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14th Gort 2044

Early the following morning a crowd gathered in the square outside the lower gatehouse of Auld Castle. Rishala and Meridaun were late joining the crowd of Caledonians. From their distant vantage point behind so many people, they were barely able to see the platform that had been erected overnight near the outer portcullis of the gatehouse.

Looking around, Rishala spotted the fountain Meridaun had ruined the previous day with her lightning display. "Come on. We can get a better view from there." He pointed at the jagged pile of stones.

Rishala and Meridaun climbed onto the stones. From their elevated position, they could see the platform clearly over the heads of the crowd. Rishala saw Meridaun inspecting the white stones underfoot.

"Is your headache gone, Mother?" the Caledonian asked.

"Hm? Oh, yes it is. I just wanted to see what the lightning did to this stone. Marble, is it?"

Rishala picked up one of the smaller lustrous white rocks. He turned it over several times, watching the way the sunlight reflected from it. "Aye, I think it is marble. Not a local type, though. I think it may be Italic, perhaps. I hear they have some fine, pure white marble."

Meridaun looked at the rock Rishala held and nodded to herself.

The noise of the crowd got louder as King Donaidh climbed onto the platform. The King gave a short speech outlining the offenses that the former Duke Seamus had committed against the crown, and described the punishment mandated by Seamus's treason. King Donaidh also announced that he would pardon the guards who had mistakenly supported the false king, except for those guards who had personally helped Seamus keep Donaidh prisoner.

After a few moments, Seamus was brought onto the platform. The crowd yelled derisively at the former king. His regal clothing had been replaced by a very plain, rough shirt and trousers, both made from poorly finished wool. Seamus's arms were bound behind him, and his feet were shackled. The two guards herding the prisoner onto the platform roughly forced him to his knees as a third guard, carrying a long-shafted lochaber axe that the Caledonians favored, dropped a large block of wood onto the platform in front of the former king. When the block hit the platform with a resounding thud, the crowd cheered.

The two escorting guards pushed Seamus forward until his shoulders and chin were resting on the block.

King Donaidh glared at his former captor darkly. "Does the traitor have any last words?"

Seamus nodded. He spoke quietly, forcing Rishala to strain to hear him: "I knew not what I did, Your Majesty. I was befuddled by my advisor, who worked dark magicks upon me. I am sorry. Please be merciful in my death..."

The executioner looked to King Donaidh. The King nodded. The executioner lifted the long pole arm overhead and cut downwards in a powerful arc. The blade of the lochaber axe was deeply embedded in the wooden block as Seamus's head rolled towards the front of the platform. His body fell to the platform, spilling blood all about. The crowd looked on quietly.

King Donaidh nodded to himself and left the platform. A crier took his place, announcing the names of other men who had been condemned to die at the executioner's hands.

The first four were marched onto the platform. Rishala groaned quietly when he recognized the four men his friends had captured when they had rescued King Donaidh. "So much for sparing them..." he said.

Meridaun nodded. "Well, I've seen more than enough. What say we head back to the ship and get underway."

Rishala hopped off of the ruined fountain. He offered a hand up to Meridaun, who ignored it and jumped down next to him. The two returned to the Chulainn's Spear in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts.

The rest of the party was waiting for Rishala and Meridaun. The ship had made ready to sail at sunrise. The crew had been forced to wait for the two to return from the city.

Now aboard, Rishala saw Eric, Breanna, and Bilbus passing time by playing cards on the deck. The storyteller approached them as the Chulainn's Spear moved away from the docks.

"What are ye playing?"

Eric replied, his voice slurred, "Monkey's Paw. Bree and Bilbus are teaching it to me."

Breanna giggled. She started to fall over, but she landed against Eric's shoulder. "I never played anything like it before Adria taught it to me!"

Rishala looked at the two obviously inebriated nobles. Bilbus stood up slowly, leaning an arm on Rishala's shoulder to steady himself. The thief looked down at the two lovers. "You better finish this hand without me. I don't think I can read the cards any more."

Eric nodded somberly, then grabbed the dark bottle from which Bilbus had been pouring drinks.

"Bye!" Breanna yelled, a little too loudly. She covered her mouth with embarrassment, then tilted her head and looked at Rishala. "How was the execution?"

Rishala grinned evilly. "It was great! I think I got some of Seamus's blood on me! See?" He started looking for the imaginary stain as Breanna squealed in disgust. The storyteller stopped. "Oh, wait. That's not right. I was too far away." He turned to leave, with Bilbus still leaning on him.

Rishala helped Bilbus stagger away from the two. Once they were on the far side of the deck, Bilbus straightened.

"Thanks, Rishala. I thought those two were going to drive me insane."

"What were you doing? Trying to get them drunk?"

"Of course. They sit there mooning over each other, but they don't actually do anything! How many times have we left them alone for the night, sometimes half-dressed, and found them the next morning still sitting there talking about sewing or horses or butterflies or something?!?" Bilbus realized he had been raising his voice far too loudly. He lowered it again. "I thought that maybe some alcohol would help them loosen up."

Rishala looked at his friend. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe they are happy with the relationship they have?"

"But look at them! Look at her... If I weren't married..."

Rishala interrupted. "You would show Eric what he was supposed to do with Breanna. Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The thief scowled at Rishala. "And you wouldn't?"

"You know, Bilbus, some people wait to consummate their wedding until after they are married."

"What are you trying to say, Rishala?"

"I'm not talking about you, Bilbus. I don't think you'd be standing here breathing if you had tried to get under Adria's skirt before you married." The storyteller glanced at Bilbus, a twinkle in his eye. "Then again, I don't think you'd be breathing if you tried it now, even."

The thief threw his hands up in disgust and stomped away, muttering under his breath. "Maybe I should go talk to Farran. He's a lot more sympathetic than any of my friends are."

17th Gort 2044

Three quick days later, the Chulainn's Spear had barely finished tying up at the Church's docks in Londoun when Bilbus bounded down the gangplank and onto the dock.

He took a deep breath, trying not to cough at the vapors of a nearby fishing ship, and sighed blissfully. "Home!" he said at last.

Rishala joined up with his friend and looked around at the chaotic docks and the low pallor of soot from hundreds of cook-fires and hearth-fires. "How can you call this home?"

Bilbus looked at his friend. "Like this: home!" He said the last word slowly, with exaggerated movements of his mouth.

Rishala shook his head as Bilbus continued to walk down the pier towards the shore.

Rishala and Bilbus watched Kasey leave the ship and hurry along the shore until he found a shop that rented carriages. Kasey hired one and had it meet Meridaun and Breanna at the end of the dock.

Meridaun accepted Kasey's offered help into the carriage. She looked at the party and said, "I would like all of you present at Sir Mikall's office for a short while. He would like to get your impressions on what happened in Caelioradh."

With the carriage in the lead, the party followed Meridaun to the knights' compound.

In the compound, Meridaun led the party to Sir Mikall Fletcher's office. The head knight sat inside with two of his senior aides. Mikall smiled warmly as Meridaun and Kasey entered.

"You returned from your first field operation with no new holes?" he asked her.

Meridaun smiled crookedly. "The hole went away quickly, Sir Mikall."

Mikall's grin slipped a little. "At least it was a brief wound. What news have you?"

Kasey started to answer, but Meridaun interrupted. "Sir Mikall, King Donaidh is back on his throne. He had been imprisoned by the usurper, Seamus. Seamus appeared to be under the control of Ezeka, a man whose past I do not know." She paused. "Ezeka was a channeler. I felt him using black magicks when we fought."

"Another one..." Mikall said.

"Sir?" Meridaun asked.

"Kasey and his friends fought a witch near Hillsdale. She was accompanied by a Shadow Kindred."

"They told me about it. I had forgotten about the witch."

"Plus they met orcs who could channel. I don't remember learning about dweomercraefting orcs..."

"There are a very few isolated reports in the Church archives, Sir Mikall," Meridaun offered.

Mikall nodded slowly. "I would like a complete report. I want impressions from each of you, if you would please."

Kasey started with his report, which focused primarily on the fighting in the throne room. The rest of his friends contributed to his report, with Rishala providing a well-detailed presentation of the entire time in Caelioradh, from the first meeting with Seamus to the execution. After all of them had spoken, Meridaun finished with her own impressions on the events that had transpired.

"Very well, Meridaun," Sir Mikall said. "It looks like Kasey and his friends have managed to stop this Anlor Balsil Agralem once again. Do we know where they will be next?"

Before anyone else could speak, Meridaun again answered. "We found a note on Ezeka that described a meeting that will take place in Londoun in two weeks."

Sir Mikall looked at the travelers. "I take it you plan on attending?"

Bilbus and Sturm nodded.

"I would appreciate any information you find that could be of use to the Church."

Bilbus replied, "Anything we find that you need to know, we will share."

Sir Mikall looked at all of the party, still standing patiently in his cramped office. "You have returned the Mother Meridaun unharmed. Thank you. I promised you payment upon her return." He gave Kasey a folded sheet of parchment. "Kasey, take them to the payroll office. The Mother and I have some additional business to discuss before she returns to Kells."

Kasey saluted the head knight. "Yes, sir." He turned to face Meridaun, then kneeled. "Mother Meridaun, I bid to take my leave of you now."

"Of course, Kasey. I thank you for escorting me to Caledonia. I can hardly imagine what would have happened in Seamus's throne room had you not been on hand to defend me." She smiled as she saw a bright red flush creep up Kasey's neck. "Here, Sir Kasey." She removed her Sword of the Church necklace with its six-pointed Kelltic knotwork star. "I wish you to keep this as a favor from me."

Kasey looked up and started to protest. "My Lady, I could not possibly take such a thing!"

Meridaun placed the necklace around the Church Knight's neck. "Nonsense. Keep this necklace safe, that it may keep you safe."

Kasey rose to his feet and looked down to the priestess. "Thank you, Mother. Please excuse me."

The Church Knight walked into the hallway outside the office.

Meridaun looked at Bilbus. "It was nice meeting you. Lord del Cartach?" She asked as if she were making sure she had his name right.

Bilbus glanced about uncomfortably and nodded. He joined Kasey in the hallway.

Meridaun next looked at Breanna and Eric. "Good luck with your wedding. Especially since your families are feuding. Perhaps this matrimony will still the conflict."

Breanna and Eric glanced at one another, identical confused looks on their faces. "Feuding?" Breanna asked.

"Yes, Bilbus told me all about it."

Breanna spotted Bilbus in the hallway. She shot him a vicious glare. The thief shrugged.

Eric stammered for a moment. "I assure you, Mother, our families are not feuding; at least, not to our knowledge. We thank you for your kind wishes..." Eric continued for nearly a minute, thanking Meridaun for letting them travel with her, for helping heal the wounded knights in Caelioradh, for fine company aboard the Chulainn's Spear, and so on.

Meridaun bade farewell to Sturm and Rishala with much less fanfare.

Once everyone was in the hallway, Kasey led them through the castle to the payroll office, a well-guarded room in the bottom of one of the castle towers. Kasey presented the note from Sir Mikall to the officer in the room. The officer counted out twenty silver Crowns for each of Kasey's companions.

Kasey next led everyone to the front gate of the Church Knight compound.

The Church Knight looked at his companions. "Where are we going to keep Lady Breanna tonight? We can't leave her at Lady Adria's, since no one is there now..."

Eric looked at Kasey. "Do you have room? She and Adria stayed at your place a while back."

"Of course!" Kasey said. "There's plenty of room. I will need to get a carriage for her." He turned and walked back into the castle, shouting "Page!" as Breanna followed.

Sturm looked at his comrades. "I am going to report in with my commander. They need to know about what happened in Caledonia."

Eric nodded as the Sun Knight left.

Bilbus scratched his head for a moment. "Eric, we need to go by the whitesmith. Our rings should be ready."

Bilbus started to walk across the large square in front of the Cathedral Treasa, adjacent to the Church Knight's compound. Eric walked with the thief. Rishala, standing alone, decided to follow them.

Bilbus suddenly veered towards the cathedral. "But first, it's time for some money laundering."

Rishala groaned quietly to himself as Bilbus and Eric walked up the stairs to the grand bronze doors. He stopped as the other two men walked into the cathedral.

Inside the large cathedral, Bilbus stopped in the atrium. A prayer labyrinth, twenty paces in diameter and inlaid with gold, filled the entrance to the church. The center raised wooden platform had icons on it indicating the several Kelltic gods and goddesses served by this particular cathedral. Since no one was actually using the prayer labyrinth, Bilbus simply walked across it. Eric followed several paces behind, confused by his friend's behavior.

In the main section of the church, Bilbus spotted a young acolyte. The thief approached the teenaged boy.

Even speaking quietly, Bilbus's voice echoed in the enormous chamber. "Where may I find a donation bowl?"

The acolyte pointed towards one of the back corners of the cathedral.

"Thank you," Bilbus said.

He quickly crossed the cathedral, weaving past several rows of benches. He stopped at the large metal bowl. He opened his coin purse and picked out the twenty silver coins.

Eric whispered to Bilbus. "Why would you launder the money the Church Knights gave you? You earned it legitimately."

Bilbus glanced at Eric without answering, then dropped the coins into the bowl on top of the numerous bronze and copper coins already in there. Eric followed suit, dropping his twenty silver coins in as well.

Bilbus started walking back towards the entrance of the cathedral. "Normally, you would go get coins of the same value from another donation bowl." He pointed towards one of the bowls in another corner of the cathedral.

Once they were outside again, Eric asked, "But you're not going to?"

"No."

"So you just donated twenty Crowns to the Church."

"If you want to look at it that way. You just did, too, Eric." Bilbus spotted Rishala standing in the square, so he walked towards the Caledonian. "Are you going with us to the jeweler?"

"Aye," the Caledonian said. "I want to see what you two are doing."

The three wound their way through the streets of Londoun until they reached the shop.

The jeweler smiled as he recognized Bilbus and Eric. "M'Lords! What fortuitous timing you have. I completed your ring just yesterday!" He fumbled around in a lockbox behind the counter. Finding what he was seeking, the jeweler removed something from the lockbox.

On the counter he placed a small, intricately fitted wooden box. He removed the top and tilted it forward, revealing a miniature velvet pillow inside. On the pillow was an exquisite golden ring with a sizeable blue sapphire.

Rishala whistled as he looked at it. "Lady Breanna's?"

Eric, his jaw agape, nodded.

Noting Eric's reaction, the jeweler smiled. "Quite a lucky woman, to have a man with such fine taste. This very sapphire is a special one, I'll have you know. It is from the Eog Valley in Clemendeev. The finest, purest sapphires in all of Avillonia come from there. Take it out into the sun and look at it, m'Lord."

Eric picked up the ring and walked to the door. He took several paces into the street, so transfixed on the ring that he nearly walked right into the path of a heavy grain wagon. Even within the jeweler's shop the glint of the sapphire was impressive, bright rays of blue flashing from Eric's hands.

The explorer returned to the jeweler's counter and placed the ring in the box. "Incredible work, good master. What do I owe yet on this fine ring?"

The whitesmith wrote an amount on a receipt and slid it across the counter for Eric to see. Eric looked at the amount and nodded. He fished into his coin purse, withdrawing a gold coin and several silver to go with it.

"Thank you, m'Lord," the jeweler said as he collected the coins. "I have enjoyed creating that ring for you. Good health to you, and happy marriage."

"Why, thank you," Eric said.

He, Rishala, and Bilbus left the jeweler's shop.

"Now where?" Rishala asked.

"My place," Bilbus answered.

Sturm stood in the Sun Knight Commander's office. The compound in Londoun was disappointing compared to the compound where Sturm was raised. By Sturm's own estimation, there were about a hundred knights in the entire building who could take the field. Half of the "knights" were footmen that the local commander used to fill out his barracks. They were still capable fighters, but they were not mounted knights in the traditional sense.

Londoun also rarely sees orcs, Sturm reminded himself. They don't need a large contingent of warriors. The Sunkeep in Llwelyn, where Sturm had been raised, was also one of the largest compounds the Knights of the Sun maintained. Not only did it house about one thousand mounted knights at any given time, but it also had several hundred footmen available for levy as needs dictated. Sunkeep was also a training center for the Sun Knights, and dozens, occasionally hundreds, of young men trained at the compound at any given time. Sturm had been raised at Sunkeep by Sir Richard Atenburg, and the Sunkeep had strongly shaped Sturm's views of how a proper military facility should be run.

The commander of the Londoun Keep was a grizzled veteran of several campaigns in the Middle Ranges against rampaging orcs. He had semi-retired as the commander of Londoun Keep, still a Sun Knight but no longer actively taking the field. His Chief Lieutenants were far younger, and would have been prime selections for field campaigns, but they had been in Londoun for several years already. Sturm had noticed with some disgust that one of the lieutenants wore the distinctive 'I' embroidered to his tabard, indicating his allegiance with the Inquisitors. Sturm's one close encounter with Inquisitors in action -- the farmhouse outside Eastdale a few months prior -- had left him with a very low opinion of the Inquisitor movement within his Order of Knights.

The commander, Sir Ianto Gittoes, finally entered his office. He was flanked by both lieutenants, Sir Suanaigh and Sir Yorwerth. The latter was the Inquisitor.

Sir Gittoes took his seat opposite the spartan desk. Sir Suanaigh and Sir Yorwerth took positions standing to either side of Sir Gittoes, against the outer wall of the office. They both stood calmly, showing little of the rigid discipline Sturm had grown accustomed to seeing in his youth at Sunkeep.

Sir Gittoes looked at some sheets of paper centered on his desk, then looked up at Sturm. He cleared his voice and spoke, his voice a near-growl. "Sir Sunblade, you have more to report, I hear?"

Sturm nodded. "I traveled with a Church diplomatic mission to Caelioradh. The King there had been replaced with a man who had decided to do away with the Church Knights and the Church."

Sir Gittoes raised his eyebrows. "Sir Knight, I am aware of the orders that the King of Caledonia had issued."

"Yes, sir. This king was taking orders from his Chamberlain, who appears to have been taking orders from someone else. The baroness whom we had heard about previously was directing Seamus's Chamberlain."

"Ah." Sir Gittoes furrowed his brow. "This would be the mysterious Baroness Claberra?"

"Eclavdra," Sturm corrected. "Whoever she is, she has a lot of power."

Sir Yorwerth stared at Sturm. "You keep reporting to us about these events going on. Orcs in Hillsdale -- you know we have patrols along the Middle Ranges for just that reason. A mysterious city in a circular lake that is completely surround by cliffs. Orcs in this coastal town in the far southeast corner of the Vasmar. I have yet to see any proof beyond your reports, nor have I heard anyone else report on matters even remotely similar to yours."

Sturm growled, "I showed you the papers we've recovered."

Yorwerth smiled condescendingly. "Yes, you did, didn't you. Pages of funny scribbles that you called 'orc' writing -- as if those beasts had enough smarts to write. Other pages you claim show an old prophecy, but no one is able to translate it. How did you translate the 'orc poetry', anyway? Has Sunkeep started teaching the orc's tongue to the knights?"

"Enough, lieutenant," Sir Gittoes said tiredly. "Sturm, we extend to you all courtesies because you are a Sun Knight. What you seem to be unwilling to accept is that we are the Londoun Hold. We are not on the front lines. Our presence in this city is more for recruiting than for security. We have over five thousand of the king's own men in this city, plus that obscenely-large garrison of Church Knights. The Sun Knights do not have a need for a military presence in Londoun."

"I am aware of the circumstances," Sturm growled. "I have been providing this information because I thought it would be passed up the chain of command to the Lord High Commander of the Order. There is something going on. Something very bad. The Sun Knights can not simply sit idly in their barracks while the orcs are being organized by someone who seems very intent on starting a war in Avillonia."

Sir Suanaigh spoke. "Sir Sturm, we realize that you think these occurrences are an organized conspiracy. You are still a young knight. What you may not realize is that the orcs have been causing trouble along the frontiers for centuries. Let those of us with more experience decide if there is a major problem that needs our attention."

Sturm growled under his breath, "I have more field experience than you'll ever see."

"What was that?" Sir Suanaigh asked pleasantly.

"Nothing, sir. If you are not interested in any further information from my report, I wish to take my leave."

Sir Gittoes nodded his head. "You are dismissed, Sturm."

Sturm snapped to attention, turned an about-face, and left the office, taking care not to slam the door behind him as he left.

Bilbus walked up the stairs to the third floor of the baker's building. He inspected the walls of the stairwell with a practiced eye, making sure that there were no new marks from the crossbows he had rigged to protect his apartment.

Satisfied nothing had changed since he was last home, Bilbus walked up the sides of the steps that were rigged to trigger the bows. He checked behind him once to make sure Eric and Rishala were both staying to the side.

At the modest landing atop the stairwell, Bilbus pulled his keyring from its hidden pocket within his jacket. He undid the four visible locks on the door, then ran his hand along the edge of the door until it was over the fifth lock. This lock had no exterior keyhole, so Bilbus had to direct a small flow of Heka through the door to force the lock to unlatch.

Bilbus snorted quietly to himself in satisfaction as the hidden latch clicked open. Bilbus lifted the doorlatch and pushed the door open.

The sudden explosion in the narrow stairwell was impressive. The door in front of Bilbus exploded into thousands of splinters as a wave of negative Heka burst from the coiled casting that had held it for several days.

Bilbus flew down the stairwell, the door handle still in his hand. Eric and Rishala had no time to evade either Bilbus or the shards of wood that accompanied the thief forcefully down the stairs.

When they stopped moving, Bilbus found himself lying on top of Eric and Rishala. Bilbus got up gingerly and checked himself. The magickal protective necklaces had absorbed all of the energy of the blast, to Bilbus's relief.

Eric and Rishala were less lucky. Eric had several splinters of the door sticking out of his upper legs. The Azirian sat up and carefully removed the pieces of wood from his trousers, then looked at Rishala.

The Caledonian clutched one hand against his side, his face twisted in agony.

"Are you hurt badly?" Eric asked.

"I broke a rib," Rishala said between clinched teeth.

The Azirian stood and looked up the stairwell towards the ragged doorway that led to Bilbus's apartment. "Walk it off."

Eric didn't sense the surge of Heka as Rishala created a magickal slingstone and directed into the back of Eric's head. The Azirian jumped and turned to face Rishala, who still lay on the ground. Eric scowled and rubbed his head as he looked back up the stairs.

Rishala moved his hand and realized that he had a large splinter of the door in his side. He carefully pulled it out, wincing as he did so. The sharp pain in his ribs subsided. "Maybe it wasn't a broken rib, after all," he said to no one.

Rishala gingerly got back on his feet. He looked down the stairwell to the ground floor as someone came running up.

The baker, covered in white flour, raced up from the ground floor to join Rishala and Eric on the second floor landing, where they had stopped rolling after Bilbus slammed into them.

"What ... What in the Hells was that?" the baker asked breathlessly.

Bilbus, halfway back up the stairs, looked down the stairwell at the baker. "It was a message."

"What kind of message?"

"One that says 'die'. It was some dark Heka..." Bilbus let his voice trail off.

The baker turned as pale as his flour, then ran down the stairs. Moments later, Rishala could see him running across the square.

The storyteller looked at his wound. "I need herbs to heal this injury."

"I have some in my apartment," Bilbus said as he finished climbing the stairs. On the landing, he dropped the door latch that he had been holding.

Eric followed Bilbus into the apartment. Rishala remained on the second floor landing.

Bilbus looked around his living room. Several pieces of furniture had been smashed, and his small vase with gemstones had been tipped, spilling the precious jewels about. Several bottles of wine lay smashed on the floor, their pricey contents lost. Bilbus started to quiver with rage until he noticed a letter laying neatly on his living room table.

He picked up the letter. It was neatly penned using a calligraphy often found in government edicts. He started reading the note.

Be it known:

The Outer Circle of the Dales, in unanimous decision, declare the person known as "Bilbus the Great", also claiming the title "Lord Bilbus del Cartach", a wanted man.

His foul crimes include the kidnapping of the nobles Lady Felicia del Quintin and Lady Adria del Quintin, as well as the murder of the Young Lord Cain del Quintin.

The Outer Circle of the Dales authorizes a reward of one gold Crown for the return of the treacherous "Bilbus the Great". An additional gold Crown is offered for his return unharmed to face trial and execution. Be so warned that this person is suspected of Heka Use, and should be approached with that warning in mind.

So offered for consideration by the Baron Rufors del Bartholo on this First day of Gort in the Ans 2044 After Camelough Fell.

So decided and declared by the Outer Circle of the Dales on this same day.

Bilbus lowered the note. "Can you believe this?" he asked Eric incredulously.

"You did make some powerful enemies when you and Adria got married."

"But one Dalesian Crown? That's only worth a Kingdom Drake!"

"It is still a gold coin, Bilbus," Eric reminded his friend. "And they offer a second one if you are alive when you are delivered."

"It gets better," Bilbus said as he looked at the notice once more. "There's a note scribbled on the bottom of it:

"'Well done, Bilbus! We look forward to reaping our reward! Especially since your wife's father offered to match it.' It's signed 'Sassy and the Company'."

From the stairwell, Rishala's voice echoed up. "Are you dead yet? Is it safe?"

Bilbus walked across his living room until he could just see Rishala. "It is for you."

"These charges will not hold, Bilbus," Eric said. "You kidnapped no one, and you did not kill Cain, right?"

"I didn't kill anyone when we were in Portsdale."

"Good. I shall dispatch a letter to my father asking him to get Felicia del Quintin to go to the Church and have a letter witnessed that tells the Dalesian Council that she left freely. When we find Adria, we will have her do the same."

Bilbus nodded, not really paying attention. "And in the mean time, we do what Caledonians do."

"Drink?" Eric asked.

Bilbus nodded and started heading towards the stairwell.

"Bilbus, do you have any friends or associates who would sell you out for two gold coins?"

Bilbus looked at Eric. "No..."

Rishala called out from the second floor, "I've been thinking of it, lately!"

Bilbus scowled down the stairs at Rishala. He then turned to Eric. "I want you to do me a favor. I need you to go to the Salty Anchor. Deliver a note to Twitchy. Let's see if we can find the Company before they find me."

Eric stood outside the door to the Salty Anchor tavern. Bilbus had given him a note and some instructions for what to do when he reached the bar. Alone, the explorer opened the door and stepped in.

The roof of the tavern seemed sootier than what Eric remembered. The lanterns all seemed to be a little dimmer and less steady. Eric looked around the bar at the three men who were in the tavern at this early hour. Twitchy sat in one of the booths on the far side of the room. Eric walked across to it and put his right fist up even with his chin. He extended the index finger and flexed it.

Repeating the line Bilbus had told him, Eric said, "I am Pete's patsy."

Twitchy glanced up and saw the Azirian signing in the Thieves' Sign Don't kill me.

Twitchy laughed loudly. "Slant-eyed Slim! How are you doing? I haven't seen you in weeks and months. Bilbus is still alive? You're not his patsy anymore?"

Eric sat down opposite the thief. "He told me I was safer being Pete's patsy. He asked me to give you this note." Eric glanced around the nearly-empty tavern, then pushed a folded sheet across to Twitchy.

Twitchy picked up the page and unfolded it. He stared at the writing for a few seconds, then turned the page clockwise and looked at it again. "He knows I don't read," Twitchy finally said as he put the paper down.

Eric picked it up. "It says that Bilbus wants you to find the Company of Unusual Headgear. There is no longer a need to find Jerryn. Also, Bilbus wants you to find Adria." Eric lowered the sheet so he could look at Twitchy. "Do you remember her? Blond hair, very shapely, noblewoman?"

"Oh, yeahyeahyeah. I remember her. Okay. That could be really easy. Here's a letter she left me just in case Bilbus came looking for her." Twitchy produced another folded sheet of paper.

Eric took the paper and started to put it into his jacket.

Twitchy looked at him. "You aren't going to read it?"

"No."

"Why not? I did."

Eric looked at the letter. The seal had been broken already. The Azirian unfolded the note and looked at it as Twitchy chuckled quietly. The Azirian lowered the sheet of paper. "I thought you said you did not read."

"I don't. But, you've already opened it. What's it say?"

Eric sighed. He looked at the sheet of paper. "All it has are two addresses. One is for a tavern near Bilbus's apartment. I do not know where the other one is."

"Oh. Well, maybe you should take it back to Bilbus. I'm sure he will be interested."

Eric folded the sheet and tucked it into his jacket. "Thank you, Twitchy. I will see you around." Eric again unwittingly signed Don't kill me.

Twitchy the Rat guffawed as Eric turned and left the Salty Anchor.

Sturm had just entered Falagos Square on one of the larger avenues when he spotted Rishala crossing towards a different road. The Sun Knight jogged across the square to intercept the Caledonian.

Rishala, still limping slightly, nodded towards the Sun Knight. "Sturm, good afternoon. Your day goes better than mine, I trust?"

Sturm snorted. "The bureaucracy in the Sun Knight stronghold amazes me. After all the reports I've delivered about the events we've witnessed, they still have not bothered to communicate any of it up the chain of command. They don't think anything that's happening is unusual. I don't understand how they ever became Sun Knights. How is your afternoon?"

"I nearly got killed at Bilbus's apartment just a short while back now."

The Sun Knight scowled towards the apartment, still just visible from the winding road they were now on. "What did he do?"

"He opened his door." Rishala paused. "Remember the arrow he had Eric use against the guards in Caelioradh?" The Sun Knight nodded. "Someone else knows that trick. When Bilbus opened the door..." Rishala lowered his voice as he realized he was in public. "...it exploded."

"Ah. Anyone hurt?"

"Eric and I both took splinters. Bilbus wasn't even fazed."

"It figures. Where are you going?"

"To get a new door."

Sturm followed the storyteller to a carpenter's shop. Rishala described the dimensions of the door he needed to the carpenter, and added that he needed half a dozen locks fitted to the door. The carpenter started looking through the limited supply of doors he had ready-made, finding one that was close to what Rishala needed.

"Is there anything else?" the carpenter asked.

"Aye. I need someone to install it for me."

The carpenter looked at the door and did some counting in his head. "Somewhere near here?"

"Falagos Square."

"I can send an apprentice with you to install the door and the locks. It will cost you, ohh, a dozen Crowns."

Sturm coughed, but Rishala fished out twelve of the silver coins and dropped them onto the worktable next to the carpenter. The carpenter quickly cut the door he had selected so it would fit better, then produced the six locks. He then disappeared into the back of the shop, shouting for one of his apprentices. He returned several minutes later with a burly boy in his early teens.

The boy gathered the locks and several tools in a large leather bag that he slung over one shoulder by its strap. He then lifted the door and followed Sturm and Rishala back to Bilbus's apartment, staggering and stumbling most of the way.

Rishala led the boy up to the second floor of the baker's building. The storyteller cupped his hands and shouted up the stairs, "Bilbus! I found someone to install your new door! You owe me a dozen Crowns!"

Bilbus peeked his head out the doorway. "Do you have to shout? Come up here."

"After last time?" Rishala shook his head. "I'll wait here."

Sturm passed the storyteller and entered Bilbus's apartment, looking over the vandalism.

The carpenter's apprentice set to work quickly, installing the door and attaching the locks, then making sure everything worked smoothly. He finally finished after an hour, and left past Rishala, who still stood on the landing of the second floor.

Bilbus led Eric and Sturm down the stairs after the apprentice left. He looked at the storyteller. "We're going to the True Point Tavern. Are you going to stand there and guard the door?"

"Of course not." Rishala followed the other three down the stairs.

Outside the True Point Tavern, Rishala turned to the other three. "Bye! Have fun! Don't die! I'll be at Kasey's getting healed." He walked away.

Sturm watched the storyteller for a moment, then decided he was going to join Rishala at Kasey's and get some dinner.

Bilbus and Eric walked into the tavern. They took seats near the middle of the bar. A dozen other men were already present, nursing various ales and meads.

Bilbus saw her first. The unmistakable golden hair hung around her shoulders, loose. She wore a barmaid's dress, with the leather bodice that seemed to push her chest up and out all at once. The skirt flared as she turned, but it still hid her shapely legs.

Watching Adria serving drinks, Bilbus snorted. If I laugh at her, I will die.

Adria approached the two with her empty serving tray. She saw Bilbus, and a flash of recognition crossed her face, along with something else Bilbus could not quite read that bordered between remorse and nervousness.

She stopped behind them. Bilbus had half-turned to watch her approach, but Eric still stared vacantly towards the bottles behind the bar.

"Can I get you something?" Adria asked sweetly.

Eric nodded and started to turn around slowly. "I think I'll have the..." He recognized Adria. "Oh, my gods!! Adria?"

Adria rolled her eyes.

Bilbus looked at his wife. "What are you doing?"

"I'm working. What does it look like?"

"As a BARMAID? You couldn't do any better?" He stopped and lowered his voice back to a conversational level. "I got you something." He fished into his belt pouch and produced Adria's old signet ring. He held it out to her. She dropped it into the coinpurse strapped to her belt. Bilbus produced a second golden ring, this one with the del Cartach signet. Adria took it and dropped it into her coinpurse as well, without even glancing at it.

Instead, she asked, "What do you want?"

"You know Bree and Eric are engaged, right?" Bilbus asked as he glanced at her coinpurse and the rings it held.

Adria brightened and turned to face Eric. "Really? Congratulations, Eric!"

Eric pulled a ring out of his jacket. "This is the ring I got Bree. Do you think she will like it?" The ring caught the light in the tavern and shined brilliantly.

Blinking quickly at the sudden flash of blue, Adria nodded. "I think she will. It is a lovely ring."

Bilbus leaned forward to interpose himself between the two. When Adria finally looked at him, he waved the letter he had found in his apartment. "We got a note from the Dales, Adria."

"That's nice," she said dismissively.

Bilbus lowered his voice to a quiet growl. "I thought you were going to kill him."

"Who? My father? Why? I figured you would be only to happy to do away with him."

"You took out your brother ... which your dad is blaming me for, I might add. Why didn't you take care of Duran while you could?"

Eric tried to interrupt. "Look, you both have some valid points. Maybe we should organize this a little. Couples often argue, but it will be more meaningful for both of you, in the long run, if you respect one another's views. Adria, why don't you go first."

Neither Adria nor Bilbus had paid him the least attention as they continued a heated but quiet argument.

Starting to show signs of exasperation, the Azirian raised his voice to speak over both the thief and the noble-turned-barmaid. "Adria, I have one question."

Adria stopped, surprised at his interruption. "Okay."

"Are you coming with us, or are you staying here?"

"I don't know," she answered uncertainly.

"When will you know?"

Adria paused for a few more seconds. Finally, she answered quietly, "I don't know."

Bilbus looked at the noblewoman. "How did you get here?"

"I traveled," she answered. She added, "Not by sea."

Glad the argument had been disrupted, Eric looked at the two. "We could hire someone to deal with Duran del Quintin, so he won't bother the two of you."

Adria looked at him. Changing subjects, she said, "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Eric."

The Azirian was readily befuddled. His eyes misted over as he thought of Breanna. "Did I show you the ring?" He withdrew it again from his jacket and opened the box, flashing the scintillating blue stone in the light.

Ignoring the attempted distraction, Bilbus said, "We could bribe the Inner Council. They can control the Outer Council and throw out the Outer Council's rulings."

Adria started laughing. She continued until she snorted. "You have two problems."

Bilbus mumbled sullenly, "I have more than that."

Adria's expression became serious. "You have two basic problems: The House del Bartholo and my father. I thought the second one would have been solved by now, but I guess not."

Eric looked at her. "What if we frame Lord del Quintin as a Heka user? The zealous Inquisitors would not care if he were innocent."

Adria shook her head and spoke quietly. "My mother was the Heka channeler."

Eric's eyes widened briefly. "That is no matter. We will not need to involve her. I dispatched couriers to get my father to deliver a letter from your mother that says that she is willingly away from Duran. If you deliver the letter yourself and tell the Council that you left willingly, we can prove that Duran trumped the charges."

Adria looked at Eric "What about Cain?"

Bilbus snorted. "Yeah. We can't tell the Council that Adria's an assassin who killed her own brother."

"Well," Eric started to reply. "We may be able to find a way to make it appear that Duran had something to do with it..." He heard the bells ringing Vespers somewhere in the distance. "Oh, gods! Is it that late? I have to meet Bree. I have to give her the ring!"

The Azirian jumped to his feet and ran from the Tavern.

Bilbus looked at Adria. "I've had to put up with those two for weeks, now. Me. Both of them. How could you?"

Adria looked sympathetic for a moment. "I am sorry for that." The sympathy faded. "I have some customers to serve. If you aren't ordering, please leave."

Scowling, Bilbus answered, "Fine. Bring me a beer. It doesn't matter which one."

She returned after a minute with a mug that she set heavily on the bar. The mug was still untouched when Bilbus finally left three hours later.

Breanna and Eric sat across from one another at a cozy table in the corner of a restaurant in Londoun. Both were resting their heads on their hands, elbows on the corner of the table.

Breanna looked around at the fine decor of the restaurant. "This is a nice restaurant, Eric. It reminds me of the Seventh Raven in Armagh."

"Bilbus recommended it to me, would you believe?"

"Bilbus?"

"He has spent a lot of time in town. I suppose he would know where the nicer restaurants are."

Breanna nodded. "How was your afternoon?"

"We found Adria."

"Really? How is she? Where is she?" Breanna pelted Eric with questions, giving him no opportunity to answer any of them.

Eric waited for her to stop. "She is working at the True Point Tavern. Do you remember it?"

Breanna looked perplexed. "I remember spinning. Or was it dancing?"

"I think it was both. She and Bilbus had a little bit of an argument."

"Oh, no!"

"I do not think it was any different than their usual arguments. We also got a message from the Company of Unusual Headgear."

"I know! Rishala was pretty badly hurt. I put a poultice on him that mended most of the cut." Breanna's face looked more concerned. "Are you hurt?"

"Nothing to worry about. I had some splinters in my legs."

"Maybe I can do something for them?"

"We can worry about it later, Bree. What was your day like? Less eventful, I would hope."

"Oh, yes. I visited a few local herbalists to stock up on materials for my apothecary's bag. I tried to mix some of the ingredients, but the housekeeper at Kasey's -- Miss Ciara, remember? -- refused to let me into the kitchen." Breanna tried to talk like a crotchety old woman. "'No, this is no place for a noble lady! Stay out of the kitchen!' and so on. Kasey had to go in himself to get me a bowl and a pestle."

"Well, at least it was uneventful. Your herbs are mixed?"

"Yes. We should be okay for a while, as long as we don't run into another army of orcs..."

"After everything we have seen, I do not want to guess what we will find next..." Eric paused to pull a box out of his jacket. He put the jacket on the table. "Bree, I ... Well, it seems Bilbus has pushed us together pretty quickly. I think he is right. We can not wait forever, and we do not know what our parents will have in store for us when it comes time to wed. I do not know how we will break it to them." He opened the box.

Breanna inhaled sharply as the candle on the table lit the brilliant sapphire. "Oh, Eric!"

Eric picked up the ring with one hand and reached for her hand. He slid the ring easily onto her finger. "Bilbus got the size right..." he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Breanna asked, not quite hearing him as she looked at the ring.

"Nothing." Eric looked at Breanna. "Well. We are getting married. How do we break this to our parents?"

Breanna looked about nervously. "Your mother and father should be all right."

"I know. But, what do we do about your father? How will he react to you choosing a husband without his say?"

"Maybe we don't have to tell him?"

"Bree, we both know you have to tell him. We have to tell him."

"But we have to go to the dwarves. And there is the meeting coming soon. And..."

"I know, I know. We still have to start thinking about it. We can not run away from your father forever. Sooner or later we have to return to Armagh."

Breanna lowered her voice to a near whisper. "I know. I just don't want to think about it yet." She cheered up and grabbed Eric's hands within hers. "Let's worry about it when the time comes. Right now, let's enjoy dinner."

1st Ngetal 2044

Sturm carried the two cases of wine with little effort through the streets of Londoun, one hanging from each hand by a stout rope like bales of hay.

He approached the Carved Tusk shortly after Sexts, as the sun reached its peak and started the slow descent towards nighttime. The building was almost blindingly white, as if the owners had the building washed and repainted daily. The walls were smooth, and it was hard to tell just what lay underneath the thick white paint, be it wood or stone. The bottom and top floor of the building had frosted glass window panes with diagonal wooden crosshatching. The middle floor had no windows.

In front of the Carved Tusk stood a single man, slightly taller than Sturm, who wore a dark silk jacket and trousers. His bald head gleamed almost as much as the wall behind him. To the man's immediate left was the front door of the Carved Tusk.

Sturm stopped in front of the man. "I have a personal delivery of two cases from the Scowling Knight Vineyard."

The man jerked a thumb towards the edge of the building. "Deliveries are at the back door."

"Fine." Sturm continued past the man to the edge of the building.

Behind the Carved Tusk, Sturm found the rear door in the alleyway. He set one of the cases on the ground and pounded on the door for several seconds before someone responded.

A man dressed similarly to the greeter in front of the building opened the door. "Yes?"

"I am Sturm Sunblade. I own the Scowling Knight Vineyard. I was in the area, so I decided to deliver a couple of cases personally."

"I see the resemblance. Please come in."

Sturm picked up the case he had set down and followed the man into the back of the Carved Tusk Wine Club.

The interior was ornate, a sharp contrast to the plain exterior. The back room was spacious, but spare. There were clearly no provisions for serving food in the Carved Tusk. A stairwell descended to the basement of the building, and Sturm saw a dumbwaiter on the inner wall of the room.

"Where do I put these?" the Sun Knight asked, lifting the two heavy cases to shoulder height.

"Place them next to the stairs. We will get them moved to the basement in a bit here." The servant looked at Sturm for a moment. "Have you ever been to the Carved Tusk before?"

Sturm shook his head. "I actually didn't know about it until a few weeks ago, when I was told that you had reviewed my wine and gave it only a rating of three out of five."

The servant shrunk inwardly a took a step back. "I, of course, do not do the reviews, Sir Knight. The owners do the reviews." He smiled nervously. "You should know that the Scowling Knight vintage is listed on our menu. That alone is quite the privilege."

Sturm grunted and looked towards a door leading to the front of the establishment. "Is that the members' room? May I take a look?"

"Sir Knight, I am very sorry." The servant ran his eyes over Sturm's clothing. "We do maintain dress standards for our guests; even at this early of an hour, one must be properly attired." He crossed the room to a table. When he returned to Sturm, he pressed a wooden coin into Sturm's hand. "This is a guest pass. It will give you access to the wine club without having to pay the cover fee." The servant shrugged. "For a visiting vintner, it is the least courtesy."

Sturm dropped the coin into a spacious pouch. Taking one last look around the room, he said, "Well, I will have to visit again when I am dressed for it. Good day."

"To you as well, Sir Knight," the servant called after Sturm as the Sun Knight left the back room.

Rishala stood inside the waiting area of the Jewel of Londoun. The restaurant had a reputation as one of the finest in Londoun (the finest according to the many pretentious wealthy commoners who tried to hob-nob with the nobility). The waiting room was small -- the Jewel required reservations, so it had little need of such a room -- with a pair of fine hand-carved couches covered with suede leather.

The maitre d' deigned to notice the Caledonian after only five minutes.

Surveying the Caledonian, the maitre d' intoned in a whiny, snobbish voice, "Yes?"

Rishala approached the maitre d's podium. "I want a reservation for tomorrow night, for one. A window seat at the front."

The maitre d' flipped a large ledger on the podium. "Very good. I have a table open at Vespers."

The clock towers rung Vespers at about sunset, this time of year. "Vespers will be fine," Rishala said.

"Very good. We require a deposit to hold the seat..."

Controlling his exasperation, Rishala asked, "And the deposit is?"

"Two Kingdom Crowns."

Rishala pulled two of the silver coins from his purse and placed them upon the podium.

"We shall see you at Vespers. Under what name shall I place the reservation?"

"Rishala of Orkney," the Caledonian responded.

The maitre d' jotted something into the ledger, then tipped his head towards Rishala. The storyteller turned and left. Only two Crowns? I would have expected more from what I've heard.

Adria glanced around the True Point Tavern. Most of the regulars were at the bar, students and teachers from several fencing salons who gathered to spar verbally after class hours.

One of the more recent regulars was absent, she noticed. Bilbus had gotten into the habit of passing his evening sitting in the corner of the bar, nursing drinks that he ordered but never really drank while he watched his wife serving customers.

Adria still bristled at "wife". Bilbus had never really brought up the wedding, and, besides when he gave her the del Cartach signet ring sized for her, he had never reminded her that they were spouses. He seemed to content himself with sitting in the True Point Tavern during her shift and watching. Even when one of the customers had become overly intoxicated and started fondling her, the thief had simply watched. It was never quite dispassionate, but he did not show much outward emotion.

Adria set a mug of dark beer in front of one of the regulars. She turned about quickly to see if anyone else was looking for service. It was then that she spotted Sassy at a table.

Sassy had been a quieter member of the Company of Unusual Headgear. While Coalface had filled the role of leader, Sassy seemed contented to wait on the sidelines. Sassy was rail thin, nearly straight from shoulder to hip. His hair was dark and slightly curled -- just enough to appear wavy. His clothing was horribly mismatched: a bright red vest covered an equally bright blue shirt, and his pale leather trousers had odd tassels along the outer seams. His hat was made of green felt, teardrop shaped when viewed from above. It was cocked at a rakish angle as he touched a finger to the pointed brim of the hat and winked at Adria.

The noblewoman walked over to Sassy's table. He watched her, admiring the fine fit of her dress and bodice.

At his table, Adria looked down at Sassy. "Yes?" she asked curtly.

Sassy's eyes drifted up to meet hers. "Yes, what?" The smile on his face did not slip when he saw her scowl.

"What do you want, Sassy?" Adria crossed her arms, obscuring Sassy's view of her chest.

"I want to make an offer to you, m'Lady. Sit down, please."

"No, thanks," Adria said.

"Suit yourself. We know you married Bilbus just to spite your father. Not that I can blame you. I'd rather marry Bilbus than that toad your father picked out for you."

"Do you have a point, Sassy?"

"Yes. Just think: if Bilbus goes away, it'll make your life easier. You get your father's properties, and you don't have that thief hovering around, making your life miserable. Your father offered us five Dalesian Crowns to deliver Bilbus to Portsdale alive. After Lord del Quintin is through with Bilbus, he'll hand your husband over to the Dales Council and collect the reward for himself. When he does, he will also have the contract canceled that gave Bilbus everything."

Adria tilted her head. "And when he has the contract voided?"

"He will try, I have no doubt. But, it was Church-witnessed. He'd have an easier time with a divorce. The Dales Council might rule the contract void, but all you would have to do is mention it to someone in the Church, say, here in Londoun. The Church would persuade the Council that it is not in their best interest to breach the contract."

Adria uncrossed her arms. "Fine. What do you want me for?"

"We know he's back in town. You're not the only one who's been watching for him. We left him a message in his apartment for when he returned." Sassy leaned forward. "I'm not asking you to just hand him to us. You don't have to be involved at all. Just let us know where we can find him, and the Company will take care of the rest." Satisfied with his persuasion, Sassy leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. "Hells, I'll even throw in one of your father's gold Crowns for your trouble. What do you say, m'Lady?"

The corner of Adria's mouth turned upwards. Had Sassy any sense, he would have started looking for an exit. Instead, he continued to grin at the beautiful assassin in front of him.

"A whole Crown? Well... That is an offer," she began, her voice unimpressed. "Little did I know I'd be marrying such a valuable commodity." She studied the mercenary, watching his facial expressions like a raptor watched its prey. "I think he's worth much more than that to the right person, and, forgive me, but I do not deal with bottom feeders. I'll do business with my father personally, because he surely wants that irritating little thief more than I do."

Adria watched Sassy's grin slip and fade as she spoke. "Don't look so put out, Sassy. There may still be something in this for you, if you play your cards right." She leaned forward until her face was barely a pace from Sassy's and her cleavage was easily visible. She noticed with quiet satisfaction that Sassy's eyes had slipped from hers again.

"Your problem is that you are working for the wrong del Quintin," she said, her voice a sensuous whisper. "When the dust clears, I'll be the one in control. My father is an old fool, and Bilbus has no idea what he's gotten into. He'd walk into a pit if I told him to do so." Adria paused. She stood up and glanced about the tavern. No one had noticed their exchange. She looked at Sassy again.

Raising her voice back to a normal volume, she finished, "If you're interested, why don't you come back here in two days, right before closing, and we can talk in private."

With one last lingering look at the noblewoman, Sassy stood. "Two days? Fair enough. We'll be here."

Sassy dropped a pair of Kingdom Commons on the table and left the tavern, whistling as he did.

Adria had just put the coins into her purse when she noticed Bilbus, Breanna, and Eric crossing Falagos Square. Adria served a few more beers as the three crossed the square. After they took seats at one of the tables, Adria joined them, sitting across from Bilbus and not acknowledging him.

"What brings you here?" she asked Breanna. "Decided to do some more dancing?"

Breanna blushed. "No, we wanted to ask you a favor."

"Oh?"

Eric spoke next. "Well, there is that meeting tomorrow night. Bilbus is going, and I was going to go as well so that he would not be alone. We were going to disguise me as 'Erica' again, and, well, Bree does not have any bodices like you have..."

"What do you mean? She has nice bodices."

"Well, yes, she does..." Eric's voice trailed off for a moment.

Breanna picked up for her fiance. "But I don't have a bodice that holds a dagger, and I don't have those sharp spikes that you use in your hair..."

Adria laughed. "Do I understand you right? You are planning on working your alchemical tricks on Eric, making him uncomfortable in a dress and bodice, then you are going to put him in a dangerous place?" Adria laughed for several seconds, causing her comrades to look around the tavern in embarrassment. Adria stopped laughing abruptly. "No."

"Come on, Adria," Bilbus implored. "We both know he will be less threatening if he's a woman. These people are more likely to overlook him as an arm decoration for one of their agents."

Adria leveled a look at Bilbus. She opened her mouth to give Bilbus a vicious retort, but she realized he was speaking sensibly for a change. Instead, she looked at Breanna and Eric. "Come with me. We'll fix Eric up. We're going to need to change him tonight to fit dresses. Bree, go bring what you have and we'll see what we can do with him."

Breanna jumped to her feet. Eric stood almost as quickly. The explorer stopped and glanced down at Adria. "Where are we doing this?"

"At my place. Follow me, then you two can get Bree's dresses."

Bilbus remained seated. "You know, Kasey misses you."

Adria looked at the thief uncomfortably. "How do you know?"

"C'mon. It's Kasey." He paused a moment. "Come with us, Adria."

Adria avoided his gaze as she stood up and led Eric and Breanna from the tavern.

2nd Ngetal 2044

The following evening, while Bilbus waited impatiently for Breanna and Adria to dress the once-more transformed Eric"a", he polished and buffed his armor. The armor was spread around him on the living room floor of Adria's apartment. The once dull-black leather now had a sheen to it. Its mirror-like finish would shame some of the fanciest of the noble leather shoes that had started gaining favor once more. Bilbus smiled to himself, the grin of a man satisfied with the fruits of his labors.

He had just finished putting his jacket back on when Erica came out of the bedroom. Bilbus coughed once in surprise at the dress the transformed Azirian wore. The dress had a black velvet skirt with silver embroidery and a matching velvet off-the-shoulder bodice with the same threadwork. Bilbus saw ice blue satin panels that flashed as Erica walked.

"Erica, if I weren't married, and you weren't really a man..."

Erica shot a most un-ladylike scowl at Bilbus. The thief chuckled mirthfully.

"Is that one of Bree's dresses?"

Erica nodded. "It's new." Erica caught herself and raised her voice to a more feminine pitch. "She just hasn't worn it yet."

"Well, that's really quite a future wife. Letting you borrow her dresses." Bilbus paused. "Are you ready to go meet our enemies?"

Erica nodded as the two walked towards the door of Adria's apartment.

Rishala finished adjusting the pleats of his great kilt. He had spent nearly half of an hour folding the pleats on his long, wide swath of colored wool. What was a seven-pace-long woolen blanket was now short enough to wrap around his waist, leaving deep pleats on the back. Once he had adjusted its height so the bottom edge of the kilt was at his knees, Rishala gathered the excess material above his waist and had tucked it underneath the belt holding his kilt onto his body. A remaining length of the material wrapped up and over his shoulder to join another length in front. Both of these ends of the wool were held together by a large brooch.

The Caledonian grinned to himself and left for the Jewel of Londoun restaurant. Even if he weren't able to spy on the meeting, he would have a fine multi-course meal this evening.

The greeter at the Carved Tusk Wine Club stood next to the door, his arms crossed. He wore a dark silk jacket over a white tunic, with dark pantalons. His bald head seemed to almost shine in the lantern light as Bilbus and Erica approached the building.

The greeter tipped his head in acknowledgement as Bilbus approached.

Bilbus stopped and straightened to full height, still half a foot shorter than the greeter. "I am here for Lord Silverthorn's party."

The greeter looked at Bilbus's polished leather armor. "Not like that you aren't." His voice was deep, and Bilbus got the distinct impression the man would have been laughing in other circumstances.

Bilbus stopped for a moment. What would Eric do in this case? "I am Lord Bilbus del Cartach." Bilbus started to walk past the greeter towards the door.

The greeter unfolded his arms. He placed one hand on Bilbus's chest, fingers spread. "I don't care if you're King Bilbus del Cartach, m'Lord. There is a dress code for guests of the Carved Tusk. No exceptions."

Bilbus sighed noisily. "Fine. Where does one get appropriate garments?"

The bouncer removed his hand from Bilbus's leather-covered chest. He pointed towards a shop near the end of the block, on the other side of the street.

Bilbus looked at the building, then looked at Erica. "Stay here and entertain him or something."

Erica looked at Bilbus incredulously as the thief quickly walked away.

Bilbus returned twenty minutes later in a finely-made outfit with a black silk overvest. The hems were nicely adjusted, but a close inspection would have shown them to be quickly done and slightly uneven. Tucked under one arm was a bundle of his leather armor, carefully folded as well as the thick leather would fold.

Bilbus stopped in front of the greeter and looked around. Erica was nowhere to be found.

"Excuse me. Is this better?" Bilbus asked, an edge just noticeable on his voice.

The greeter sized Bilbus up. "Exquisite, m'Lord."

"Thank you," Bilbus replied sarcastically. "Where is the woman I was with? Azirian? Exotic, with legs beyond compare?"

The greeter pointed across the street. "She joined the Caledonian for dinner."

Bilbus turned and looked at the restaurant. In one of the large windows of the Jewel of Londoun sat Rishala and Erica at a small table. Erica looked up from an appetizer and waved at Bilbus.

The thief grumbled to himself and stomped across the cobblestone to the entrance of the restaurant. He walked past the maitre d', weaving quickly past a pair of waiters carrying large platters. He stopped next to Rishala's table.

The Caledonian looked up at Bilbus. "Are you joining us, too? I may have to get a bigger table."

Bilbus looked at Rishala, then at Erica. Erica stood and adjusted her skirt. Bilbus dropped his bundle of armor into Erica's vacated seat.

"No, we're not joining you. Watch my armor."

Bilbus grabbed Erica's arm. Just before he walked away, Bilbus grabbed a dinner roll from the basket on Rishala's table. He tossed it into the air once and caught it, then dragged Erica out of the restaurant.

A waiter stopped at Rishala's table. "The Lady is not joining you after all, m'Lord?"

"No. I am dining alone."

"Very good, m'Lord." The waiter picked up Erica's wineglass and plate.

Rishala watched Bilbus and Erica cross the street, passing a pair of lavishly adorned horses pulling a carriage. They disappeared into the front of the Carved Tusk.

Inside the Carved Tusk, Bilbus and Erica stopped to look around. The main floor was roomy and dark. It was by no means poorly lit, however. The decor consisted of darkly-colored tapestries hanging on the walls, dark leather-covered chairs, and dark wood flooring. Each of the round tables in the clubhouse had a lit candlestick in the middle, and lanterns overhead provided ample light.

There were a dozen patrons in the clubhouse, all of them richly dressed. Servers moved through the room, each wearing a black jacket and pantalons with a white shirt. A fruity smell permeated the room, just strong enough to be noticeable without being overwhelming.

To one side of the room was a stairwell leading up. Two men stood at the base of the stairs, each with a smallsword strapped to his waist. Neither wore armor, but instead they were dressed like the rest of the staff, sans jacket.

Bilbus walked smartly up to them. "I am here for Lord Silverthorn's party."

The men looked at Bilbus and Erica, then stood aside. "Up the stairs, m'Lord."

Bilbus tipped his head to them, then walked past them and up the stairs with Erica at his side. Halfway up the stairs, Erica stumbled.

Bilbus whispered, "Eric, lift your skirts when you walk up stairs!"

Erica lifted the skirts, exposing bare legs to the knee.

"Not that high!" Bilbus whispered.

Erica lowered the skirts and continued up the stairs without difficulty.

At the top of the stairs was a small landing and a door. Bilbus withdrew a taback stick from his belt pouch. Seizing upon Heka, he directed a weave into the end of the stick as he put it in his mouth. The tip of the stick flared brightly in the dark landing. Bilbus took a deep draw of the bitter vapors of the taback stick, then opened the door and sauntered through.

The entrance was in the corner of the room. The private meeting room of the Carved Tusk was decorated similarly to the public clubhouse below. Dark wooden walls were covered by deep violet tapestries. Several lanterns hung from the walls, providing plentiful light, and there was one other door, on the far wall directly across from the stairwell door.

In the center of the room was a rectangular table with a rich maroon-colored tapestry underneath it. A lone chair sat at one end, with two chairs on one of the long sides and three chairs on the other.

Three men sat at the table. One man sat on one side near the lone chair, nursing a glass of pale, golden wine. He was middle aged, with silver creeping into his dark hair. His clothing was that of a wealthy merchant, with fine fabrics in several layers. Opposite him were two men. The one in the middle of the three seats looked to be from the lowest social station of the men present. He wore clothing that was pricey for a commoner. His flaming red hair suggested he was not from Londoun. He held a crystal goblet of dark purple wine. Next to him, farthest from the lone chair, was a man who was obviously a noble. His clothing had thread-of-gold highlights, and he carried himself with the arrogance of a man who expected others to obey. The cut and style of his clothes was not Kelltic. Bilbus guessed the man was from one of the nations to the west -- either Itala or Iberia. Both the noble and the commoner had servants or assistants standing against the wall behind them.

Bilbus swaggered across the room and took a seat next to the lone man. None of the others acknowledged him, not even glancing up as Bilbus sat down on the leather-bound chair. Erica walked behind Bilbus to stand against the wall, looking casually at the servants across the room from her.

The other door to the private room opened. A servant, female in this case yet still dressed like those downstairs, walked up to Bilbus and handed him a menu. Bilbus opened it and scanned through the lists. Every item in the menu was a wine. The first page was labeled "Price Wines", and listed wines that Bilbus would have placed in a finer category. None of the wines had a price associated with it, Bilbus noticed. His finger ran down the list and stopped at one.

He really is listed here, Bilbus thought as he looked at "Scowling Knight Wine". The description was terse. "Rich, full-flavored, very bitter; unusual." The description had three grapes drawn after it. I guess they don't how to describe it. It still rated three of five, though.

Bilbus continued to thumb through the menu. The last page was titled "Exotic Wines". There were two. Half-shutting his eyes, Bilbus picked one at random. If this Lord Silverthorn is picking up the tab, I may as well enjoy it. To the server, Bilbus read the name of the wine. "Verdant Meadows."

The server nodded and took the menu from Bilbus. He walked back through the door and shut it.

The next minute was very quiet, save for one of the servants coughing quietly to himself. The server returned holding a crystal goblet that was half-filled with a green liquid. The green was far too bright for the ambient lighting, as if it were glowing on its own. It was also opaque. While some sort of light was visible through the wines the other three men had, none came through the Verdant Meadows.

The server placed the wine on the table in front of Bilbus. The thief picked it up and swirled the goblet slowly while holding it under his nose. The smell was far more complex than it should have been. Bilbus could smell wildflowers and grass, along with other smells that he wanted to call "sunshine". Figures, I would pick an elven wine.

Bilbus noticed the other three men sitting at the table were looking at him now. The noble across from him had raised eyebrows, and the commoner next to the noble looked unbelieving.

I drink this, and I'm likely to be asleep for a week. Or dead. Or maybe it won't do anything to me. Different elven wines had different effects, sometimes even from sip to sip. Bilbus raised the goblet to his lips and tipped it back. The green liquid touched his closed lips, numbing them immediately. Bilbus put the goblet back on the table and nodded to the noble across from him while hoping none of the wine on his lips could seep into his mouth.

Downstairs, in the main clubhouse, Sturm sat at one of the tables. He had several crystal goblets in front of him -- one of each of the other "Price" wines. He picked up one of the goblets and sipped experimentally. "Not bitter."

He put the goblet down and picked up another one. Another sip. "Also not bitter. Maybe I should cut back on the willow bark in my wine?"

An expression of confusion crossed his face briefly before he was distracted by someone unusual entering the club.

The person wore a loose gray riding cloak with a deep hood that was pulled up to hide the face. He was tall and thin, a far cry from Sturm's own large muscular frame. He walked quickly to the stairs that led to the private room, and the two guards at the foot of the stairs stepped aside quickly as the person approached. Lord Silverthorn walked up the stairs and out of sight.

Sturm watched the stairwell for a moment, then looked at the two guards at the base of it. Both seemed nervous, but they were trying hard to hide their discomfort.

Across the street, in the Jewel of Londoun, Rishala took a break from his meal. A carriage had stopped in front of the Carved Tusk for nearly a minute. It would not have been unusual -- he had seen several stop there before -- but this one had heavy curtains drawn.

Rishala picked up his crystal goblet and swirled the wine within it, pretending to be intrigued with it. As he did so, he quietly shaped an intricate weave of Heka, moving it like a net towards the windowless second floor of the Carved Tusk. Shutting his eyes, Rishala concentrated on "seeing" what the net of the clairvoyance casting covered. All he saw was gray.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Rishala moved the net to another location on the second floor. There, too, he saw only gray. The next minute revealed that all of the second floor was likewise protected from scrying. That, or I messed up the casting.

Rishala moved the net up a floor and concentrated on seeing through it again. This time he saw that he was looking over someone's office. Satisfied that his weaving was correct but the region he wanted to watch was magickally shielded, Rishala released the weave.

He shaped a new weave, subtly different, and dropped it over the corner of the second floor.

The only sound he heard was a continual low hissing roar.

Rishala let that casting unwind as well. He muttered quietly under his breath, "Good luck, Bilbus. You and Eric are on your own."

In the private room on the middle floor of the Carved Tusk, Bilbus turned his head casually towards the door as the cloaked figure entered.

The newcomer pulled the hood of his cloak back and glanced across the room. Bilbus felt his heart quicken as he looked at Lord Ayarmis Silverthorn.

Bilbus had grown up in Brallian, the capitol of Eiresud. Stories had abound there about elves, those capricious beings from the parallel world of Phaeree. The elves were never a race to be dealt with lightly, despite their haughty and self-important attitude. Even the most "normal" of elves could change moods faster than the blink of an eye, and they never had qualms about killing humans outright if the human offended them, or annoyed them, or talked to them, or breathed the very same air.

In Brallian, there was a large quarter of the town devoted to the elves. Elves frequented the city, traveling overland from their sylvan cities in the Elven Forest several days' ride away.

It was rumored that there was a gateway between the worlds of Oerth and Phaeree within the Elven Forest, but no humans were permitted into the elven lands, save along one specially designated road that led to a large town/bazaar called "The Marketplace". Those people foolhardy enough to leave the road, or to try to enter the forest from another route, simply never returned.

But, even the capricious and haughty elves seemed nervous to discuss some denizens of Phaeree, especially their brethren, the so-called "dark" elves. These beings, who also were called "drow", were said to be as dark of skin as they were dark of hearts. They took the worst traits of elves and added a malevolent aura that wrought fear even in the fairer races of the fay folk.

Bilbus found that the rumors of darkness were not exaggerated. Lord Silverthorn's skin was blacker than pitch. Bilbus had heard that the peoples of al-Rhayidh were "black", and he had even seen some of them in Eiresud, but the "black"est humans were pale in comparison to Lord Silverthorn.

Silverthorn's shock of hair was silvery-white and long enough to cover his shoulders. His sharply-pointed ears framed the finely-chiseled face of an elf, and his purple eyes seemed almost to glow in the blackness surrounding them.

The drow walked across the room, dropping his cloak on the floor carelessly as he did so. Ayarmis wore shimmering black silken trousers under a flowing, royal purple shirt and a deep blue vest. He carried a medium-sized self bow in one hand that was fashioned from a deep purple wood. On his hip hung a black-hilted rapier that caused Bilbus to sit up slightly. The ornate workmanship of the crossguard and hilt was a match to the adamantine sword Bilbus had recovered from Cadell months before.

Well, we know who made my sword... the thief thought quietly to himself. He desperately wanted to glance over his shoulder at Erica to gauge her reaction to this dark elf walking past the table. Bilbus knew he dared not draw attention too quickly.

Ayarmis spoke, his voice at once melodic and sinister. "So, someone chooses to be late to this eve. The Great Lord will enjoy that one sooner than planned."

Lord Silverthorn leaned his purple bow against the empty chair on the far side of the table. He sat down in the chair at the head of the table and leaned back into it. He draped his left leg over the left armrest, his face quickly taking on a bored and impatient expression.

The server once again entered the meeting room. She walked to the end of the table and offered the menu to Lord Silverthorn. Her expression never changed as she saw the dark elf sitting in the chair in front of her.

Silverthorn ignored the offered menu. He flipped a hand casually towards her, as if waving her off. "Pale Essence," he said.

He waited, tapping a single finger against the table. The server returned with a goblet upon a tray. The goblet had a deep red liquid in it, thick enough that light did not shine through. She held the tray near Lord Silverthorn until he took the goblet.

He lifted the goblet to his nose and swirled it gently. Taking a deep sniff, the drow then sipped from the goblet. He set it on the table. His lips had the red wine upon them. Bilbus shivered quietly; it looked like the drow's lips were covered in blood.

Ayarmis licked his lips, then looked upon the four men sitting at the table. "Bilem d'Artice, well come from Itala. Your business in Clemendeev goes well, I trust. Franz Stalgraf, well met again. I look forward to your hospitality this evening. Shain o'Miere, Soon shall I visit your town of Brallian." Ayarmis locked his gaze upon Bilbus. "You. Whom do you represent? Axransa or Ezeka?"

Bilbus kept his gaze on the drow while uttering a silent prayer that he was not sweating as badly as he thought he was. "I represent Ezeka, in Caledonia. We have..."

"Fine. You shall update me on your business in a moment. It appears that Axransa will be a concubine to the Great Lord in more than just name."

The drow sipped slowly from his thick red wine. He looked into the drink, as if lost in thought.

He turned to the man in the middle chair opposite Bilbus. "Shain. What news have you?"

Shain sat forward in his seat, looking nervously towards the drow less than two paces away from him. "Lord Silverthorn, the Lady Baroness ordered me to gain control of the harbors of Brallian, the capitol of Eiresud. This I am doing.

"Elder Harbor Master Lahiff is very old and frail. After much effort, I have convinced him to name me the new Elder Harbor Master. There will be several more experienced Harbor Masters who will be very unhappy with his choice, but I will be able to deal with them as needed.

"Since I have been the Harbor Master in charge of the Western Seaward quarter of the harbor, I have been able to steer certain appropriate traffic as needed. Currently, we have two warehouses available to house the Wet Foot Tribe privateers and the early troops for the occupation forces."

Ayarmis nodded to himself. He set his goblet on the table and swirled a single finger in the wine, absently stirring it. "Well and good news, Shain o'Miere." Ayarmis shifted his attention towards the nobleman sitting next to Shain. "And what does our Western representative have to tell?"

Bilem sipped casually from his wine. "The Claw Fang Tribe have proven their worthiness again." He spoke with the casualness of a man addressing a peer. "I directed some of their operations in northern Itala with some success. Nearly a dozen isolated villages on the frontiers disappeared without a trace. The Lady Edralve congratulated me personally for supplying the labor for our mines in Suderpol as well as plenty of souls for the Forges.

"The Claw Fang Tribe has amassed full strength and gathered several lesser tribes in Western Avillonia. They marched north to the dwarven kingdom of Clemendeev. The dwarves were not ready for the strength of the attack, and their armies are falling farther and farther towards their capitol, Altspire. Some of the Claw Fang scouts had apparently been close enough to Altspire to see it for themselves. The main body of the Claw Fang army will besiege the Altspire within a few weeks, and I do not expect it to survive for long.

"The Shadow Kindred have been superlative in organizing and encouraging the orcs."

Ayarmis sipped again from his goblet. "The Shadow Kindred can be very motivational when they choose to be." The drow looked at Bilbus again, his gaze icy. "What news has Ezeka dispatched that he was unwilling to bear to me himself?"

Bilbus shifted uncomfortably. "Ezeka has placed Seamus upon the throne. He sent edicts to remove the Church Knights and the Church from Caledonia. We have suffered some setbacks, however, m'Lord." Bilbus could not read the drow's expression. "The deposed king has vanished from the crypts where he had been kept. We need reinforcements to find this king and the persons responsible for his rescue."

Ayarmis stared at Bilbus for several seconds. "It is well that Ezeka did not deliver the news himself. Even so, I am tempted to cut your heart out just to send Ezeka a reminder that his masters do not suffer failure lightly." The drow shrugged. "No matter. Franz, my friend, please do not keep me in suspense."

Franz, sitting next to Bilbus, smiled and took a long draw from his goblet, emptying the crystal of its wine.

"The peace between the various rival underworld Guilds and families has held for several weeks. The Guilds are working together more than ever, and they will be willing servants of the Great Lord. Many of them are looking forward to controlling the regions of the city that they have been promised.

"The Portal in Camelough completed growing, and two Fingers of orcs have been able to travel through from Erelhei Cinlu to Camelough. A full Fist will be in position and ready to move by Samhain.

"I have some bad news. We have had problems with one of our ships. Somebody stole the Sea Ghost from us. We captured the agent who was given the ship, and we were able to capture his masters later. I sent the masters to Lady Edralve. I released the agent after Ngatet talked to him. The Sea Ghost never returned from Noyonne, and I suspect that our prisoners have escaped."

Ayarmis glanced towards Bilbus. "Perhaps these same troublemakers stole our prisoner. Ezeka was a sentimental fool for keeping the old king alive. Sentiment has no place in our operations.

"We will need to prepare a seeker to find these missing people. Their agent should serve this purpose well, since he knows them. Franz, fetch him and have Ngatet teach him.

"The Lady Baroness will be pleased with your reports. The intrigues of Erelhei Cinlu should not be of consequence. The people of the city support House Eilservs over House Kilsek, and they will provide ample levy when Baroness Eclavdra demands it.

"Some additional information, to show you how close the Great Lord is to his return: The Stone Fist Tribe have completely closed the Middle Range, except for the heavily-trafficked route through Arabel Cinlu. The Sun Knights are taking increasing casualties trying to reopen trade routes across the Middle Range. In spite of an increased presence of knights, the Stone Fist Tribe has conducted almost a dozen raids against villages and other communities in the area. We expect the Tree Eater Tribe to contact Stone Fist soon, in order to cut the Dales off from the Kingdom.

"Some of my sympathetic brethren in the Elven Forest are aware of the Lady Baroness's plans. I have also been told that my brethren will not interfere with our plans, and that they are most likely going to abandon that forest and return to Phaeree within the year, once our operations become less secretive."

The room was quiet for nearly a minute as Lord Silverthorn ignored the humans in his presence.

Bilbus coughed quietly, then looked at the drow. "Lord Silverthorn? Who will run the Dales once they are cut off?"

Ayarmis glanced at Bilbus, then sipped again from his wine. "The Tree Eaters Tribe."

Bilbus nodded. He then looked at Shain, sitting across the table and concentrating on his wineglass. "Shain, how are you going to run the entire harbor, what with the Guild masters down there? I understand that one of the Thieves' Guilds has a strong interest in the operations of the harbor."

Shain looked at Bilbus. "We will take care of them when the time comes. I will lead him along, so he thinks he influences Harbor Master policies, then I will watch him hang from a rope when the occupation forces arrive."

Bilbus nodded again to himself.

The quiet settled again on the meeting room. Ayarmis broke the silence at last. "Franz, we need to find where Axransa is. Let us adjourn to your offices to query Ngatet."

Franz nodded. "Of course, Lord Silverthorn."

Ayarmis looked impatiently at the other people in the room. "You may leave."

Bilbus stood and waited as the other two agents and their attendants left. He and Erica followed them, the last out of the meeting room that still held Ayarmis Silverthorn and Franz Stalgraf.

At the base of the stairs, Bilbus leaned closely to Erica. He whispered in her ear, "Go across the street. Tell Rishala what we've heard. I'm going to go let Sturm know what's happening."

Erica nodded and moved towards the door. Bilbus watched her walk a few paces, then shook his head as it once more settled on him that Erica was his friend Eric, transformed into a woman through alchemical magicks.

Bilbus sidled up next to Sturm's table as the Sun Knight set another of the wine goblets back on the table. Seeing Sturm's confused expression, the thief offered, "Yes, no other wine is bitter."

Sturm did not acknowledge the thief. He growled quietly, "Go away. You might be watched."

Bilbus wanted to kick himself for not thinking of the danger. He walked out the front door of the Carved Tusk and stood several paces from the door, waiting idly.

Back to the previous chapter: Swords

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Original Draft 30 July 2001

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