|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | | + | Delete. |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] With Calibration's end, the season returns to Icehome with a vengeance. Father Winter's carefully crafted snowflakes pour from the skies, and harsh winds howl around the edges of the Greenfield. Snow drifts and accumulates along the summer streets and the roofs of Icehome's wooden arcades, but no shutters cave inwards yet - winter is still young.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The days are chill, the nights nearly deadly, and only under the covered streets and enclosed markets do people linger, and then not long. Everyone is eager to return to a comfortable hearth, warm company, and beer. Amidst the cold, the repair of the city continues.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Burned homes are torn down, new structures raised, and twisted bodies given to the firepits outside the town. Icehome rebuilds, and recovers, and a month slowly passes.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The Tomb lies relatively quiet. The lee of Citadel Rock protects both the oblong rectangle of the building and all its outbuildings from the worst of the snowfall, but many of the barracks are empty, with both First and Third scales departed on missions. The muted atmosphere in the Tomb presents a marked contract to the festivity of Calibration. But the Once Dead, as ever, have work to do.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Kekkonen and Spritely Otter find themselves standing before the office of scalelord Soldas, summoned once again to his presence.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Sleek Otter spends her time sniffling in her rooms, or whirling about on the practice yards, jabbing about with spears with reckless strength. She carefully ignores Elk when their paths cross.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Now she stands in front of Soldas with raw eyes and a suspiciously red nose.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekkonen grins to himself looking over the room. The others laughed at Soldas behind his back, and Kekk did as well, times enough, but he seemed a fine man. Sure he ordered them around a lot, but what else did commanders do? Someday it would be him in a room like this, boots up with something expensive in a glass, and gold all around. He'd try to find a tapestry like that too, all swirling with silver thread picking out the weapons.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] As Kekkonen and Otter file into the scalelord's office, they find that they are the last to arrive. The scalelord himself resides behind his scattered desk and two figures stand before it. One of them is the one they call Jonah the Lad, a man of about twenty who seems younger, with boyish features, short blond hair, and a slim figure. Perhaps to compensate for this, he is given to bragging
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] about his sexual conquests often and loudly. The other soldier is Elk.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Have a seat," Soldas says laconically. For once, he seems somewhat relaxed. His hands don't even shake as he sorts through the paper work on his desk. "This shouldn't take long."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekk frowns as Beast is kept out of the room by some underling or other, then remembers. The carpet. Got to remember these things when you aren't in the woods. He looks at it appreciatively as he takes his seat. Their boots didn't seem to be doing it any good, but it looked fancy enough.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter sits down in the furthest chair from Elk. She folds her hands in her lap and looks at Soldas steadily, as a way of avoiding looking at ...him.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Elk studiously avoids looking at either of the newcomers. His leg, though still splinted, has healed enough to allow him to walk. Jonah heaves a sigh as he drops into a chair, kicking out his legs.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Nothing big this time," Soldas repeats, as if to reassure himself. "Assignment's for a full fang, but we're a few short. The four of you can handle it just fine, I'm sure. It's just some raven hunting."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Raven hunting?" Otter ventures, when a glance at the others sees them nodding in comprehension.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He grins. "Which ones?" Figures they'd call him in for hunting.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "This one is a bit strange, though," Soldas frowns. "It's not often we get two deserters at once. It's a pair from the Fifth Scale. You might know them. Gentle Sparrow and Jondar. Not exactly the pair you'd expect..." He shrugs. "They were supposed to report three days ago. No one has seen them for a week. Additionally, a number of our finer weapons are missing from the armory. We believe
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] they have stolen them."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "You know the mission. Bring them back so they can stand trial, or make sure they don't need to."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He nods. "Any preference?" Easier to bring back corpses, or just bury them wherever they found them, but sometimes the leaders got particular, and he figured best way to join them was to make them happy.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter bites her lip. "Are you sure it's not some kind of...hunting accident, or something?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Usual rules. Alive is better, but if you can't manage it and you can't bring the bodies..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "...bring the ravens." Jonah finishes, sounding slightly uneasy. Few like this duty.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "An accident?" Soldas shakes his head. "Unlikely. They'd have to be dead to miss their rounds this long for any legitimate reason. Nor is either the hunting type... our archivist can make their records available to you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] He pushes a piece of paper across the table, marked with a wax seal. "That's an investigatory writ. It may help. But you should hurry. They have a head start."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Right" they always had ideas like that. Fish'd told him to get his raven somewhere he could do without. It was flapping on the inside of his left ring finger, normally covered by a glove.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter looks queasy.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Do they have...friends?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She asked Elk thoughtlessly, then blushes to the roots of her hair and turns aside. "Do they?" she demands of Jonah.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He shrugs. "Did, doubt many of em want to stad by 'em now." None of them were in this room, of course.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "An interesting question. One that reminds me of a caution..." Soldas looks down for a moment before raising his eyes to look over the group. "Scalelord Murta of the Fifth tells me that some may resist your questioning. Jondar was well liked by the scale, and few like to help the raven hunters."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Elk coughs uncomfortably. Jonah shrugs his slim shoulders.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Hell if I know. I don't think Sparrow did, I remember hearing someone named Sparrow was gettin' shit on. But maybe that was in second scale... I can't keep track of women very well." He flashes Otter a wink.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She looks at him blankly, then turns to Kekk. "Maybe we should talk to them first? Find out why Sparrow was- you know?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "We can talk to them when we catch 'em. Don't mean to make a noise by them before that."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "If there are no further questions, you are free to go." Soldas waves his hand, then stops suddenly. "Who will be in command?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Elk remains silent, as he has for the entire proceeding. Jonah scuffs his boots loudly on the floor.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter lifts her chin. "I will," she says, glancing at the others each in turn, daring them to object. She would be Chief. She could do it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekk slaps himself on the chest, grinning. Fish always told him he'd be a boss man some day, why not now? Specially as Fish wasn't with them.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Soldas gives a grunt and a dismissive wave of his hand. "Deal with it yourselves. I'll write the name on the report when you return."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter glares at him and sniffs. Such a poor leader. An expedition with a divided command was likely to fail.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He nods. Smart, let the dogs settle it out themselves. That'd happened whenever he added a new dog to the sled team, wouldn't have helped any for him to stop them from fighting, just given them a chance to ignore his orders.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He grinned slightly leaving the room. If one of the dogs came back torn up, well, he hadn't been strong enough to pull anyway, like enough. It happened. He didn't have to bend at all to scratch Beast behind the ears as the dog joined them down the hall.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Elk files out silently, once more avoiding contact with Otter and hastening to put Jonah between them. The other man doesn't seem to mind, walking alongside her comfortably. "So, what first?" he asks, gently touching her elbow.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She inhales sharply. Leadership. She could do this. "We stop by the barracks and corner anyone around for info, gather our gear, and head out."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "The Archive will probably let us look at their files as well," Elk mentions softly. He lifts up the piece of parchment Soldas pushed across the desk, as no one else had reached for it. "This should get us in."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] It was hard to be deaf to a third of her squad and be chief. She snatches the paper from him and looks at the others. "Who can read?" she demands from the other two, since she knew Elk couldn't.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekk shrugs, glaring. Well, they could have a talk later, with less people about. Maybe after they left the city. So many people around here, so many ears, so hard to be completely alone. Yeah, wait and have a talk some night out in the snow.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I read... a little..." Jonah offers at last. "Cipher some, too. I used to be a... uh... ship's record boy."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She nods and hands the paper to him. "Find out what you can- especially hometowns, places they might run, things that happened that might make them run."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She spits out the orders at a rapid, rolling clip, fast and sure enough that others might believe she had any business giving them.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Nothin' like a woman with authority," Jonah asserts, giving a slight nod as he slips away.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He scratched his side, thinking over whether he should ignore her first order to him, to make a point.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Elk, get the kits together. You know what we need - pack at least a week's cold rations." That disposed of him neatly. "Kekk, you and me are gonna start talking to their associates."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Elk mumbles something, mostly glad to be out of the way, and heads off to the storehouses.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "You can show me where the Fifth bunk," Otter says, looking at Kekk. The dim light makes her look particularly young, and her plump cheeks that spoke of lingering babyfat. A flying squirrel climbs up her shoulder at chitters at him.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He spits at the floor. Figures, something he couldn't not do or look like a fool, out of the action. He strides ahead of her, not talking on the way.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter lets out a sigh of relief, and hurries on short legs to keep up. It was like her father always said. Just talk loud.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Though the Tomb itself is a square stone structure above ground, the barracks radiate around it, connected by a series of underground tunnels that are, if chilly, warmer than the outdoors. Kekkonen leads the way down the tunnel towards the Fifth Scale's barracks, and at length, the Once Dead emerge in the mostly empty room. A few figures look up disinterestedly as they enter before returning
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] to weapon maintenance, dice games, or drinking.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "We're here about Sparrow an' Jondar," he says loudly from the door, wanting to get the first word in.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Raven hunters. Fuck off," someone - it's not clear who - mutters sullenly.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter's eyes narrow. That idiot- now each of them would shut their mouths and be thinking of stories. "Not gonna do that," she says. "Don't any of you leave." She'd tell Kekk to shut the door, now, loudly- but she figured he wouldn't, so she shuts it herself with a loud, iron clang.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] They glare at him sullen, and he points at the second smallest of the lot. Smallest was like to be mean, used to fighting for his place. Second smallest was usually weakest, just joining in with the others and keeping out of the way, so as not to be the target of the pack. Least thats what he'd seen in his dogs.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Her eyes swoop around, then settle on a man sitting alone, methodically rubbing a sword with a cleaning cloth, though it already gleamed like a slice of the moon. Guilt? She perches herself on the bench opposite him and starts with the questions. He is monosyllabic and uncooperative at first, but she fastens on his answers like a puppy on a bone and tugs the information loose.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He drags him off to another room, alone to eyes at least, though he was sure someone was listening in. He pushes him in a chair and leans large over him, scarred face staring down. "Know where they went?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The man Kekkonen has seized is thin and wiry, his brown hair tangled, his every motion full of nervous, useless energy like a sled pup. His left eye is milky, and stares blindly out into space. He trembles as the other looks down at him, and then snaps, in a fit of nervous, scared anger.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Don't know nothing."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Don't know why Jondar went. Sparrow's stupid."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Don't be talking to the people outside. You're talking to me." He grins down at the man, a violent leer. Beast raises his hacles and makes a soft sound in his throat. "Why's she stupid?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Never pays attention to anything. Forgets to polish her weapons. Forgets to watch for Icewalkers. Got Bright Eyes killed." His left eye rolls crazily, while his other focuses on the dog. "That dog don't eat people," he mutters sullenly, as if trying to convince himself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Thats right, nice and soft, talk to my ears. How'd Bright Eyes die? And if she's so bad, what did Jondar see in her?" He figured the man was following her. He was steady, from what he'd heard. Wasn't the first time someone made a fool of himself in heat.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I don't know," the man moans again. "I don't. She's not pretty. She's stupid. We were hunting Icewalkers. She was on watch. They sneaked past and killed some of us. Bright Eyes too."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Was he close to her? You see them together a lot recently? He hate her less than the rest of you after that, I bet." That or maybe one killed the other and ran. From the man's mood, Jondar would've been fine, noone liked her much, and the Once Dead were already dead far as the authorities were concerned less someone brought it to them.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] But maybe she got him, and ran off, fraid of vengeance.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "He was nice to her. Even after. I don't know why. She's stupid."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Anything happen with either of them in the last few weeks, anything to make them bolt? New orders come down? Any odd visitors?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Nothing. If she wouldn't leave after- Nothing."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "After what? After getting you guys killed? Or did you do something to her after that?" It seemed likely, punishment in the ranks, if they all blamed her for the nigth raid. He'd have done something.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Somebody beat her up. I don't know who. She deserved it." He glares up at the other man to hide his fear. "But that was two months ago. She didn't leave."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "B-but-" he stammers slightly. "Last week. She did get a letter. I brought it down. With the mail. I always bring it down. And her name was on it. I know the names. And she got a lot of letters."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Oho, he grinned again, happier this time. "This one look different? From someone new, or had you seen one from them before?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Had the same brown paper," he offers. This is not exactly a smoking gun. "Don't know who sent it. She got lots."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "How often she get letters? They always look the same?" He picked the right man, he knew it. This one was stuck with the shit jobs, well more than the rest, always plenty of shit in the Once Dead. And look how it had payed out.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Maybe once a month? They always looked the same." He shrugs. An occasional twitch strikes him now and then.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "What about Jondar, he get mail? Stop going drinking with the rest of you as often? Anything change recently?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Never any mail for him. He's not from here. He seemed just the same, but he was mad over what happened to her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Wheres he from?" He'd always wondered what sort of place they cut bits off men. Fucking Realm, most like. "Wheres she from for that matter?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] He shrugs again. "Don't know. East, probably. She was from here."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "From Icehome 'here,' or somewhere else?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Some tribe. Rabbit?" He shrugs. "She's stupid."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He frowns, beginning to suspect his man was too. "Anything else odd about the last few weeks - new orders, just get back from another mission?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Nothing really. Well. Calibration. But after that, it's been quiet for most of the scales." He says this authoritatively, as if Kekkonen wouldn't know.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Right." He didn't much keep track of the other scales, but nothing much had been up that he'd seen. This letter sounded like it. He stands the man up and walks him out of the room, giving him a firm slap on the back as they left. He grinned at the hostile eyes, watching both of them now. Never hurt to divide potential enemies a bit.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter leans forward, her eyes bright and focused on the smooth polishing motions of the man across from her, looking like an avaracious chipmunk.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "So why'd Jondar and Sparrow take off?" she asks casually.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The man Otter has cornered, who grudgingly gives his name as Stalwart Oak, neglects to answer many of her questions at first, seemingly focused on cleaning his already gleaming blade. He is clearly frustrated.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Couldn't begin to tell you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "You can end, then," she says innocently enough. "Then where'd they go? Jondar was a solid man, I hear."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "He was a good man, yes." He smiles a little. "Well, half of one. He wouldn't desert. Maybe her, she was as worthless a soldier as I've ever seen, but not him."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "What's your man doing to Walleye? He's not... well, he's not a bright man."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Her man. Otter strugges to keep a flicker of a triumphant smile off her face. "Just talking,"she reassures him, though she's far from sure herself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She feels slightly queasy again, envisoning Kekk driving a fist into the little man's stomach. "Just talking," she repeats.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "If they didn't desert, where'd they go? Did they hunt together? Religious exercises?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I didn't say she didn't desert. I said he didn't. He was a good man. Saved the life of about half this scale at one point or another. Y'know what we called him? Mother. Didn't even piss him off."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "You don't want to know what we called her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Huh. Think he tried to track her down, persuade her to come back?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I don't know. They were close, even after what happened during our last operation against the Icewalkers. She couldn't read- she was from one of the Emeralds, and you know the tribes. Want to call themselves part of the League, can't even write its name. He would read things to her and write things for her. Letters, I think."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Maybe he was sweet on her, I don't know. As much as half a man could be. I stayed out of it. It was best to stay away from her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Just know it wasn't his fault."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Which of the tribes was she from? Anything happen the past couples that could make her bolt?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "The Rabbit Tribe, I believe. Claim the territory near Fort Bear." Oak clucks his tongue, and for a moment his rough facade falls away. "Shamballa Emerald, I think. Fair Folk raid it occasionally, but I've heard nothing recently. Her father was one of the higher up there. Chief or shaman or warrior or something. Like I said, I stayed out of it."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Fair Folk," Otter mutters, her face darkening. "Did she get any messages recently? Maybe some emergency at home..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The squirrel on Otter's shoulder chitters softly.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] The squirrel has Otter well-trained. She digs into her pocket and hands it a nut. (She had never assaulted its privacy by investigating its gender)
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Not that I noticed, but I ignored her. That was safest. She's probably lucky she didn't get a knife in her back after what she did... but still."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "What did she do?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "We were on an operation against an Icewalker tribe which had been raiding border Emeralds. We had camped for the night, set up watch... and she was on watch. She missed them. They walked right into the center of our camp, and killed several of us, including Bright Eyes, who was always popular in the scale."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Things... didn't go well for her after that. But I wasn't involved in what happened after, and it was months ago."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "She had an excuse, I'm sure."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "She didn't. She swore she was watching, but that had to be a lie. There were over a dozen of them. She couldn't have missed them. She screwed up, simple as that. Not admitting it didn't help her, either."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Huh. Jondar back her up?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "He tried to, but we weren't having any of it. He didn't pay much attention to her back then either. No one much did."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter tilts her head, her voice warming in spite of herself. "So why'd he start?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] If it worked on a eunuch...surely it would work on Elk.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Though Elk was so stupid and stubborn she wasn't sure she even wanted him anymore.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "It was after she was..." he coughs slightly. "Beaten. By the rest of them. I didn't do that. A lot of us didn't. But a lot of us were mad over what had happened, and she was alone, and..." He looks down. "It was pretty bad. Jondar... I guess he felt sorry for her after that, who knows. But it was months ago."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Where's he from? Maybe they were the same tribe or something."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Or maybe a religious fanatic who knew something about the tricks Fair Folk played.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Nexus. He used to be a Guild merchant guard. He apparently slept with the wrong Guild factor's lover, and wound up gelded, and then with the Once Dead."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Too bad Rabbit couldn't be gelded.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Who else should I talk to?
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She glances around the room. A seedy bunch.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I couldn't tell you," Oak answers. "You'll get the same story out of most of them, she wasn't liked. No one's going to fess up to hurting her. But- wait, I do remember something." He pauses for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. "The Guild... that does remind me... it's probably nothing, but I remember six months or so ago, when she first joined the scale, she asked me for help because
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] I'm lettered."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Yeah? What'd you read for her?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I helped her fill out some form for the Guild. Some sort of promissary note. I guess she wanted to sign over some of her salary to them for some reason."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter nods. "We'll talk to them. Thanks!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Remember which guild agent?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "It was with the bureau here. I couldn't tell you more."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Appreciate it. I'll let you get back to polishing your sword."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She's cheerful and innocent enough it almost sounds like she doesn't realize the double entendre.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] He grunts, not responding to the jest. "Listen- I know it doesn't matter to you. But whatever you suspect - he didn't do it. He wouldn't steal from the Once Dead, or desert. Just... keep that in mind."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She nods solemnly. "Of course."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He looks over the room, hostile eyes and Otter in the corner with the same one she'd been with before, noone left nothing new. He doesn't meet anyones eyes, wanting to pick his own man, not have to react to a challenge.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He picks another, biggish and more angry looking that the rest, staring at the idiot slumping off. Maybe someone worried about him talking, maybe someone who didn't like the man. Either way. He points an imperious finger. "You, come here."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter stands up abruptly and waves to Kekk, charging over to him when he doesn't immediately react. "I have a lead!" she tells him, grabbing his hand. "Come on!" She pulls him toward the door.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He scowls at her grabbing him, but follows her out, more wrapped up in their competition than the mission. "I got one too."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "What's yours?" Otter asks, letting him go once she's sure he's trotting at her heels. She smiles, pleased all over again.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "She gets letters, regular. Got one just before they left, same brown paper. He's been reading them for her." He hurries to catch up, but somehow she was faster than him, longer legs or no.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "From home, maybe? She's the daughter of some uppity-up from the Rabbit tribe, out near Fort Bear. They've got problems with Fair Folk. She's in debt to the Guild for something- we're finding out what." She picks up her speed even further, then slows down to ask sheepishly, "Where's their HQ?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] At the end of the hall, Otter nearly runs into Jonah, who has returned from the archives. His face is flush and slightly sweaty, as if the very act of reading has exhausted him. "I went through their files," he announces with a flourish and a nod.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter beams at him. "What'd you find out?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She says it quick before Kekk can.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He grimaces but lets it stand. Out in the snow, he reminds himself. He wasn't good enough with words to get into it public.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Jondar's been with the Once Dead for nearly five years... he joined a Prince, on the run from Guild authorities. He's never been written up before. Gentle Sparrow joined a year ago, finished training and has been with the Fifth Scale for about six months... only one weird thing on her record, a visit to the Sickhouse a few months ago."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Looks like it was pretty bad, a broken arm, some busted ribs. Can't figure it out."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Beaten up by those guys in there," Otter says briefly. "Well, lead us to the Guild HQ- they can tell us more." Excitement dawns on her face. "Maybe she's on a mission for them!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Think shes been getting letters regular from the Guild? I talked to the mailman, sounds more like the tribe sending news to me." He exaggerates somewhat, mostly contradicting her to make her seem foolish than anything else. He follows the rest though.
| |
| − | | |
| − | -----
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The Guild Headquarters in Icehome is less impressive than most. The Haslanti well remember the Guild's failed attempt to dominate the League, and their presence is loosely tolerated at best. Still, the Guild has tendrils everywhere, and the three-story, squat building near the docks is the most impressive on its freshly tarred street.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The sky is clear and blue overhead, and a biting wind blows through the streets. Sol Invictus shines down, turning snowdrifts a brilliant white and flaring off slate roofs in distant Icehome proper. Only one spot is not touched by the light: Dock Four, shrouded by mist where it juts out across the icy bay.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter trudges cheerfully up to the Guild, not in feeling the cold under her layers of expensive furs and richly embroidered leather. She bangs on the door.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He scowls away from Dock Four, still not wanting to remember that night. A good bit of work, but a bad bad day. He looks instead to the Guilder's building. Seemed odd, after avoiding them so long cept for a quick raid or two for buisness, to be walking up to them. He smiled hard. Had a mandate to look into things too.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] A pair of heavily armed Easterners stand guard at the building's large door. They stare at her suspiciously, but do not move to gut her. Across the street, a pair of long-haired Winter Yeddim low angrily at the noise.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The door opens, revealing a dark faced and dark eyed man in an elegantly cut robe of cotton. A wave of heat rolls out of the opened door - the foreigners must keep it as hot as a forge in there.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Welcome," the man says, inclining his head. "You have business with the Guild?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Yup. We're here to investigate a business arrangment this Guild had with one of our comrades." She grins at the guards. "Better to discuss it off the street."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Ahh..." the man coughs. "Of course... the Guild is a very discreet organization. Still... come in, come in."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Whew," Otter complains as stomps the snow off her boots at the door. "You people like the furnace."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She peels off layers as she follows the guild man in, until her profile is much diminished.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Hastily, the Once Dead are ushered within. The room beyond is ostentatious and opulent, with a pair of enormous fireplaces at either end sending out waves of heat. Tapestries cover the walls - though none are placed too near the flames. Rich rugs cover the floor, and the room is full of strange furniture, worked in ivory and black ash from the Eastern shadowlands, and mother of pearl, and
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] gold, and jade and- well, it's rather a lot to take in.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Jonah gives a low whistle of appreciation, and the man chuckles obligingly as he leads the three down a hall and into a waiting room. "Well," he says amicably, for he could hardly miss the relative wealth of Otter's garments. "We are foreigners, strange in our ways but fair in our dealings."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekk agrees with him, quiet as his habit, but his neck craqnes like the rest, not loosing track of the guards in the room, but taking it all in for a while. This was a good room. He noted the chandelier. He wanted one of those someday, all sparkly sending the candlelight all over. he smiles to himself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter smiles at him. Hard to say whether it's blithe ignorance or sarcasm, but she agrees, "So I have always heard it said. Do you know a character named Gentle Sparrow?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] As the three seat themselves about this more practical, yet still finely appointed room, the man merely shakes his head. "I do not. But we have many customers. You said you are from... an organization?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She doesn't much notice the rich surroundings. Her people measured wealth in heads of caribou and the carved bits of unmelting ice that acknowledged debts owed by the gods.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "The Once Dead. Gentle Sparrow disappeared recently. It seemed she arranged that part of her pay to be paid to the guild. We wondered why that's so." She leans back in her chair with a sigh. She had to admit it was soft.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He waves his left hand at the man, flapping his Ravened finger.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "The Once Dead..." the man raises an eyebrow. "You should have proof-" He looks at Kekkonen's distinctive tattoo, and raises the other eyebrow. With a frustrated grunt, Jonah rolls up his sleeve to show the raven on his bicep.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter smiles at him. She doesn't offer to show him her tatoo. It's new-inked, still red and raw and covered with bandages beneath her shirt.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He grins, a good moment to get a dig in. "She's new," he indicates her with a nod. "No raven yet, but I'll put my word by her."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "In any case, I do not believe I can reveal the intricacies of our dealings to you. Still, we do have a liason of sorts with your group. A moment." Without waiting to be dismissed, he bobs his head again and vanishes out the door.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter scowls at him. "I do too have my raven. It's just...new. And private."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "You can show me later," Jonah says, kicking back and putting his feet on a rather expensive looking table.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Fancy Simon and Laughing Jek gave it to me," Otter adds, to clinch the matter. She puts her feet up on the table as well.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He grins. "Laughing Jek? Hope you watched it go on, or you might have a surprise on you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "I watched," Otter says haughtily. "And anyway, Fancy Simon is my friend."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] He had listened very patiently as she sobbed her heart out to him on his shoulder.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Fancy Simon is always a friend to women, long enough for him anyway." He'd never had that way with women, men neither. Although cash worked as well for him as anyone else.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] After a few minutes, the door opens again, admitting the newcomer. The guildwoman is tall, and shapely even in her heavy robe, though a jawline that is too strong and a slightly long nose keep her from being a true beauty. Rings glimmer on each of her fingers, and bracelets jangle noisily on her wrists. Long, dark, silken hair falls about her shoulders. When she looks over the assembled
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Once Dead, she gives a sigh and a stiff, brief bow before lowering herself into a chair.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Greetings, emissaries of the Once Dead," she says in a flat, rote tone. "I am Cadda, merchant princess of the Guild, and... liason... to your organization."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He rushes to speak first. "Have you had dealings with Gentle Sparrow?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter inclines her head regally, opening her mouth to ask the question. She snaps it shut and glances at Kekk indignantly when he rushes in with his foolish phrasing.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Yes." A slight smile crosses her face. "I would be able to tell you that even if I were not the liason. But you already knew that, or you wouldn't be here."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter tilts her head. "What was the substance of those dealings?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He scowls, not to his mind a man to make a fool of. "What were those dealings."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He glares at her for being faster. The woman had thrown him off balance.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Cadda looks between the two, her smile quirking up slightly. "Would it be wise for the Guild to reveal the dealings of its customers so flippantly? We are, after all, paid to be discreet."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Would it be wise for the Guild to shelter des- targets of official investigations?" Otter asks bluntly. "You're little tolerated as it is."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "True enough," she says with a slight shrug. Her bracelets jangle. "But deserters come and go, and the Guild abides. Doubtless your Oligarchs see some use in us, or we'd not be here."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter grinds her teeth. "They will see you as of far less use if you break the law and undermine their rule."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "A determined one, isn't she?" Cadda asks the others with a slight chuckle. "Nevertheless, rest easy. It just so happens that I owe your organization a favor I would see repaid quickly and permanently. I will tell you what you want to know. Within reason."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He nudges Jonah with a fist, flicking his fingers fot the letter they'd been given, whatever it was. This was what it was for.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "What were Gentle Sparrow's dealings with the guild?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] The merchant's quibblings irritated her, but Otter keeps her tone even.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "She regularly paid us each month to ship Yellow Spite to Fort Bear. As a practicer of the soft trade, I saw a good amount of that business. Only days ago, she purchased all our remaining stock with a rather suspicious amount of silver. What she did with it, I don't know. If she smoked all of it, you'd be better off calling her out of the Underworld."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Was anyone with her? What silver was it?" He'd knew enough about coins to know which nation's silver to trust. You ran into a lot of bad coins working dark like he'd done for Fish.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Guild ever transport messages or letters along with the drug?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Haslanti silver, of a fairly recent make, as I recall. She came alone, but she seemed worried. She also asked if we had a thaumaturge on hand who could perform meteormancy. I referred her to an associate of the Guild."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I don't believe so. It was to be delivered to a contact in Fort Bear named Wise Grandmother. Little more information was given. We did not seek it."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter nods, thinking. "Anything else?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I can send you to the meteormancer, but I know little else for certain. There were whispers a week or so ago that someone in the Once Dead was attempting to fence weapons. The Guild neglected to bite."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Did the Guild regularly send letters to Sparrow?" He jumps in smiling slightly, an ugly thing. It didn't sound like they did, another cut in the hunted.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "No, the information was kept quiet. Speaking of that, you can tell Avir and Miruna that we're even now. Of course, Avir's always free to come calling if he misses me..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Of course," Otter says, though she didn't even know who Avir was. "We will pass on the ifnormation about the fenced weapons. Thank you." Otter is full of graciousness.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Sparrow had to have gone to Fort Bear!
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "As for the thaumaturge..." Cadda fishes in a drawer, producing a parchment and charcoal, and begins to write hurriedly for a moment before her head snaps up. "Can any of you read?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekk frowns. Fish'd want to know about this, if he didn't already. They'd had the supply lines from the Once Dead to the fences sewn up for a little while, and even if this wasn't an attempt to take it over, attention would be bad. He wondered if any of the underlings had heard anything. He would have to ask them later.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter indicates Jonah, poke-faced.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Cadda shoves the scrap across to him, and he takes it with a nod. "Thank you, madame, you've been most charming. I find it hard to believe you have chosen to visit your attention upon Av... ir..." he trails off at her flat gaze and shrugs.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Well, we won't take up any more of your time," Otters says brightly. "Thank you very much, ma'am."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Unthinkingly, she uses the word in Haslanti that is used for older women.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Yes," Cadda says tightly. "Best to be on your way, calf." She uses the word for a woman who has not yet flowered. Apparently learning to wheedle and cheat in a language leads to such mastery.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Jonah makes a wheezing, honking sound that can only be a repressed laugh.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] Kekkonen levers himself up with a harsh chuckle. He liked this woman. Not enough to take Avir's place of course, but well enough.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter bristles. "Thank you," she says tightly, stands, and flounces out, pulling her rich coats back on as she walked.
| |
| − | | |
| − | -----
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] After the sweltering warmth of the Guild headquarters, the biting cold is almost refreshing. Jonah still complains every step of the way, however, his teeth chattering as he leads Otter along, while Kekkonen slips off to perform some other, probably questionable, manner of "investigation."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter rolls her eyes. "Oh, have my great coat." She says finally, shrugging out of her trailing coat of stitched-together otter furs. You great baby. She was still snug in a lined leather undercoat.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "You'd think I'd get used to this place being so. damn. cold," he complains, even as he puts on the coat. It fits his slim frame easily. The pair of them wind through the snowy dock district, crunching along recently tarred streets. This meteormancer couldn't be too wealthy, or he'd be located in a nicer neighborhood.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "It's barely even winter," she reminds him, wondering where he came from that people were so soft.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She wrinkles her nose as she steps around a pile of nightsoil. Filthy cities.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "It doesn't get this cold in the W-West," he says defensively. "Unless you're in the dead waters around Skullstone. But then you've got bigger problems." The area that they finally stop in isn't the worst. The wooden buildings on either side of the street occasionally feature among their number one that is freshly painted. The one that the thaumaturge lives in isn't. Paint peels from its
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] walls, and the door almost seems to hang askew.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Around the pair, the neighborhood is quiet. An old woman makes her way through the snow with difficulty. Across the street, a young man determinedly swings a wooden sword under the critical eye of a massive, brutal man that leans out a window, occasionally shouting instructions.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Hello?" Otter says cautiously, poking her head inside.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] A fire is burning in the communal hearth, though it is poorly tended. A narrow staircase winds upward. The air is heavy with a languid reek.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Opium," Jonah opines.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Yuck," Otter says, lifting her coat carefully up to avoid brushing any of the furniture. "We need to talk to you!" she shouts as she mounts the stairs.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Atop the stairs the two find a brightly painted door, scoured with runes and symbols that make no sense to Otter. Jonah reads, "The Secrets of theDKMortals/[[SessionFourteen/Ancients]] await within theDKMortals/[[SessionFourteen/Silence]] of all knowledgeDKMortals/[[SessionFourteen/Never]] before witnessedDKMortals/[[SessionFourteen/You]] are welcome. What the hell?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Enter, if you seek guidance," a voice calls from within.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Otter pushes open the door and enters, her nose wrinkled and her dismay with the surroundings poorly concealed.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] The room is heavy with smoke - it stings the eyes and the lungs alike, and it hangs in billowing clouds around the ceiling. Some of it is doubtless opium smoke, but more rises from circles of burning candles, braziers, and incense. Magic hangs from the rafters - wooden necklace walkaways, iron discs, fertility charms, bags of salt, strings of dried onions and wolfsbane. An intricate pentagram
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] has been painted on the floor, and a woman sits atop it in the lotus position.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] She is younger than one might expect, bright red hair falling around tanned shoulders. Freckles cover her face, her hands, her arms - even the tops of her bare feet. She opens a pair of striking blue eyes and nods, even a slight smile revealing crooked teeth.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Welcome."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "You do the weather?" Otter says doubtfully, though impressed in spite of herself by the paraphenalia.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Among other things, yes. For the right price." The woman nods.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Jonah scowls at the card in his hand. "Then you must be... Clever Tansy?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Yes."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "We're Once Dead," Otter says briskly, pacing around and then spotting stare in bemused fascination at the sight of a strange-looking fetus kept stoppered up in a jar. She coughs and rags herself away. "We're here to investigate your interactions with Gentle Sparrow."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Are you?" Tansy reaches for a long pipe, taking a drag from it as she waits. "Well, I am discreet in my dealings. I could hardly reveal who was coming to me for love charms, now could I?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Jonah coughs, muttering under his breath, "Whoever they are, they probably leave here smelling like hell."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "You could," Otter contradicts her. "Unless you wanted trouble with the authorities." She covers her nose as a puff of smoke rises from the pipe.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Oh, they wouldn't worry with a little thing like me," she says laconically. "Who sent you over here, anyway?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Guild. So we could find out what you knew."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] Maybe the drug addict would more scared of them than her. Didn't matter. Otter glares at her.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Unbidden, she snatches the piece of paper from Jonah and looks it over. "Well, that's her handwriting... fine... fine... you know, both of you could stand to relax."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "She did come to see me, along with an older gentleman. The pair of them wanted a weather reading."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Whereabouts?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "And when did she come?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "She came... about a week ago, I guess. Difficult to remember completely." She waves her head around as if to indicate the controlled chaos around her. "They wanted a reading of the Fort Bear area, way out in the Eastern League. I told them... well, I told them there were no guarantees."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Before anyone can respond, she holds up a hand defensively.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "It's a long way!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "But it's not like it's impossible. Control the weather? I couldn't do that. I couldn't make it rain in here without selling more body parts than I care to to local elementals, but reading it is easy enough. It's just..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "What did you say? How were they behaving- scared? Excited? Did the man look like an infatuated fool with no penis?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She rattles out her questions in her customary breathless fashion.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I didn't look at his penis," Tansy says evenly, as if her doing so would not in any way be unusual. "They sounded hurried. They particularly wanted to know about the Wyldfog. You know eruptions are very common this time of year."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] As a dweller on the Outwall, Otter is of course well aware that Wyldfog drifts out of isolated Wyld zones during the winter, particularly at the beginning and the end, warping wherever it goes.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She frowned. "Hmm. Well. What did you say?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "That I didn't detect any," she waves her arm suddenly. "And don't get me wrong, I didn't, but... listen, this is all very complicated thaumaturgically, but the way you predict the weather is by measuring certain essence patterns and their trends. You have to ask the elementals... but the Wyld messes up all those patterns... so you have to ask the elementals to feel for what isn't there...
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] and sometimes what isn't there is there and sometimes it isn't, and..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] She has grown slightly flushed, even considering the soporific effects of the drug. "... well, it's not possible to predict completely."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "..you don't know what you're doing."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I-" Her flush deepens. "I am an accomplished thaumaturge, or else the Guild would not employ me. It's simply difficult work. There are no guarantees."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Right," says Otter skeptically.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Well, thank you very much."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Tansy gives a rolling, languid nod and gestures vaguely at the door. "Should you have any further questions about matters mortal or ethereal, feel free to come to me."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] "Of course. Let's go, Jonah."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Otter] She sweeps out.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Even Jonah is hard-pressed to give Tansy much more than a skeptical smile.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He hated leaving the others with Otter. But he needed to get this to Fish, and besides, if he did manage to turn something up he'd have that over her. He was at the docks already, close enough to one of their stock points. It was always easier to do business directly with the ships than go through one of the city's fences, little though the appreciated it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He wandered away from the guild house, making sure to change route a time or two, as Fish always reminded him to do. He didn't notice the winter cold except int eh back of his mind. Beast trotted along by his side, whuffling and sniffing at doorways, stopping to piss time to time. Soon enough they got to a now of buildings he had long since marked and controlled, and he calmed down some.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He walked to an inset door, and knocked hard before keying open the lock. Up some steps, a few apartments in here but all theirs, the ones near the front and back doors given over to stock, and a watchman. The boys lived on the second floor, and Bentfinger met him on the landing, grin crooked as the rest of him.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] A scowl set his straighter. "Heard anything about weapons being dumped from the Tomb recently?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Bentfinger nods his balding head, an awkward movement like a vulture bobbing its neck. "Yep. Yep. Wondered if it was Fish's doing, but it was sloppy, real sloppy."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Fish'd send them through here, less something bad had happened, which it didn't. Someone ran on us. Give me what you know, and sounds like you'll have till the morning to know more." He glowers evilly. "Should've known Fish wasn't that sloppy. Or me." He adds in afterthought.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "That's why it was weird," Bentfinger says apologetically. "An' there ain't much to know, Kekkonen, honest. One of the stupid fences occasionally come in from Tuskstaad got a bite and went for it. Some old rube dumping weapons on the cheap. He got a deal and he got his ass back on an airboat outta here. The old rube got taken."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Find out who it was, the man in Jail specially. I got papers, all official." He grins at this irony. "Meantime, cut back especially on the weapons. Theres going to be people looking into it. Don't let them in."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] Bentfinger nods again in his craven way, his hands working nervously before him. "A' course, Kekkonen, a'course, but... there might be a lot of noise... already. This guy that sold them. The old guy. He was throwin' money around like stupid in the dock taverns."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Talkin' about hiring some body guards. People look twice at that kinda thing."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He scowls. "Then keep real quiet. Is there anyone we sell through that needs quieting before the police get to him? Anyone espeically vulnerable after this? And send Shameless over to the Tomb, I may not be back tonight, and Fish needs to know incase he don't." Shameless was a quick lass, and looked young enough to pass for the two copper messengers running about town.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "I'll send her over... we should be okay, though. I hope. This went down so fast that the militia didn't even have time to see a thing. But... I mean... this guy went to Strong Sully's and all them other bars, someone there has to be askin' where that money came from."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] He nods. "Who do you think they'll roll up? Kerney Left Ring maybe, or Red Bear. Kerney'll keep his mouth shut." He thinks aloud. "Bear know enough to point fingers at us?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Bear doesn't know... but you got bigger problems. Word is the guy tried to hire the Bristling Boars, an' you know about how discreet they are. If they cause trouble, it might go badly." The Boars were less mercenaries than a street gang for hire, and they were not known to be close-lipped in a bad situation.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Fucking people," he mutters, haking his head. The Boars weren't in on their operation, but they'd been around the docks. They probably knew there was a general channel around, and they had dealings with a lot of people, probably someone down there knew.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "They might not've said yes. Or maybe they took his money and shivved him. I don't know. Who would be stupid enough to be this open with that kind of money anyway?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "I guess I better go visit them, put some fear up their arses." He grimaced. A lot of work the night before setting out. "I'd best get on it."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Good luck," Bentfinger gives a twisted salute. "You're gonna need it. We'll make sure them what needs to be warned is."
| |
| − | | |
| − | [Kekkonen] "Know where they like to drink, nights?" He'd find one of them, alone. Maybe hire a whore and have her trawl one of them. Rag over his face, don't want him leading anyone back to the Once Dead, and some hard questions, and there'd be a body and a message for the Boars in the morning.
| |
| − | | |
| − | [ST] "Down at Sully's place, usually," he says. "You know what a mess that's gonna be."
| |
