"Does my Trina still live?" Tristain blurts out before wishing he didn't.
Well, she asked for a question...not necessarily a *good* question.
"Sadly, the cards' divinations don't get that specific"
"So, no pressure then."
Raseri is nervous, really nervous.
She walks up to Tristain and looks up at him.
"Fate is rarely set in stone. If she's alive, we'll find her, by luck or skill."
Raseri turns to Zellara, and asks, "Would you mind if I stay the night here after going with the others. I have little gold, but I can pay for a night's stay."
"We do each other favors and the death of Gaedren Lamm will be more than anything people without our knowledge can hope for. Of course you can. How could I decline?"
"Thank you."
Durriken flips his card over repeatedly between his fingers. I'm not sure I like the sound of this...So many potential negative outcomes, so little control. I must be cautious. I hope these four others recognize this as well... He sets the card down.
"I've seen enough in my life to know not to discount the cautions read to us. It would seem that I am tied to you all. By choice or fate, it matters not." He looks at Theron and Goffred, his gaze lingering on the former. "I will help you find the answers you seek, whatever they may be." He turns to Tristain "If your Trina still lives, we will find her." And finally, to Raseri. "And your sisters. As long as you all help me find my answers, as well." He lapses back into silence, swirling his wine tankard.
My word is my bond...I hope I have not given it to some who are undeserving. He finishes his wine, the alcohol easing the burning in his throat. Too much talking, Garde. But it appears we move soon.
"That shouldn't be a problem."
Raseri walks over to the front door and looks back at the group.
"Well, are we going or not?"
She asks with a sly smile.
"Likewise," says Fredo, nodding his thanks at Durriken. He then lifts the latch again. The door does not swing open yet.
"Thank you for the reading, Zellara. Whatever meanings we each ascribe to the past and present, however, I would advise not stressing over the meaning the symbols hold for the future. Doubtless the true meanings will become clear with events." Fredo is obviously troubled, and you can guess that he is retreating into rationalism to avoid having to think too deeply. Still, some doubts worm their way through his mental armor.
I do not regret my time with Tilda...Yes, we ended badly, and she didn't want to see me again, and I have held to that...But to say it was a bad union...Maybe for her...How low could she have fallen that she was worse off after we ended than when we met? Fredo wants to ask how she fares, but Tristain has already demonstrated the futility of that approach. Instead, he keeps his question vague, like the reading itself. "This bad union in the past, does it end badly for us, the Harrowed, or for the other party?"
Tristain gets ready to go.
"Thank you for use of your home Zellara."
It'll be nice to have a roof over my head.
"We'll be back in a bit. We're just doing a quick scout, I think."
I have a lot to do tomorrow to get ready for this.
* * *
Looking at Durriken, he thanks the man for his understanding of his situation with Trina.
"And I hope you find your resolution as well."
Tristain turns to answer the bossy one.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Tristain stows the loaf of bread and wine in his backpack.
Tristain is ready to go.
Durriken rises and nods to their host. "Thank you." A hunger dances behind his eyes. He turns and moves to join Raseri at the door, loosening his longsword in its scabbard on his way. "I am ready."
Nightvision not too good .. but, should they stumble into trouble .. "I will join you. We will see you soon Zellara." Theron bows and joins the others.