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”I’m nowhere near as good as some of the people I have trained with, but I’m a decent shot.” Elric replies to Audria as the boat glides away from the ship.
Under his leather wrist guard, the tip of a stylized arrow tattoo signal that there is at least some measure of false modesty in that statement.
When they are far enough away to feel safe, he says.
Excellent work, everyone. We got the letters Commander Kroft need to get the ambassador to back down, and I believe we have made Korvosa a bit safer by eleminating Barvasi. I suggest we retreat to the guard tower and keep an eye on Eel’s End for a bit longer to follow the aftermath of Barvasi’s death and the release of his pets. We can report to the commander once things quiet down.”
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Shane listens to the humble archer , clueless to how good the man is. He focuses on the illusion as long as required.
When they are far enough away to feel safe, he says.
Excellent work, everyone. We got the letters Commander Kroft need to get the ambassador to back down, and I believe we have made Korvosa a bit safer by eleminating Barvasi. I suggest we retreat to the guard tower and keep an eye on Eel’s End for a bit longer to follow the aftermath of Barvasi’s death and the release of his pets. We can report to the commander once things quiet down.”
"Well, as eager as I am to see Zellara's home and tidy it up a bit , I suppose it would be foolish to abandon such an efficient group now." He looks at each and every one of them, "I .. think I should acknowledge the depth of gratitude I feel for what we have achieved tonight. This group has accomplished in one night a goal I have lingered on for years. Some measure of justice was served tonight. Half of my own vendetta on top of it. And yes, the city is safer. When we get time tonight I'll review those items in full."
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"Excellent work, everyone. We got the letters Commander Kroft need to get the ambassador to back down, and I believe we have made Korvosa a bit safer by eliminating Barvasi. I suggest we retreat to the guard tower and keep an eye on Eel’s End for a bit longer to follow the aftermath of Barvasi’s death and the release of his pets. We can report to the commander once things quiet down."
"Well, as eager as I am to see Zellara's home and tidy it up a bit, I suppose it would be foolish to abandon such an efficient group now." He looks at each and every one of them. "I ... think I should acknowledge the depth of gratitude I feel for what we have achieved tonight. This group has accomplished in one night a goal I have lingered on for years. Some measure of justice was served tonight. Half of my own vendetta on top of it. And yes, the city is safer. When we get time tonight I'll review those items in full."
"A good plan. And the Hunter blessed us," Shrike croaks matter-of-factly. It seems like this is probably agreement with Elric and Shane. "We returning the boat first? Needs cleaning." Though the bloodstains darkening Shrike's already-dark cloak in many places are not easily identifiable as such, the bench and floor of the boat where the leather armor has come to rest is more obviously tinted red.
Whether bound for the chatty fisherman again or just the understaffed Mainshore watchtower, Shrike rows them steadily away into the foggy pre-dawn. Thank you, Hunter, for blessing our hunt with swiftness, silence and a careless quarry. To kill a predator of people and free one of its intended victims alive is an act done in your name, always.
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Audria pulls down the scarf covering her face and smiles as the others celebrate, but it's not hard to tell it's a forced one. It isn't that she has any sympathy for the late King of Spiders or his cronies. A part of her is glad that he's gone. It isn't even that his corpse was fed to his pet ettercap. That she sees as a bit of poetic justice.
She can't put her finger on why she feels like she does. They'd done something good, even if it skirted right at the edge of the law. Korvosa's citizens could rest a little easier. She doesn't feel guilty about having a hand, however indirect, with Barvasi's end. She'd promised to help put an end to his reign of terror, and while she's not sure she could have killed him, she's not going to blame Shrike or Pava for doing it. She would have preferred to drag him before a court and see him stand trial, but even with what they have, he still might have evaded the punishment that was his due.
That is it, isn't it? That people like Lamm, Barvasi, and Halvara, if Jessica's warnings about her were any indication, could evade justice, could pay off guards, and could have patrons in high places see to it they got off lightly. The feeling that Korvosa is broken in a way that can't be fixed returns to her. How far does the rot go, she wonders.
It's another worry to add to the ones she already carries, she realizes. She still doesn't know what was going on with Dendren at the castle when they arrived for Eodred II's remembrance. Then there's the conversation she had with Shrike before they met Pava and Vencarlo Orsini. Shrike's reply when the young paladin said it was hard being friends with a mask has only bugged her more as time passes. She can't do anything about that particular worry now, but she can at least get the other thing off her chest.
As they are heading back to the watchtower, Audria tugs on Pava's cloak to get their attention.
"I meant to bring this up when we met Mister Orsini, but it slipped my mind. Does he have someone named Dendren that works for him," she asks quietly.
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"A good plan. And the Hunter blessed us," Shrike croaks matter-of-factly. It seems like this is probably agreement with Elric and Shane. "We returning the boat first? Needs cleaning." Though the bloodstains darkening Shrike's already-dark cloak in many places are not easily identifiable as such, the bench and floor of the boat where the leather armor has come to rest is more obviously tinted red.
"Oh. Yes." Shane sighs, and passes multiple gestures over the boat. Then, over his own garb. Pondering this further, he quickly cleans each and other member of the party, unless they tell him not to. "Mind you, Old Broom says that's the LAZY way but I'm fine with a bit of sloth in this case."
Audria looks up at Shane after getting cleaned up and dried off with a look of wonder and appreciation in her eyes.
"Can you teach me how to do that," she asks.
"Don't diminish your own contribution, Shane. This mission would have gone a lot differently if we had been spotted on approach or even as we made out getaway. You're as important memeber of the team as anyone." Elric says.
As the boat nears the opposite shore, he feels the tension go out of his muscles. From past experience, he knows he's going to be sore once the adrenaline wears off - and perhaps in need of blowing of a bit of steam.
He makes a mental note to check in on Galewing and perhaps find some time to spar with Bartholomew or some of the other team members.
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Pava nods in recognition to Shane's feelings, but seems more comfortable with a simple after action report. "The spirits love tearing down the unprepared and slipshod. Best place to find good luck is in good preparations, innit?"
They keep the cloak on, as it plausibly could be for the chill rather than the concealment.
"Can't say as I see the purpose in letting any officer in the guard get too familiar with my lovely face, but if your Cressida's not up for the ugly business of blackmail, then please, do make certain I get to help chivvy that Chelish leech out of his little crevice. I'll soon be in touch for my share of thing in any case. Till then, enjoy learning about the claws of your new friend, Mage, shoot well Soldier Boy, and Duckling? Keep safe."
They smirk as they lightly turn to Abella and Shrike, with a bowing flourish once more over Abella's hand. "Mlle. Abella, until our ghostly friend should next make her wishes known. Shrike, I hope to see you on the rooftops soon. I believe kindred spirits should share projects, even without the err, spirit."
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Audria looks up at Shane after getting cleaned up and dried off with a look of wonder and appreciation in her eyes.
"Can you teach me how to do that," she asks.
"Sorcerers come by it due to blood, wizards due to training and a small amount of potential. To answer your question: maybe? but I personally won't have the time for mentorship even if I had a knack for that." The simple question does get him thinking, "Who knows, assuming all goes well, years from now, I might take on an apprentice or two. If only to spare them the diabolic grinder that is the Acadamae."
"Don't diminish your own contribution, Shane. This mission would have gone a lot differently if we had been spotted on approach or even as we made out getaway. You're as important memeber of the team as anyone." Elric says.
Shane makes a note Elric has a streak of kindness, or perhaps it is just fairhandedness, "Your words are appreciated and gratifying as well. As for membership?" A surprised look on his face, "I suppose I am, and I shall take that as an invitation to join you all for future endeavors, no matter how this turns out. This city is both wonderful and terrifying, and times, as Zellara showed us, look to be getting worse. In short, I could use some trusted associates if I hope to survive it, and in turn, I can be of use to you all."
A genuine smile slips from him "I reserve the right to sometimes act mysterious and reclusive; wizard tradition and all that."
Seeing Pava is all business, Shane nods to them, "A pleasure meeting you, Pava. Whatever your plans." He's not sure if they are coming with the rest of them or not, but that's Pava's right. Wizards aren't the only ones with the right to get mysterious when it suits them.
"I meant to bring this up when we met Mister Orsini, but it slipped my mind. Does he have someone named Dendren that works for him," she asks quietly.
"Yeah yeah, his dogsbody, right? You need to hunt him down for something?"
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"Oh," Audria says with a blush. "I-I meant could you teach me how to cast that spell. Ellie has some talent with magic, and she knows something similar, but since she's up at the castle now, she won't be able to help me out whenever I lose myself painting and have to get cleaned up in a hurry." The sparkle in her eyes fades as she thinks about how the two of them had been inseparable. Now, it seems that she wouldn't be seeing much of either Eliana or Trinia now that she'd been wrapped up in everything going on. She remembers the conversation she'd had with Merula where the dancer warned her to not be so quick to assume she'd be able to return to her life before she met everyone, and finds that Merula was right.
Great, another thing to worry about.
"No, it's just..." She trails off as she tries to gather her thoughts and figure out a way to explain it, and she can't think of one that doesn't raise more questions. She sighs and her shoulders slump.
"We caught him and a group he was running with trying to break into a seamstress' shop the day after King Eodred died. He got badly hurt and Abella was able to save his life. I tried to talk him out of running with that crew, but he seemed to not be interested in hearing that from me. Pip, he left before you joined us, was eavesdropping on the castle's servants when he saw Dendren asking about a cask of wine that Mister Orsini had supposedly had delivered, but it was missing, I think. Given what happened and what we learned about him, I was a little worried that someone might be trying to cause Mister Orsini harm." She shrugs, not really sure why she was so worried about it, other than him being rather against Queen Illeosa from what she can recall.
"If Dendren only started working for Mister Orsini since the day we ran into him, then I hope he's turned over a new leaf. If he's been working longer than that, I think Mister Orsini might want to take a close look at his friends."
Audria pouts as she gets called duckling again. She starts to say something, but decides against it. If Pava and Abella are giving her nicknames, they probably like her, right?
That's just wishful thinking, Audria. Abella might like you. Pava almost certainly doesn't.
"Take care, until we meet again, May beauty blossom in your heart," she says instead.
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"Oh," Audria says with a blush. "I-I meant could you teach me how to cast that spell. Ellie has some talent with magic, and she knows something similar, but since she's up at the castle now, she won't be able to help me out whenever I lose myself painting and have to get cleaned up in a hurry." The sparkle in her eyes fades as she thinks about how the two of them had been inseparable. Now, it seems that she wouldn't be seeing much of either Eliana or Trinia now that she'd been wrapped up in everything going on. She remembers the conversation she'd had with Merula where the dancer warned her to not be so quick to assume she'd be able to return to her life before she met everyone, and finds that Merula was right.Great, another thing to worry about.
"Oh" Shane seems unsure how to answer, 'No' would be accurate, and save the most time, but he doesn't wish to be rude."You want to learn just one cantrip? That's.. not normally how it works. You see, for wizards, just learning that one cantrip means familiarizing yourself with the fundamentals of arcane theorems, eldritch foundational structures, and the interplay of what laymen call spellcraft. Apprentices sometimes study that for years before they can reliably cast their first cantrip. What I would advise? Save up your coin if you can, and seek out a magic item that can do such a cantrip for you to purchase. This is Korvosa, two magical universities, and more wizards than you can shake a staff at. I'm certain such an item must be out there. In the short term? Unless I'm nearby at the time, I am not going to be able to assist you."
"Oh." Audria looks crestfallen as she learns that it's not as simple as learning a spell. If it takes years of study, hard study from the sound of it, then it makes sense that most people couldn't cast magic. The idea of buying a magic item makes her uncomfortable. She tries not to think about how much everything she is wearing or carrying now costs. She can only imagine how much more expensive an item that can cast a spell can be. The gold could be used in other ways to help people, and she already feels guilty enough about hanging onto the coin she has, even if Brother Theolan had insisted.
"Thanks for the suggestion about the magic item," she says to Shane. "I'll think about it."
"Oh. Yes." Shane sighs, and passes multiple gestures over the boat. Then, over his own garb. Pondering this further, he quickly cleans each and other member of the party, unless they tell him not to. "Mind you, Old Broom says that's the LAZY way but I'm fine with a bit of sloth in this case."
Shrike subtly leans away from Shane's casting when he first does it, but by the time his waving gestures get to her and she can see that they merely leave clean wood or cloth in their wake, she does not object, and maintains her usual stillness for the magic to be applied to her cloak. "...Thanks."
"Shrike, I hope to see you on the rooftops soon. I believe kindred spirits should share projects, even without the err, spirit."
"Pava." The mask dips in a nod. She would be surprised if Zellara's spirit had no more to say to Pava, but that will happen or it won't regardless of what she thinks. Meanwhile, it's always useful to have another contact in Old Korvosa. Perhaps Pava even knows things about old Pilts Swastel's operation the way she did about the King of Spiders. "Swift steps till then."
As soon as the boat is dealt with, Elric leads the remainder of the group back to the empty watchtower they used to observe Eel's End.
Climbing the stairs to the observarion level, he uses the spyglass to see what is going on among the cluster of ships.
Eel's End is a hive of chaotic activity. Barvasi's guards seem to be interrogating both patrons and employees of the various floating amenities. Some of them are posted at the gangplanks leading to Eel's End itself, and are letting no-one step foot on its deck. In general, people seem to give the former warship a wide berth. Among the chaos, a red-haired half-elven woman seems to be trying to coordinate things, although the guards seem to be listening to her only half the time.
Elric waves Audria over and points out the red-haired half-elf.
”That’s Halvara, I presume? Looks like she is trying to pick up the reins.”
Shane's cloak is red again, the prestidigitation having worn off. He's glad of that.
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Audria walks over to Elric and when he points out the red-haired half-elf, something in her eyes turns hard and bleak. It's not quite hatred showing in her expression, but it's a very close cousin.
"Yes, that's her," she says quietly, her hand tightening on the halberd she hasn't had a chance to put down. "I almost wish she'd been in bed with Barvasi."
Realizing what she is saying, she blinks and looks away in shame. She's supposed to be better than that, but she can't hide what she feels very well. From what she's learned, Halvara is just as bad as Barvasi, and the scars the heartless madame left on Audria's heart are old and deep.
She turns to put her back to the wall and slides down it to sit on the floor. Her halberd rests against her shoulder as she curls her knees tight against her chest.
"I shouldn't be thinking like that," she mutters.
"Would've made things easier," Shrike agrees, flat and harsh. The mask turns very slightly toward Audria's retreat to the wall. The croak remains even. "You don't have to. I'll do it for both of us."
With this somewhat ambiguous remark, she returns her attention to the overturned anthill of Eel's End. The fact that the guards are looking amongst the patrons and employees of his sordid little world is a good sign that their presence was totally unnoticed. Although it is bad news for the hapless gamblers and various patrons being interrogated, it can't be hard to see that none of them can have done it while also being inside their respective dens, so she hopes it will not go too hard for them.
Once the group has agreed on a time to meet with Kroft , Shrike leaves the watchtower. As she does so, her head turns to Shane. "Coming?"
Elric sends Audria a sympathetic look.
”It’s only natural to feel that way about someone who have shown you nothing but cruelty. She will pay the price for her wickedness, in this life or when she stands before Pharasma in the Boneyard.”
Before Shrike and Shane take off, Elric would like to hear Majenko’s tale and how he came to be in captivity aboard the ship.
Meeting up at the citadel mid-afternoon sounds good. Elric will likely head back to the Marine barracks at the Great Tower to rest and check on Galewing.
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At Elric's questions, Majenko flaps awkwardly to perch on his knee, then gingerly grooms one wing before folding it along his back. There are healing puncture marks on the wing.
"One of his people trapped me with a net and gifted me to... hm, I don't think I know his name. The others called him 'sir', and I overheard others talking about him as 'the king', but he can't be the king, right? I don't pay a lot of attention to human politics." The pseudodragon wrinkles his snout and sneezes.
"Sorry, it's very dusty here. You killed him, right?" He nods emphatically at the answer. "Good. He was an evil man. He made me fight dream spiders, several of them at once. In the city they're our prey, but I was weakened by captivity and his constant torment, so they got me a few times. I killed them in the end, of course, although he always seemed to have more of them." He lifts a front paw, extending his sharp claws and examining them with a somewhat self-satisfied air.
"Anyway, thank you again for freeing me. I owe you a great debt, and I would like to help you. I have many friends like me, we can keep an eye on things for you- or, or people! And once I can fly well again I can carry messages." He narrows his eyes into slits, examining everyone. "I don't see any injuries on you, but if you got hurt I can take care of that too!"
Tally, who'd been sleeping, blinks as she hears the others talking, then lets out a trill as she sees Majenko and turns back into her half-elven form before hiding behind Audria. After a moment, she realizes that her human companion helped free the tiny drake from a life of torment.
"S-sorry," she apologizes. "It's just that I try to avoid both imps and house drakes."
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Audria looks up at Elric and Shrike and nods, though she still feels it's wrong to think that way even if it's natural, especially after what she said to Merula before they began this mission.
"Maybe we can find some of that goo those imps dropped on Eliana and I and drop it on her head," she muses.
Hearing Majenko tell his tale, Audria finds herself wanting to reach out and pet the tiny dragon, but manages to resist the impulsive urge. After he finishes, she looks to Tally.
"Do you think you'll be alright if he sticks around," she asks.
"As long as he doesn't try to eat me when I'm a bird," Tally answers.
Audria smiles at her guide and companion before turning back to Majenko on Elric's knee.
"Well, Majenko. would you like to stay with us for a while? I know the Field Marshall might be interested in some of the things you've heard and seen while in that awful cage. You're right, that man wasn't the king of Korvosa. He was an evil man named Devargo Barvasi and he went by the King of Spiders. Do you remember anyone he met with or that fell through the trapdoor in the room you were in? Perhaps any names or places that he mentioned? I think those would be the kinds of things that the Field Marshall would be interested in, since it would help her put away even more people that are harming others."
Audria stays with Elric as the others agree to meet Kroft in the afternoon and arrange a meeting spot and time. She kept watch with him for a little while before curiosity finally gets the better of her.
"Elric, do you have a tattoo on your arm," she asks the marine.
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Shane listens to Majenko's tale with sympathy, "Your liberation was right and proper. My profound sympathies for your tribulations. If you ever want to stay at a small house... well, I'm about to be taken there now, but I know any of us would be happy to have your company."
Once the group has agreed on a time to meet with Kroft , Shrike leaves the watchtower. As she does so, her head turns to Shane. "Coming?"
"Oh yes, apologies. I was caught up in our new friend's tale." He gathers some things and follows. Having given his report on the items
At Elric's questions, Majenko flaps awkwardly to perch on his knee, then gingerly grooms one wing before folding it along his back. There are healing puncture marks on the wing.
"One of his people trapped me with a net and gifted me to... hm, I don't think I know his name. The others called him 'sir', and I overheard others talking about him as 'the king', but he can't be the king, right? I don't pay a lot of attention to human politics." The pseudodragon wrinkles his snout and sneezes.
"Sorry, it's very dusty here. You killed him, right?" He nods emphatically at the answer. "Good. He was an evil man. He made me fight dream spiders, several of them at once. In the city they're our prey, but I was weakened by captivity and his constant torment, so they got me a few times. I killed them in the end, of course, although he always seemed to have more of them." He lifts a front paw, extending his sharp claws and examining them with a somewhat self-satisfied air.
"Anyway, thank you again for freeing me. I owe you a great debt, and I would like to help you. I have many friends like me, we can keep an eye on things for you- or, or people! And once I can fly well again I can carry messages." He narrows his eyes into slits, examining everyone. "I don't see any injuries on you, but if you got hurt I can take care of that too!"
Shrike cocks her head and examines Majenko when he flits to Elric's knee. A pretty creature. He'd been quiet and still enough that she could almost forget his slight weight. The healing but still-obvious holes in his wing make her want to kill Barvasi all over again. The shrike mask hides her smile at the little sneeze, the self-satisfied stretch of his claws.
But it is the last thing he says that gives her pause. "You can heal," Shrike says slowly, thinking of the bloodstained bandages over Aylos's brow when she last left him a few hours ago on Cherie's couch. "You don't owe me. But... There's someone I know. Hurt by rioters. No money for healers. I'd appreciate it if you helped him. And Shane is right. You can stay with any of us. Long as you want." A pause. "Just don't eat the bird." The flat croak gives no indication whether she thinks this is likely or just a joke.
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"I think we can do a bit better than enchanted goo, nasty as that sounds. Let's wait a few days to see how the power structure settles in Eel's End. If Halvara comes out on top, we can find a way to send her a message warning her that continued cruelty will result in the same fate as Barvasi." he says after a moment's thought.
"Imagine her fear and paranoia is a letter suddenly appears in her quarters, showing her that she is no safer that her lover."
Almost without thinking about it, Elric reaches out to run his hand along the tiny dragon's back and wings.
"You're certainly welcome among us. When your wings are fully healed, I have another friend you should meet. I'm sure you will have great fun flying through the skies together."
Elric looks at Audria, surprised by the question. He unbuckles his right leather armguard and holds up his arm, revealing a long stylized arrow running along the entire lenght of his forearm.
"Yes. Several, in fact. Tattoo's are a bit of a Marine tradition, and most of them hold special significance. But I also have some that are not related to Sable Company. This one, for instance, is worn by students who have mastered the archery techniques taught at Ilsur's Arena. That is a fighting academy located in a small town northwest of Korvosa where I spent a few years."
He walks over to the water barrel and draws a pitcher of water, then proceeds to heat it in a small pot over the watchtower's fireplace.
If you don't mind seeing me without my shirt on, I can show you the rest of them. I need to get out of this armor and wash up anyway to get the stink of ship's bilge off." he say casually, without any hint of bravado or sexual innuendo.
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Shane arches a brow at Shrike's request for the house drake to heal another. It's not judgemental, well, that's not true, Shane probably IS judging, but in this case, the judgement is positive. One can admire kindness Same individual who cut down a monster in his sleep now asks healing for another as a kind of boon. If that, and a paladin in the group, isn't a good reason to stay on the moral side of things, I don't know what is.
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"We can do both," Audria suggests. "She dyes her hair, and they had to cut ours off when a couple of imps decided to drop it on our heads."
When Shrike asks Majenko to heal someone, a pained expression crosses Audria's face. She wonders why she wasn't asked since Shrike knows she could do it and would do it.
Then her eyes fall to Majenko's injured wing, and she feels shame washing through her. She should have taken care of that earlier, she berates herself before Tally sends her a sharp flash of anger and disappointment.
"Don't mope," Tally hisses in her ear. "Do something about it."
Taking a deep breath, she holds out her arm for Majenko.
"Do you mind if I take a look at your wing," she asks the house drake.
Audria's only half listening as she stands up and moves to get a closer look.
"You have more? Are they done by the same artist," she asks.
Wait, he offered to show them to me. And... I mean, he's handsome, looks fit, and I wonder what it'd look like if he laughed.
"I-If you don't mind. I'd love to see them," she says before her face turns bright red as she finally comprehends the rest of what he's saying. A blind man could tell that she's suddenly very flustered.
Gah! Why did I say that?
"I-I-I-- I mean-- I'm sorry! You probably don't need a voyeur watching while you wash off! I'll give you some privacy!" The words burble out in a rush before Audria disappears down the stairs.
What is wrong with me, she asks herself as she hides
After seeing Audria turn beet-red and scurry away, Tally turns to the others.
"What is it with you humans and nakedness. This is worse than the time she did some live drawings," she asks, clearly exasperated with her charge.
Slightly perplexed by Audria's reaction and sudden dissapearance, Elric shrugs and proceeds with getting freshened up.
"I keep forgetting how young she is. I guess we'll leave the show and tell for some other time ... and perhaps start with the ones on my arms and legs." he remarks to Talanliel and Abella.
After some rest, those who want to report to the Field Marshal (or meet her for the first time) make their way towards Citadel Volshyenek in the mid afternoon. There are four guards at the gates rather than the usual two, and they seem on edge as their eyes scan the streets and rooftops.
As dawn begins to break on the horizon, Elric heads back to the Sable Company barracks for a couple of hours of much needed sleep.
The same afternoon, he meets up with the rest of the group near Citadel Volshyenek. This time, he is mounted on his imposing hippogriff, Galewing. The magnificent beast is still too young to carry him in the air, so he rides it through the streets like a regular horse.
At the gates, he dismounts and presents himself and the rest of the group to the guards.
"We have urgernt business with Field Marshal Kroft. Please inform her that we wish to see her as soon as possible."
While waiting for the message to be relayed, he asks the guards: "Why the heightened state of alert? I thought most of the riots were under control by now. Has there been another outbreak of unrest?"
One of the guards nods at Elric in greetin,g a hint of awe in her eyes at the sight of Galewing. "Shoanti kid went and got himself killed, and now the rest of them are all worked up." She turns her head and spits on the cobblestones. "If it's not one riot about to erupt, it's another! The Field Marshal's in her office now, trying to talk some sense into the Shoanti ambassador. She'll want to see you right away."
Elric nods and follows the guard after securing Galewing in the courtyard. He glances at Pava.
”Do you know anything about what’s happened?” he asks cautiously.
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When Shrike lead Shane to 3 Lancet Street , the Tiefling wasn’t sure what to expect. Unlike the others, his first encounter with Zellara was such that he KNEW she was dead, so the dust and ruin in the place was not a surprise to him, though he had hoped for more furniture intact.
Shoving away that ingratitude, he looked about instead to the bones of the place. Under the dust were solid walls, open spaces, and a potential for quite the nice home. It must have been such but a month or two ago. He could imagine a desk there, by which to study from, intact book cases in that spot, angled to avoid too much sunlight from fading any works. For some reason though, he keeps imagining what it would be like to have the smell of cinnamon and flowers in the area? Well, why not? A few flowers could be grown near the windowsills as well as cinnamon and it would lighten up the place.
”Thank you, Zellara,” He says to the open air. Then gesturing, he gets to work. Grunt work is what they call it at the Academae, forced to use prestidigitation again and again to sponge off this floor or cleanse that ceiling. Old Broom would snort at the notion of calling it ‘Work’ at all. But Shane isn’t doing this because of some brutal demerit system or some more powerful bully making him do his work. No, Shane is quite happy to be doing it this time. Zellara deserved to have her house restored, and , yes, Shane was about to get a house out of this. It would never be as grand as his mother’s fine set up, but it would be his… eventually , and with Zellara’s blessing. Paperwork would be needed but he’d find the title and let it go from there. He opened every window to prepare.
An almost casual gesture, and within one minute, over 60 cubic feet of the place had been cleaned, the dust expelled out the windows and doors (Though he was careful not to do so in the face of anyone else) nor did the cleaning stop there. Removing dust was one thing, putting a shine on matters takes more ‘work’, and so he did. Within an hour, the place was spotless, save for a few exceptions deliberately honored:
The marks of old chalk at a kitchen entry way where a mother had measured a growing boy were left untouched. Papers, even scraps, were dusted off but not expelled. Rather they were collected and sorted to spare anything that might be a child’s first drawing attempt, or a love letter written to Zellara long ago by ardent admirers when she was, perhaps, a youthful beauty. Oh, it was practical as well, wouldn’t want to accidentally flush out the deed to the place, or important occult advice on prognostication; but mostly? Shane was trying to respect the history here. His own mother had not just been framed and executed, she had had every bit of evidence of her mortal life scavenged by others until there was no sign she had ever existed. No signs but a house resold and no doubt altered, and a ring on a son’s finger now bound to arcane power. He would not treat Zellara as the authorities had treated his mother.
His own touches, and furniture, would come later, but it wouldn’t be right to make it so it seemed Zellara was never here. Any papers remaining are stored with care.
“There we go,” he says to himself, the ghost that may or may not be there, and anyone else about, “A roof over my head, a place to call home, and friends to visit. Not bad, Shane. Not bad.”
And taking his bedroll and blanket, he claims a bedroom.
***
Following the instructions of where to go and when, Shane arrives only to see… a man on a hippogriff, and not just anyman, but Elric. Shane wears his robes with cowl over his head as usual, though in Noon’s light, he will have a much harder time masking his features if anyone gives him a second look. In this case, however, he forgets to keep his head down, for he gapes at the mount. He HAD seen them overhead. And there was study of them in some classes, but he’d never come this close to a hippogriff before.
”So that’s what they look like so close. Intimidating actually.” Shane says of the beak.
Of course, he’s not the only one impressed, as one of the four guards is also in a state of restrained awe.
One of the guards nods at Elric in greetin,g a hint of awe in her eyes at the sight of Galewing. "Shoanti kid went and got himself killed, and now the rest of them are all worked up." She turns her head and spits on the cobblestones. "If it's not one riot about to erupt, it's another! The Field Marshal's in her office now, trying to talk some sense into the Shoanti ambassador. She'll want to see you right away."
”I am an associate and affiliate of these fine folks, providing arcane expertise on their endeavors,” The tiefling says as he approaches. He doesn’t want to be punctured by overly zealous guards even if they have good reason to be anxious.
The guards at the gate wave everyone through, and soon enough they are ushered into Cressida Kroft's office. The Field Marshal is not alone: Pava and an older Shoanti man are present, standing in front of the desk. As the door opens, the elder turns around, allowing everyone a good look at him. He has long, iron-gray hair and a lined and weathered face that bears a skull tattoo in white ink. A multitude of bone amulets and necklaces clatter softly with his movements, and the tall staff at his side is capped with the skull of some huge bird, its curved beak open.
"Ah, you are here. I would like you to meet Thousand Bones, shaman of the Skoan-Quah, the Skull Clan. Thousand Bones, these are the freelancers I mentioned." The Field Marshal rises to her feet as she makes the introductions, then gestures for everyone to sit. Thousand Bones remains standing.
"I guess you're right," Tally says, noticeably calmer. "Though I think you seeing her half-undressed may have as much to do with it as her age. I think she might like you, too."
She stands and stretches before heading down starts.
"I better go find her before she can work herself up into a panic," she mumbles before heading downstairs and looking for Audria.
Audira comes back up after a little while with Tally in tow and apologizes for her behavior before leaving the watchtower and heading back home to the Sanctuary. Sister Jenelyn is up, soothing the nerves of one of the little ones still at the small temple after he'd had a nightmare. She sees Audria walk in looking drained. Between what she was a part of at Eel's End, Tally's scolding, and her slip of the tongue with Elric, she's emotionally spent. After a bath that the good sister insists on for both Audria and Tally, she falls asleep in her own bed almost before her head hits the pillow.
The next morning, she can't bring herself to look Elric in the face when they all meet again. It's clear that she hasn't gotten over the embarrassment of what happened last night, and is more quiet than she usually is when feeling uncertain about something. The fact that she's not curiously looking over Galewing might even strike Abella and Shrikes as most unusual for the young paladin.
Seeing the guard on alert and hearing what happened sends an ice-cold finger running down her spine. She hates the way the guard phrases it. It'd be the same as saying that she just so happened to get herself snared in Lamm's net. She can't, however, deny that something like this is very, very bad. She pushes aside the jumble of emotions and tries to focus on what is going on.
As she is being introduced, Audria curtseys and wonders if she should have worn her armor instead of her robes.
"Well met, Thousand Bones, though I wish it were under better circumstances. How may we be of assistance," she asks before taking a seat and wondering what he thought they could do to help.
Tally, meanwhile, sits on Audria's shoulder and watches the strange man.
Nips at Heels was already standing just behind Thousand Bones shoulder, and it looks as if they haven't slept a wink since last you saw them. Their eyes are red and grainy, their head is prickly with stubble, and while their typical alertness is still present, what was a razor's edge is jagged, what was well tuned instrument is now so overtightened that a chord played too roughly might rupture them.
Their gaze judders from Marshal Kroft between you and they manage something that could almost be mistaken for a smile.
"Wind and sky. Well the punchline's here, but I'm not laughing."
Normally, Audria might have taken Pava's comment personally, but seeing how disheveled they look, she figures that whoever it was that was murdered must have been close. She moves next to them and gives them a hug, despite it not being the most appropriate response she could have had.
Shane had been told he'd met the Field Marshal, but the Shoanti ambassador? If not for the guards outside he'd be caught completely off guard.
"Shane Driscoll, an honor to meet you both" It comes out more subdued than he intended. If either of them takes offense to a Tiefling, he's got no where to run really.
He takes a seat, the closest one to the exit he can without drawing too much suspicion.
Entering the company of a higher ranking officer, Elric briefly straightens to attention, but he quickly relaxes when instructed.
”Field Marshal, we have recovered the requested documents…but perhaps this is not the best time to discuss that. Condolences about the death of your tribal kin, Thousand Bones.” he says, adressing the shoanti in a respectful tone
Pava can't help but stiffen in Audria's embrace, though they make an effort to lean into it just enough to show that the gesture was taken as intended before twitching out of it.
"Don't let 'freelancer' fool you, Thousand Bones. They're pros, mostly. They do good work."
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The Field Marshal looks at Elric. "That is a welcome bit of good news, but it can wait." She nods to the elderly Shoanti man. "Thousand Bones has been working with the government of Korvosa for a long time to find ways in which his people and ours can coexist peacefully. A... difficult endeavour at the best of times, but now made more difficult by the death of his grandson Gaekhen at the hands of rioters." She takes care with the pronunciation of the name, and to Pava's ears she almost gets it right.
Thousand Bones speaks up then, his voice deep and gravelly, the words carefully chosen but delivered with a barely restrained anger. "My people have worked hard to understand those who dwell in Korvosa, yet it seems each day we see new examples of how this city's people work just as hard to foster old hatreds. My grandson is dead, beaten to death by cowards in your city street. I do not blame you, yet still Gaekhen is dead, and my son and his kin are not so forgiving as I. They wish to return to the Skoan-Quah in the Cinderlands, to join with the Sklar-Quah and rally to war against Korvosa. This would be disastrous, for both our people." He pauses, gathering his composure for a moment.
"It was not just the murder. That, perhaps, we may have forgiven in time, with amends. But Gaekhen's body was taken from the scene of his death, sold by a peddler of corpses to a necromancer known as Rolth, a criminal to both our peoples. The spirits have shown me glimpses of where his body is now, and I believe that it was taken to a place below this city's graveyard, a place the spirits call the Dead Warrens."
He turns his head to regard Cressida Kroft. "With this knowledge, I could easily lead a group of our finest warriors into your graveyard to retrieve my grandson's body, but this would be seen as an act of aggression by your people. No, it falls to you to make amends for what has been done, Field Marshal. Your people must bring me Gaekhen's body, lest we be forced to recover him ourselves. Then we can hold the proper funeral rites for him and send his spirit to the Great Sky with honor and dignity."
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"I think we can do a bit better than enchanted goo, nasty as that sounds. Let's wait a few days to see how the power structure settles in Eel's End. If Halvara comes out on top, we can find a way to send her a message warning her that continued cruelty will result in the same fate as Barvasi," he says after a moment's thought. "Imagine her fear and paranoia if a letter suddenly appears in her quarters, showing her that she is no safer that her lover."
"Hm." Although it's hard to tell with Shrike sometimes, this monosyllable might signify approval.
He walks over to the water barrel and draws a pitcher of water, then proceeds to heat it in a small pot over the watchtower's fireplace.
"If you don't mind seeing me without my shirt on, I can show you the rest of them. I need to get out of this armor and wash up anyway to get the stink of ship's bilge off," he say casually, without any hint of bravado or sexual innuendo.
"You have more? Are they done by the same artist," she asks.
"I-If you don't mind. I'd love to see them," she says before her face turns bright red as she finally comprehends the rest of what he's saying.
"I-I-I-- I mean-- I'm sorry! You probably don't need a voyeur watching while you wash off! I'll give you some privacy!" The words burble out in a rush before Audria disappears down the stairs.
Shrike, who pointedly did not turn her head toward or away from Elric when he made his matter-of-fact offer, makes a little sound that does not quite pass as a dry cough.
"Right. Let's preserve your modesty." As usual, the flat croak makes it hard to tell if she's joking, though there is a very slight emphasis on your. And Shrike, too, disappears down the stairs.
She has places to be, anyway, and not even the flimsy excuse of an interest in tattoos.
Shrike carefully and near-silently unlocks the front door of Cherie's house with the griffon-pot key, and points Majenko to Aylos's sleeping form on her couch, holding her finger to her beak for quiet. As she hoped, he is still fast asleep. At dawnbreak, almost everyone who keeps their kind of schedule is. She herself retreats outside and watches through the window while Majenko performs the healing. She does not expect him to wake, but accidents happen, and it would not do to have Aylos open his eyes, however briefly, and see the shrike mask looming over him. A house drake perched on the arm of the couch behind him would be much less alarming, and might even be remembered later only as a kind of peaceful dream. When Majenko has done what he can for Aylos, she waits for his exit, closes and locks the door behind him, and continues on to 3 Lancet Street with Shane. Then, with the sun now peeking over the horizon, she returns home with a new route through the misty alleyways. She comes in through her window and barely has the presence of mind to close the curtains and shrug off the mask and chain shirt before collapsing fully clothed on her bed.
Shrike had very subtly shifted her weight to the balls of her feet when the gate guard spoke of a 'Shoanti kid getting himself killed,' the only outward sign of any reaction.
She'd wondered if Pava had known during their infiltration the previous night. Now she doesn't. She reminds herself that Shrike doesn't know why they are here as she slowly nods to Pava and the man she knew only as Gaekhen's grandfather. The condolences are best left to others.
She remains standing as she listens to Thousand Bones, choosing a corner of the room to let the others file into the small, cramped office and allow her to watch both Kroft and the two Shoanti.
It doesn't take much to see the tension of anger lifting her shoulders as he goes on. "I'm in." Once again, Shrike is the first to speak, though she says little. There seems no point in elaborating, or in pretending that Kroft will not ask them to handle this. But then the shrike mask swings to Pava and Thousand Bones. "If you want."
She wants to speak to this croaksman. The trade in unclaimed corpses mostly goes to the picklers and butchers at the University, with a few to the cursers and frogmakers at the Acadamae. There's a reason this particular body got slated to be given immediately to a criminal necromancer. The corpse-peddler might know something about who started the riot that killed Gaekhen, or who led it in targeting him and Aylos.
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Majenko creeps close to Aylos, stretching his neck to sniff at the sleeping man. He nuzzles the bloody bandage, then begins to delicately lick the uncovered skin near the wounds. Within a few moments, Aylos is looking noticeably better, with a healthy colour in his face. He mumbles in his sleep, his body relaxing minutely as some tension goes out of him.
Satisfied, Majenko hops off the couch and waddles to the door, waiting for Shrike to open it. Once outside, he nods. "I think he's better now." He yawns, showing two rows of sharp, pointed teeth and a long, forked tongue. "Whoooaw. 'scuse me. I think I would like to sleep as well."
As Shrike and Shane walk towards Zellara's house, the house drake nestles in one or the other's hood, curling up with its nose under one wing. At the fortune teller's house, he hops from shoulder to a wall-mounted shelf, waiting politely for Shane to clean it before curling up again and going to sleep.
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"Majenko, that was amazing, and of course. I'll set you up any spot in the house you like."
Shane may dare give Majenko a light stroke along the scales, going 'with the grain', of course. He knows the House Drake is not a pet, but he is a wonder.
Later at the house, after Shane has cleaned the place up, he made note of the areas Majenko seemed to fancy as a roost and if need be puts a blanket or other material there to use as a make shift bed.
"It was not just the murder. That, perhaps, we may have forgiven in time, with amends. But Gaekhen's body was taken from the scene of his death, sold by a peddler of corpses to a necromancer known as Rolth, a criminal to both our peoples. The spirits have shown me glimpses of where his body is now, and I believe that it was taken to a place below this city's graveyard, a place the spirits call the Dead Warrens."
At the word 'Necromancer', Shane lifts his chin and his eyes go intense.
Rolth? he tries to recall what he knows of this necromancer even as he hopes that Callibrie isn't involved. His old ex is out of the Acadamae too and her soul had darkened at her studies at the Hall of Whispers. But still, the odds were against her helping a known criminal. He hoped.
The fact his mother has a humble plot there probably adds to his worries. He is quite glad Abella IS an expert.
Pava nods restlessly and distractedly, twitching their cut-down-klar at Shrike in acknowledgement. "Murderbird's in then. Good. The rest too, yeah?"