20 June

Kentaro tells him with a smile that he’s already packed and ready to go. He goes to fetch the horses, which Kinnaka notices are laden with more packs than he remembers them ever having before. He asks Kentaro about them, and the half-giant replies that they are a parting gift from the Chancellery for services rendered. Kinnaka interprets this to mean that Lord Tar overrode Tovish’s intent to turn off their card immediately, and Kentaro sees no need to dissuade him from that opinion. The elf briefly considers sending Lord Tar a personal note, but decides not to. He can always do it later if it seems called for. For now, there is a ride to Karakas to accomplish.

After picking up (and paying for) the blueprint copies, they meeting Thekla and Antonie at the edge of town. Thekla gives Antonie the originals with orders to have their “architect” replace them in Tran’s chest, then go missing. They won’t be needing him any more. Antonie acknowledges the command, and heads back into town, while the others begin down the road to Karakas.

21-22 June

As happened last time, Kinnaka gets to see Brill just after midnight. The meeting takes longer than Kinnaka expected. Brill is very excited to receive the blueprint copies, but then Kinnaka breaks the news of their imminent departure. It takes about 20 minutes of conversation for Brill to move from angry and disbelieving to – at least partially due to Kinnaka’s description of Thekla’s excellent promise, no doubt) – understanding and accepting. Ultimately, he sends Kinnaka off to fetch Thekla, and asks him to step out while he talks with her, a conversation that takes another 45 minutes. When they emerge, they are both smiling, and Brill informs Kinnaka that he has provisionally accepted Thekla, but that if Kinnaka ever returns, he would be glad to have him back.

They part on amicable terms, and in the morning, Thekla and the other two part ways, as they leave Karakas heading in opposite directions – Thekla turns southwest on the road that leads back to Greysmere, while Kentaro and Kinnaka go overland to the northeast, toward Maure Castle in the Duchy of Urnst. There, they plan to join the paved road that leads directly to Leukish, the Duchy’s capital.

Both wake up feeling much better than they expected. They have no bandages left with which to change their dressings, so they decide to carry on with those they are currently wearing. Fortunately, Orodinus has either been thwarted by the Dwarven magic of the mine door or has chosen not to pursue them into the mine.

Whichever is the case, they do not have to worry about the demon for the time being. Kentaro wonders aloud whether he might be waiting for them at the other entrance, but Kinnaka chooses to ignore the question. They switch to a standard walking pace, and do not encounter any difficulty before they reach the exit.

They open the door and are greeting with a beautiful sunny day. The sun’s position in the sky marks the time as late afternoon. They will not be able to reach the hut before dark, but they will be able to reach it today, if they continue to walk in the dark. Kinnaka voices the opinion they both share – that they have to continue.

Hours later, when they approach Zephrom’s small shack, they cannot see the old man, but can see smoke rising from the chimney and smell something wonderful on the wind.

Kinnaka opens the door without knocking, pain and hunger exceeding his need for politeness. This time the door opens directly onto the throne room. Morpheus sits on the raised dias at its far end. He beckons them forward and asks for an accounting of the events of the past couple weeks. Pain and hunger forgotten for the moment, Kentaro launches into the story, leaving nothing out – in fact, his story includes a fair few unnecessary details. Morpheus listens patiently through the entirety of the story.

When Kentaro wraps up, Morpheus rises, claps his hands several times, congratulates both of them, and informs them that they will have supper now. They retire to a huge dining room that K&K have not seen before. A very large meal later, Morpheus leads them both into the living room (of the shack!) where he asks Kinnaka what he experienced that caused him to collapse when his mother died.

After Kinnaka spills the whole beans, Morpheus smiles and tells Kinnaka that what he experienced were voices from his past. Kinnaka has been designated as Morpheus’ Venator. The voices are those of all Morpheus’ previous Venatores.

The highlights of the very long conversation that follows are:

1. A Venator (pl. Venatores) is a hero sponsored by a god to serve its needs on the mortal plane. A Venatore may or may not be assisted by a Sodalis Venatoris (Venator’s Partner; pl. Sodalis Venatorum). They come in two broad varieties: Venator Malorum, or Hunter of Evil Things, and Venator Bonitatum, or Hunter of Good Things. As you can probably guess, the two are each other’s arch rivals. As the duality of the titles implies, Venatores rarely get involved in mundane matters of ambiguous morality.


2. Venatores are ordinary people that do not automatically stand out from the crowd. Mortals remain unaware of the true role of the Venator until the sponsor allows them to perceive it or the Venator voluntarily reveals himself.


3. Kinnaka will be serving Morpheus as a Venator Malorum. Once they are aware of him, any mortal may ask him for a service. He is not obligated to provide that service, but Morpheus encourages him to do so when he believes that fulfilling the request would serve a good cause. N.B., dying in Morpheus’ cause is not generally considered a good cause, so requests that Kinnaka would consider a suicide mission should generally be refused. Kentaro’s full title is Sodalis Venatoris Malorum.


4. The number of Venatores a god can sponsor is directly proportional to that god’s mortal following. Most gods can only sponsor one Venator at a time. Most Venatores only have one Sodalis, but again, some can have more than one. Morpheus can only sponsor one Venator and one Sodalis, and Kinnaka and Kentaro are it.


5. Venators are not “drawn” to one another or even aware of each other if at a distance, but when two Venators make direct eye contact, both will instantly know the other’s alignment and sponsor. Although Venatores Malorum and Bonitatum are definitely archrivals, they are not obligated to attack on sight. If two Venators meet in a situation both deem to be unfavorable for an attack, they may simply head in opposite directions rather than drawing a sword or throwing a spell.


6. Initially, a Venator is created by the god. Henceforth, the title is almost always passed from parent to child. When there are multiple children, the transfer is seemingly random. In the absence of a child, or rarely even if there is a child, the title passes to a relative, again, seemingly at random – IOW, not always to the closest relative, and sometimes in very quirky directions. When there are no relatives, the title is foreit. Of course, the god can always designate a new Venator. Many current Venatores can trace their ancestry going back hundreds or even thousands of years.


7. The god also chooses the Sodalis, but that role is not hereditary.


8. Morpheus’ last true Venator was named Tarburian Silmisin, a distant cousin of Kinnaka’s mother. Although by far not the longest-tenured Venator, Tarburian counted over 2 millennia of Venatores in his family tree. Tarburian was killed shortly before Kinnaka was born. He had no children. At his death, Aite traced the transfer to Senori. As Senori was obviously very far along in her pregnancy, the goddess bided her time and waited for her to grow weaker, due to the demands of childbirth. When the moment came, Aite ensnared her soul to remove her from the game and create her unholy portal. When Kinnaka freed her soul, she died, and Kinnaka inherited the title.


9. A Venator is a god’s fighter, not a priest. Even a non-religious person will be able to do well for their sponsor. People view the Venator as the god’s representative no matter what he does or says. Good results will be attributed to Morpheus, regardless of what Kinnaka does.


10. Kinnaka needs to cement his claim on the title Venator – and Kentaro likewise, the title Sodalis. They can do this in the Venator’s residence, which Morpheus will show them in due course. That residence contains everything they will need in their future endeavors – though the two most important treasures are the weapons store and the library. Daniki, the caretaker, will look after their needs there.

January 03

Morpheus opens the door – which looks onto an immaculately clean and richly and tastefully decorated sitting room that occupies the front half of the ground floor of what appears to be a tower. The room is well lit thanks to two large windows, one to either side of the front door. Two doors are immediately visible at the far side of the room.

A man of indeterminate age stands next to a utilitarian fireplace. He steps forward, and adopts a rigidly formal pose in front of Kinnaka, though his glance also takes in Kentaro with equal formality. In general, his bearing is that of an impeccably trained servant, but his manner of speaking is that of man more used to command than subservience.

Daniki:

Greetings, Venator, Sodalis. I am Daniki, the caretaker. We have much to accomplish today, but first, you must freshen up. I will show you to your rooms.

At this time, the door closes firmly behind them, and both turn to see that Morpheus has not followed them into the tower, if indeed it is a tower. Daniki shakes his head and begins to walk up a dark wooden staircase that clings to the inside of the curving wall to the left of the front door.

Kinnaka steps back to the door and opens it, looking out. Rather than the throne room, however, he sees a sight he recognizes, though it takes him a few moments to recognize it – Marner, a town they passed through more than three months ago. They are, in fact, inside the tower that so intrigued him when he passed through on his way northward. He takes a few steps outside, Kenraro in tow, and looks at it again. He notices that it no longer seems neglected. The thought intrigues him, but only for a second as he is once again hit with the sense of having been there before. Then that feeling gets overshadowed by another – the feeling of being … home. Home in a way he never expected to feel again after being exiled from the Celadon Forest.

The small plot of land the tower sits on is clearly delineated by a small iron fence on three sides and by a cliff of indeterminate height on the fourth. If the sound is anything to go by, the cliff plummets not to a beach of pure white sand washed gently by the tides, but rather to a sudden transition zone of large boulders which the ocean repeatedly assails with the unrelenting force of its most destructive waves.

Looking up, he sees that the tower is … well … uninspired. Round, perhaps 30 feet across at its base, and 4 stories tall, plus the inevitable dormered windows in an attic area beneath a sharply sloped conical roof. It is clearly very old, but is well maintained. There are no broken windowpanes, crumbling masonry, or litter as one would expect with a building that was abandoned a quarter century ago. The property contains no other buildings, and no trees, though the snow that covers everything in a thick blanket does promise a number of short, isolated bushes or hedges, and hints at the possibility of an extensive garden.

A single cobblestone walk, swept free of snow, leads beyond the gate in the iron fence, from the main road to the door he now stands at – the tower’s only door. His mind awhirl, he turns to re-enter the building when he notices something out of the corner of his eye. He turns toward the motion and sees that a small crowd of people (perhaps half a dozen) has noticed him. They are standing, staring at him, eyes wide, mouths agape. One whispers something to another, who nods in response. Another makes a comment for the benefit of all, though it is too quiet for Kinnaka to hear, and it elicits no response from the others. A small child dashes off and disappears into Marner proper.

Kinnaka shakes his head and returns to the interior of the tower. Kentaro, for a change struck speechless, does likewise.

Kentaro:

How ….

Daniki:

I will explain in due course. For now, however, we urgently need to see to your sanitary needs.

So saying, he turns and heads up the stairs, apparently confident that Kinnaka and Kentaro will follow him, and in this he is not disappointed. At the top of the stairs, another stairway leads to yet another floor, though Daniki ignores this, moving instead along a hallway that leads off to the right. There are two doors on each side of the hall, and a window at each end. The caretaker stops at the first door on the left and indicates the second.

Daniki:

Venator, this is your room. Sodalis, yours is just along the corridor. You’ll find all you need inside. When you are ready, adjourn to the sitting room. I will meet you there.

Each enters his room to find a lavishly appointed room. Both are relieved to notice that his room comes equipped with an oversized bed that even Kentaro will be able to be comfortable in. One item that is not standard bedroom issue is the large tub of steaming water. Clearly they are meant to bathe. On a small table next to the tub are all the usual effects of personal grooming.

When they have finished their baths, each dries himself off with a large, soft, fluffy towel. Luxury! It is only then that they notice that their clothes are missing. In their place is a very dark purple velvet robe decorated at the hems with tiny symbols picked out in silver thread. Though the language is unidentifiable, the fact that the tiny symbols are meant to be letters is immediately clear.

Dressed in their new purple robes, the descend to find Daniki in the sitting room, reading a book and wearing robes similar to their own, but red in color. As they arrive, he looks up from the tome and appraises their appearance frankly.

Daniki:

You’ll do. Your clothes have been burned. They have long since exceeded their useful lifespan. I will see that you new clothes to your specifications at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Kinnaka:

Very good.

Kentaro:

Ah … ceremony? What ceremony?

Daniki:

Yes, of course. The Talisman ceremony. Surely Lord Morpheus explained about that?

Kentaro:

Why, no. ... No he didn’t.

Daniki shakes his head:

Fine. Well, the ceremony won’t take long, but it is a … tradition … that must be observed. Minor magic to bind you to your Talisman, and it to you. It will ensure that no others can use it. I’ll explain more later. First, let’s finish the ceremony. Then we can talk at leisure.

Daniki takes up a three-candle candleholder, tells them to follow, and heads toward the stairway. He does something to a wall sconce, and a section of the dark wood paneling swings inward, revealing a staircase leading downward. At the bottom of the stairs is a room the circumference of the entire tower. A hundred candles in tall candelabras and an enormous chandelier give plenty of light to see by, while still creating a suitably shadowy, spooky atmosphere. Bookcases line the walls. “The library,” says Daniki, “contains all the research materials you are ever likely to need, including the diaries of almost all of the past Venatores, great and small. The armory is downstairs.” He points to where the stairs continue downward.

A small round table covered in green cloth and three chairs occupy a place of prominence in the center of the room. On this table lies a large gold medallion on a chain. “Sit,” Daniki tells them, putting his candleholder down on the table. When all are seated, he places his hands near, but not touching, the medallion, his thumbs touching. He indicates that the others are to do likewise. “Make the circle complete,” he tells them.

When all is to his satisfaction, the unbroken circle of hands around the medallion, Daniki says a few words, and the medallion begins to glow. He continues speaking. Kinnaka and Kentaro pick out the word “Venator” several times, but get little else. When he finishes, he takes a deep breath and exhales slowly and deliberately, directly toward the medallion. “Pick it up,” he tells Kinnaka.

As soon as Kinnaka touches the medallion, he feels different. He can’t describe the feeling, but he knows that he medallion … no, the Talisman … is his, now and forever. After a few seconds, it occurs to him that something else is going on. Daniki has begun to chant again, over a second Talisman. This time, the word “Sodalis” is prominent. When he finishes, Daniki tells Kinnaka, “Now, Sodalis, take up your Talisman.”

As he picks up the Talisman, Kentaro feels a sensation similar to what Kinnaka felt. This time, when he finishes, Daniki tells them, “It is done. The Talismans are yours. They may be given to others, or taken from you, but none beside yourselves may wield them.”

He then goes on to describe the properties of the Talismans, which are as follows:

1. Allows the wearer to converse in and understand any language.
2. Casts the following spells as if the wielder had a Theology skill of 8.
3. Has 8 Mana points
1. Negative S are not allowed; spells which would have caused a negative Mana value fail and drain it completely).
4. Recharges Mana points while the caster is sleeping at the usual rate of 4/hour.

The next day dawns as so many recent mornings have begun – with the castle silent. That being the case, K&K advance to the path that leads to the castle. As they get closer, K&K can more easily see the figures moving on the crenelated walls beyond the gatehouse, and when they do come into clearer focus, an instant combination of combination of fear and loathing leaps into their minds and hearts, for where no doubt once stood soldiers, stamping their feet and blowing into their hands to protect themselves against the cold, today, the flesh-and-blood warriors have been replaced by animated skeletons that stand watch over Darskap Castle and the valley. Even though Morpheus warned them of the presence of animated skeletons, the effect of actually seeing them is chilling in a way that the sub-zero temperatures and biting wind could never be. Nonetheless, Kentaro and Kinnaka stick to the plan and continue to make their approach.

Inside the stone gatehouse, they have their first close-up encounter with the fleshless patrolmen, as two stand motionless, blocking their path forward. Although neither moves an inch, both skeletons appear to have focused their eerie, empty-socketed, grinning attention on the newcomers. From somewhere, possibly though not definitively from one of the skeletons, a deep, hollow, disembodied voice rings forth. “Password?”

As Kinnaka has a definite accent, and neither hero is willing to risk a misunderstanding triggering an early attack, they have decided that Kentaro will respond. “Orodinus,” says the half-giant. Upon the utterance of the demon’s name, the voice speaks again: “Purpose?” Kentaro responds, “We’re here ta measure th’ well.”

Even though Kinnaka rolls his eyes at the ad lib, they apparently pass muster, as after a few seconds, the skeletons wordlessly step aside to let them pass. If anything, their movement is even more disconcerting than their earlier stillness. Both Kentaro and Kinnaka are glad to be past them.

Our two heroes exit the gatehouse and find themselves in a ruined forecourt enclosed in short, protective, but unmanned walls behind them and the much taller defensive walls that mark the outside the castle proper. The forecourt grass is long dead, the bushes and gardens are unkempt, and the corners are full of detritus consistent with long disuse. The castle’s outer walls are crumbling – mortar is missing, stones are loose and some have fallen. Apparently none of Orodinus’ lifeless servants are tasked with routine maintenance.

The state of the forecourt is deplorable, but is nothing compared with the presence of a further horror, even more upsetting than the skeletons that man the walls. Again, as Morpheus warned, wandering the grounds are more undead creatures. The zombies are covered with flesh that tends toward the moldy and rotten. They are quite pungent. Their eyes betray no sign of intelligence as they move slowly and ponderously around the forecourt – their unchanging paths marked clearly for all to see in deep ruts worn through the grass and several inches deep into the earth itself.

However, since the shambling horrors seem content to ignore the only two warm-blooded beings in the castle, Kinnaka and Kentaro simply shudder and move onward. Looking beyond the tall defensive wall, they can just see the pinnacle of the onion-shaped dome that tops the prison tower that is their goal. Access to that tower is gained through the outer courtyard, which is behind the wall, so the two head in the direction of the next gate.

Passing through, they enter the bare outer courtyard, a small area sandwiched between the castle’s outermost defensive walls and the walls that protect the public buildings of the middle courtyard. Beyond the middle courtyard is yet another set of walls that keep unwanted visitors from entering the inner courtyard, where the family dwellings lie, but K&K’s plan does not call for them to get any closer to those structures than they are at the moment.

Upon entering the outer courtyard, which is similar in description to the forecourt, our heroes make for the far left corner, where the prison tower stands. The entrance to the prison tower lies on the opposite side of the tower, so they circle the base of the tower clockwise and soon see the heavy banded and studded oak door that once kept prisoners in and visitors out. It is closed.

Before checking the door, K&K glance around. Behind them, leading along the front of one of the castle’s taller walls is a 10-foot wide strip of dirt that was once a grassy ledge. As if to complete the look of desolation, the ledge is patrolled by a zombie. To the left is a stone wall around 8-feet high. Their escape route is over this wall and down the slope on the far side.

The two infiltrators walk up to the wall and jump up to grab the top. Both can pull himself up albeit with some difficult. Kinnaka scans the slope outside the wall, while Kentaro drops back inside and looks around. Sure enough, the movement on the wall has gained the attention of the zombie, who has broken his usual path to move toward the disturbance. Also, the skeletons on the walls have also started paying attention. Kentaro nudges Kinnaka and requests that he get a move on.

By the time Kinnaka feels Kentaro’s nudge, he has already had sufficient time to scan the slope and decide that it looks very steep, but possible to sled down without undue danger. He has also decided that the ropes and grappling hooks will not be necessary, so he responds to Kentaro’s signal by hopping down and gesturing back toward the prison tower.

As they leave the wall, the zombie returns to its usual path and the skeletons on the walls return to theirs. Relieved, K&K return to the closed door at the base of the tower, Kinnaka nods at Kentaro, who pulls on the door. It opens hesitatingly, the hinges rusted from disuse, but it isn’t locked. Glancing inside before they actually enter, the pair can see that the tower contains a single room. That room is small, maybe 12 feet in diameter, and poorly lit. The only light comes from two narrow windows high on each wall. There is barely enough light to see that there are two other doors – one across the room and the other to the left. To the right, a set of stairs hugs the interior wall. From one direction, it rises to the second story. From the other, it leads downward. Two skeletons stand in the room, one near the bottom of the stairs that descend from above, the other near the top of those that lead downward. There is no furniture in this room to indicate what its purpose may have been, once upon a time.

Standing at the top of the stairs, it is obvious that the rooms below are in complete darkness. It is obvious that they will need a light source to continue. Kentaro takes a few moments to dig out and light a pair of torches. At first, the feeble light they give out actually makes the room appear darker, but as they start burning well, they illuminate the stairs well, although there is not much to be see, since the stairs circle as they descend.

At the bottom of the stairs lies another room, identical in size and shape to the one above it. It is laid out as an office, and although there are no doors in the room, the stairs do continue downward. Again, two skeletons stand guard over the staircases.

The next set of stairs deposits Kentaro and Kinnaka at the crossroads of two corridors. Barred doors line both sides of all four 20-foot long corridors. A small desk sits near the bottom of the stairs. At the far end of one of the corridors is another studded oak door. A skeleton stands near the door. Another stands at the bottom of the stairs.

As Morpheus said, the room next to the prison is a torture chamber. It was very sparsely appointed, with only a few items of torture present. They do not appear to have been very well used. Now, like everything else in the castle, they are sadly neglected. The room is approximately 15 feet square. The only decoration is a new-looking tapestry hanging on the wall to the right. The tapestry bears the image of an elven woman reaching out for a large gold medallion that dangles just out of her reach. A series of metal strands bearing regularly spaced “thorns” twines around her body, drawing blood from a score of wounds. Her expression is twisted into a hideous grimace. Dozens of small creatures look on, seeming to mock her predicament. What they might be is open to interpretation, as the only visible parts of them are their red eyes and white teeth. Apart from those, they are completely invisible in the shadows. A skeleton stands to either side of this door.

Kentaro:

Easy Kinnaka. Let’s do this right.

Pulling the tapestry aside reveals the expected small room. There is no way of knowing what purpose it might originally have served, but it currently only contains three objects. The first two are skeletons standing to either side of the only door. The third is the crystal coffin that takes up almost all the remaining available floorspace. It boasts a richly worked silver lock on the joint between the lid and the shell. Inside lies an elven woman, seemingly in a state of peaceful repose, though both Kentaro and Kinnaka know the truth to be otherwise. For the first time in living memory, Kinnaka gazes upon the face of his mother, and one thought leaps unbidden to his mind, overshadowing all others – she is absolutely beautiful.

Kinnaka bows over the casket, amazingly dry-eyed, and stares down into his mother’s eyes. He stays in that position with the crystal key in his hand for a long, long time; perhaps five minutes before he moves. Meanwhile, Kentaro positions himself directly behind the closest Skeleton to Kinnaka and pulls out his bastard sword.

Kinnaka rouses himself and looks at Kentaro—the elf’s face a mask of stolid concentration betraying no emotions whatsoever. He whispers, “I am ready,” so quietly that Kentaro isn’t actually sure he heard him correctly, though he doesn’t ask for clarification. Kinnaka holds his Naginata in his left hand and puts the key into the lock, but doesn’t turn it quite yet.

He glances at Kentaro one last time and nods to him.

Kentaro:

It ends here.

Kinnaka turns the key and all hear a loud clicking sound. The lid swings up, accompanied by a noise like a relieved sigh, and the brief feel of a slight breeze upon the face. A split second later, the two skeletons near the door leap forward and the two from the next room step forward to appear in the doorway.

As Kinnaka turns to meet what is certain to be a skeleton onslaught, he is hit with a burst of mental energy that stuns him. Kentaro notices his partner stop in his tracks and shake his head as if trying to clear it after suffering a particularly bad sucker punch in a bar fight. From Kinnaka’s point of view, he is simply being overwhelmed with sensory input – a jumble of sounds, smells, and visions crowd in his head in a cacophony that blocks out all other input and sends him involuntarily to his knees.

Aghast, Kentaro watches his friend collapse, but he has no time to do anything for him. He must meet the rush of the first wave of skeletons. Unfortunately, Kentaro’s distraction at Kinnaka’s collapse costs him the surprise attack he staged. Fortunately, skeletons are pretty slow, and the half-giant’s first two swings with the huge sword shatters the first two. Kentaro is pleasantly surprised. Skeletons apparently aren’t all that tough!

The two remaining skeletons are not impressed with Kentaro’s show of strength, however. They may not be strong, but they press forward with a series of rapid attacks that leaves Kentaro with several long, but shallow wounds, one of which is bleeding freely. Enraged, he flails at his two foes. He chops one cleanly in half, but the exertion leaves him overbalanced. His next attack only grazes the last skeleton, leaving it standing long enough to deal him a particularly viscous blow before he crushes the vile beast’s skull with the pommel of his sword.

As he pauses to get his breath, he realizes that the room is dead quiet. The only sound of movement comes from his partner, slowly shaking his head to clear it of cobwebs. This continues for a few more seconds before he manages to stand and survey the results of Kentaro’s recent activity.

Kentaro:

Ya all right Kinnaka? Can ya fight?

Kinnaka shakes his head and says through tight lips:

Let’s go.

Suiting actions to words, he grabs his fallen Naginata. With the sharp edge of the weapon leading the way, he heads out of the little room.

Kentaro chimes in cheerfully:

Right behin ya!

The pair re-enters the torture chamber. The room is unchanged except for the addition of a few new shattered bone shards. It is very, very quiet. Kinnaka quickly heads back into the prison area, which is also deserted. He shakes his head and continues, taking the stairs two at a time. Kentaro, true to his work, follows closely.

The office room is seems packed with skeletons. It’s impossible to tell at a glance exactly how many there are, but a quick estimate places the number at 8-10. They do not advance. Rather, they remain motionless, clearly focused on the interlopers, but standing their ground.

Kinnaka has a sudden inspiration:

They’re brocking us from reaving. We need to reave before demon gets back!

So saying, the elf rushes in leaving behind a surprised Kentaro, who is trying futilely to formulate a plan. As soon as it becomes clear that Kinnaka isn’t coming back – which means pretty nearly immediately – the half-giant follows his partner. The two wade into the press of skeletons, swinging indiscriminately as fast as they are able.

An eternity later – or half a minute, depending on whether you want to quote the participants’ perception or reality – K&K stand breathing heavily, staring at the remains of 9 skeletons. Both are bleeding freely from half a dozen shallow wounds. None are life-threatening, but the exertion and the accumulation of wounds are starting to take their toll. Though both rush up the last staircase, neither is moving as rapidly as they were earlier. Still, fear of the presumed imminent arrival of Orodinus effectively spurs them forward.

As he runs, Kinnaka points the wand to get a reading on what might be waiting on them up stairs, and is rewarded with the warm glow that indicates a significant number of undead – he’s guessing a dozen or so.

Even as he relays this information to Kentaro, they arrive in the tower’s ground floor room to find a packed house. There are similar numbers of enemies to what were in the empty room downstairs, but this time there seems to be a roughly equal mix of zombies and skeletons. By mutual agreement, Kentaro focuses on the zombies, who are expected to be the tougher foes, while Kinnaka works on whittling down the number of skeletons.

And so, with an all-out attack, K&K rush forward once again. In practice, zombies appear to be able to take about 3 times the damage a skeleton can absorb before it collapses immobile. Even with those odds against him, Kentaro manages to kill five of them and severely wound the last in the same amount of time Kinnaka takes to kill six skeletons. After a second’s pause, Kinnaka turns to deal the killing blow to the final zombie.

As he sees this last foe fall, and realizing what he has achieved, Kentaro mockingly calls out:

O, well done Kinnaka.

There is no time for pleasant banter however. By their rough estimates, they have eliminated about 30 of castle’s defenders, at a severe cost to their own health. Kentaro sums up their current situation well when he says, “We gotta get outa here.”

Kinnaka agrees silently, points the wand around and runs out the door. They burst forth from the tower, sprint across the dead grass in the courtyard, and leap for the wall. Undead creatures spilling forth from the tower and rushing from both directions ensure that any escape will be a narrowly won (or lost) affair. The thought spurs both on to greater efforts despite their wounds, and they leap for the wall.

Kentaro reaches the top of the wall easily, but only pulls his great weight up onto it with a huge effort. Kinnaka leaps higher and barely manages to grab the top, but pulls himself up readily enough.

They reach the top just out of reach of the mass of animated bones and odiferous flesh, but have no time for further thought. The undead could still potentially reach them, so they immediately leap down on the outside of the wall. Involuntarily, they both look back to see that skeleton arms and heads are beginning to appear at the top of the wall.

Suddenly, an arrow clinks off the top of the wall and shatters, the pieces sailing over their heads. Involuntarily, they look up. An archer is in place atop the tall, defensive wall, and reinforcements are on the way.

It is the work of just a few seconds to roll out the sleds and, without waiting for more than a cursory glance downward and a quick prayer that they miss most of the trees, they hurl themselves onto the sleds and speed downward.

The sleds start slowly, but quickly gather speed. Our heroes have no time to look back, as all their concentration is pointed forward, trying their best to dodge trees, although the sleds aren’t really all that steerable. Kinnaka manages to make it almost 300 yards down the slope before he needs to bail out. When he does, he looks up slope so see that Kentaro stopped almost 100 yards before him.

They glance back up the slope, and are greeted with a sight that is simultaneously hideous and humorous. A steady stream of skeletons has followed them over the wall, but without the benefit of a sled, they have no traction on the steep, snow-covered slope. Consequently, as each hits the slope, it slides, windmills its arms wildly, then tumbles down the slope. Most simply get stuck in the snow, but an unfortunate few hit rocks and break apart, individual bones sliding and rolling down the hill.

They don’t have time to admire the results for long, however. Arrows start to fall around them, more accurately and in greater numbers, as more archers arrive and begin to find their range.

The last thing they see before they turn and start to run for the mine is the sky above the castle light up with a deep red glow. Simultaneously the ground rocks and an enormous angry roar sounds from the castle. The knowledge that the “lord of the manor” has arrived gives their exhausted legs a new burst of energy, and they turn and dash back toward the mine entrance.

Finally, lungs bursting, legs shaking, they arrive at the ledge and fit the key to open the door to the mines. The door immediately swings inward, and they dash inside. They quickly move to push the door closed, but even as it is closing, the demon appears on the ledge in a cloud of smoke, accompanied by a sulfurous smell. With a “whoosh” sound, a plume of dark, foul-smelling smoke rolls into the mines, causing K&K to cough, but causing no physical damage.

However, the door stops moving as Orodinus grabs the door with both hands. They use their combined strength and weight to continue to push the door closed, but only succeed in forcing a stalemate. The door does not move. Thinking quickly Kinnaka pulls his dagger and aims it at the demon’s long, slender fingers where they clutch the door. Just before he strikes, he glances at the crack between the door and the frame, and locks eyes with Orodinus.

The demon gives Kinnaka a toothy smile and lets go of the door a split second before the elf’s dagger digs into the stone where the demon’s fingers used to be. The sudden loss of resistance causes the door to small closed with a huge crash, immediately followed by the sound of something huge and angry slamming against the door time and again, but the dwarven portal does not budge. Kinnaka and Kentaro appear to be safe for the moment.

Kinnaka quickly decides that he doesn’t really want to rely on Dwarven magic to keep the demon out. Despite the fact that both are in need of medical attention, he tells Kentaro that they need to get started immediately, and keep moving for as long and as fast as they can. After taking just a moment to find their dark lanterns, K&K set off at a loping pace that balances the need to cover ground with the need to conserve energy. In actuality, they don’t really move for more than a couple hours before Kentaro can take no more and calls for a halt.

During their half an hour rest, Kinnaka bandages Kentaro’s wounds, after which Kentaro returns the favor. When they are done, they take off again, continuing their relentless pace, but this time they go just an hour before they pull up again, this time by mutual consent. Given the severity of their wounds and their level of activity they have enjoyed today, they decide to sleep at this location.

The area they are in allows them their choice of two rooms – a small 10×12 room with two doors, or a larger 15×20 room with a single door. Both automatically gravitate toward the latter room, and after a brief pause to eat from their nearly exhausted store of food, both are asleep within minutes. For Kinnaka, this is significant, as he has always had trouble getting to sleep. Still, it’s been a long day of battles, near escapes, and running for their life. That, plus the fact that he has been sorely wounded and lost a fair amount of blood, makes the ease with which he falls asleep understandable.

Once asleep, Kinnaka begins to dream, though the dream is neither his usual minimalist nightmare, nor the pain-filled horrors of his more recent history. Rather, he feels relaxed by a return to the riverbank that he first dreamed of back in Greysmere. The old elf named Kazuhiro Minoru, who claimed to be Kinnaka’s spiritual advisor helps a female elf whose face Kinnaka can not see into a small boat and pushes it away from the shore. When the boat is underway, she looks back, and Kinnaka sees the face of his mother. She smiles at him, then turns back. Kinnaka and Kazuhiro watch soundlessly until the boat disappears into the mist, at which point, Kazuhiro nods, welcomes Kinnaka “home” (an expression Kinnaka doesn’t really understand), and tells him that he did well. He has brought honor to the family. Kazuhiro also tells him that they will speak again very soon. For now, Kinnaka is to rest and heal.

They sit readily, though Kinnaka keeps his head lowered toward the plate. Its clear that Morpheus must notice the action, but he do not let it keep him from saying what he needs to say.

Morpheus:

Before we go too far, I’m sure you’d like to know why you are here, correct? [Kinnaka and Kentaro nod.] Good. I’ll begin by telling you that there exist serious points of discord amongst several of the gods. That is no surprise; most mortals are familiar with the fact that the gods are a jealous and disparate lot who eternally maintain conflicts at various levels from mild dislike to open warfare. This particular conflict, while ancient, has recently escalated significantly. The primary combatants are the goddesses Aite and Armonia. The spoils are potentially significant – significant enough that others have taken sides with them. I support Armonia, and have been given responsibility for recruiting promising mortals to stand with us. You two have caught my eye for several reasons. I have summoned you here to give you the opportunity to carry Armonia’s banner in this conflict.

Kinnaka barely managing to hold his astonishment in check, remains silent and keeps looking down at his plate.

Morpheus:

No comment? You disappoint me.

Realizing that there is no way Kinnaka will willingly say anything without prompting, Kentaro speaks up:

Ah … we’d be honored to do so. Won’t we be, Kinnaka?

Kinnaka:

Shitsurei shimasu, Sensei. I was thinking it wourd be rude of me to interrupt before you are done. [Remaining seated, he bows several times in agitation; a movement only an elf could make appear elegant.]

Morpheus:

Okay, then. If you have no questions, shall we move on to the matter most immediately to hand?

Kentaro:

What about us caught yer attention. Wot is it tha’ ya think we’ll be able ter help ya with?

Morpheus:

What about you caught my attention? I think I can best sum that up in the word “needs”. I need warriors. You, Kinnaka, have a need just as significant – to begin to live something approaching a normal life you must free yourself from the oppressive influence of your mother’s situation. You will never be able to obtain anything approaching normalcy as long as you remain hobbled by your nightly affliction. Freeing your mother will allow you to live without that vile hindrance. … Kentaro, I need you because you have aligned yourself with Kinnaka more than possibly either of you realizes. That is significant. A true team – not your everyday partnership, but one consecrated to a specific cause – is more effective than any individual can be alone. Kinnaka, your need and Kentaro, your partnership have formed the basis for such a team.

Kentaro:

Wot are Aite and Armonia fightin’ over?

Morpheus:

Oh, the usual. Both goddesses seek to gather worshippers. No surprise there; that’s what gods do, of course; our degree of greatness, strength, power, influence, and so on is defined by our followers – their numbers and degree of devotion. However, to throw in a bit of support for our side, and to … let’s say … goad you to greater achievements, I’ll just add that the means by which Armonia and Aite go about obtaining and retaining followers differ greatly. It’s the carrot or the stick. Armonia offers the carrot. She seeks to broaden her support base through generous applications of “positive reinforcement”, which basically means encouraging people to make greater efforts and rewarding those who do. Aite, on the other hand, prefers to use the stick, dispensing “negative reinforcement”, which in this case means inventing creative and unusual punishments for those who fail to live up to her expectations. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. That’s primarily why mortals have formed their crude and at least partially inaccurate descriptions of their positions. You see, Armonia is deemed by the masses to be the “Goddess of Harmony and Concord”, while Aite is popularly referred to as the “Goddess of Delusion and Folly”. Between them, this is in a very real sense the embodiment of what many mortals term a battle of good vs. evil. Of course, it’s not as simple as that in reality, but the generalities will do for now.

Kentaro:

Ya said this conflict was an ancient one. Why ‘as it escleated recently? Has somethan changed?

Morpheus:

Actually, it’s all just part of the ebb and flow of the eternal conflict. Things flare up and others things settle down constantly. Please keep in mind that when I say “recently”, I’m talking about over the past 500 years or so. Gods do look at time slightly differently than mortals. However, one of the very recent changes was that Senori, Kinnaka’s mother, was drafted into the battle.

Kinnaka starts. He almost lifts his head, but remains silent.

Kentaro:

Is this why she’s hauntin’ Kinnaka’s dreams? Is she a willing participant in the war?

Morpheus:

Yes, it is, and no, she isn’t. I’ll explain that more fully in a few moments, but there is an ideal place for such revelations, and this isn’t it.

But it occurs to me that I didn’t fully answer one of your previous questions, so I’ll backtrack to that briefly. I’d like to expand a bit on what brought you to my attention. You see, all gods have multiple spheres of influence. In addition to being what you mortals so vulgarly call the “God of Dreams”, I also guide heroes. Kinnaka, I have determined that you have the makings of a hero. The silent, brooding inner turmoil. The desire to prove yourself to weaker people that matter to you much more than you would ever be willing to state openly. The decision-making ability. The strong conviction about what is “right” and what is “wrong” and the willingness to dedicate yourself to helping the former attain some level of precedence over the latter. It’s all there. In all important ways, I believe you’d make a fine hero. … As for you, Kentaro … well, all proper heroes need a trusted ally. A staunch friend to stand by his side. Someone both willing and capable of giving his all to helping another achieve a particular goal. You have already proven your willingness to defend Kinnaka, both physically and verbally, and serve as the primary catalyst to his potential greatness. Without you, he would quite literally not be at this table today. Many who do not understand the tie between two such partners openly state that the hero is the more important aspect of the team. I disagree. I believe that both are equally important. Each depends on the other equally. Both are thrust into danger in equal proportion and bear the same threat of horrible, painful, lingering death. The difference is that the hero gets most of the credit when things go right, while his partner takes most of the blame when things go wrong. Kentaro, I believe you are steadfast enough to stand tall in the face of that eternal injustice.

Kentaro:

I will yield to yer wisdom and try ter follow … ah wot I would consider ter be yer guidelines for greatness.

Kinnaka speaks again, though he still does not lift his head:

So … Sensei, how does my mozher fit into arr zhis?

Morpheus:

Ah, good. Now we get to it. Behold. [A three-dimensional view of a castle materializes in the center of the table, rotating so they can see it well from all angles.] This is Darskap castle, where a demon that calls itself Orodinus, at the bequest of Aite, looks after your mother’s physical form. That’s a simple task – Senori requires no maintenance. Orodinus’ task is simply to make sure she is not freed. You’ll find your mother locked in a crystal coffin in a small room at the bottom of this tower [points to an onion-domed tower on the wall between two courtyards]. Two levels beneath the courtyard you’ll find the prison area. Next to it is a very nicely appointed room dedicated to the extraction of confessions and secret information. Senori’s prison immediately adjoins that room.

//A map of the area materializes. A green dot and a red dot appear on it, with a meandering blue line leading from one to the other.// Darskap Castle is at the northern end of the Spikey Forest, about 50 miles to the east of this location, just over the next ridgeline. Though that ridgeline is forbidding, but I know of an abandoned … well, mostly abandoned … dwarven mine complex that will get you past the ridgeline with relative ease and without being seen to a location here, on the slope above the castle. The last few miles are up to you.

So to put Senori’s story in its proper place, I’ll start with you Kinnaka. You possess the rare ability to “connect” with other mortal beings. To feel their pain, their sorrow, their sadness. You should know that your mother possesses an even rarer ability – the ability to commune with the dead. She can feel them and interact with them. This gift from the gods was deemed a boon to both living and dead, a means of communication between the two. Unfortunately, this gift was perverted by Aite.

As Senori approached her regrettably early death, the goddess impeded the progress of her soul, entrapping it and leaving her trapped in a nowhere state between being alive and being dead. Aite created of Senori an open door between the two worlds and has assigned Orodinus as the gatekeeper over this portal. The demon uses it to call forth the dead to do its bidding. It is also, incidentally, the reason behind your nightly pain. But I digress. The undead have been called forth to stand guard over Darskap Castle and Senori. These are the beings you will have to overcome once you have freed your mother.

Kinnaka, you should also know that there is no return to the fully living world for Senori. In freeing her, you can only allow her to finish her journey to the land of the dead, but you will also, by so doing, close that unholy portal forever. This is your task – and your test, if you will.

Kinaka:

Hai. You have asked. I am needed by my ancestor. It iz wizhout question I go.

Kentaro [to Kinnaka]:

It’s setteled then. We’ll go free yer mother. [His eyes tear up suddenly.] Damn allergies. Bad this time o year. [He sniffs, then turns to address Morpheus.] Ah … wot exactly does “mostly abandoned” mean?

Morpheus:

It means the dwarves abandoned it after the platinum gave out. However, no shelter in these parts goes unused. Something is sure to have moved in after the dwarves departed.

Kentaro:

Will we be outfitted with the tools that we’ll need to take down the undead and ter free Kinnaka’s mother?

Morpheus:

You will, but on top of that, you’ll need a plan. One thing to keep in mind is that the undead over which Orodinus has control are mostly mindless beings with no imagination and little ability to do much beyond obey the simplest of commands. As such, they are easily fooled. Also, fortunately for our purposes, Orodinus itself is basically lazy. It hasn’t done much to make sure the castle remains secure apart from supplying the guards with a password. Unimaginatively, that password is the demon’s name, at least it was a few days ago when I last verified it. Once given, any relatively believable subterfuge should allow you to pass through the castle’s gate essentially unhindered and give you access to Senori’s sarcophagus. Once there, use this [a silver key appears in front of Kinnaka] to open the sarcophagus. That is all that is required to free Senori. Access should prove straightforward. The difficulty in your task lies in the escape.

You see, when you free Senori you will be in the center of a hostile enemy complex, surrounded by foes that are aware of your actions and dedicated to ensuring that you never leave. Orodinus spends most of its time divided between the castle’s main house, wandering the earth, or in the underworld. Its movements are unpredictable. If you are very unlucky, it will be at home. If you are lucky, it will be away, giving you a short interval before it can make its return. I am not certain on this point, but I think it best to assume that it will be aware of your presence the moment you free Senori. To believe otherwise would be base stupidity.

Kinnkaka:

I am not sure we are knowing how to dear with a demon in his own house. I am solly we are not up to zhis task.

Kentaro:

Ah … Wot Kinaka means is that although it seems unlikely that we will succeed, we’re still going.

Morpheus smiles and says, not unkindly:

Of course you will. You’re heroes. It’s what you do. In time you will internalize this.

Kinnaka:

I am not meaning zhis, zhough it is true. We are not knowing how to defeat a demon, so if zhis Orodinus is home, we wirr not be succeeding. I am merey aporogizing whiule I can.

Kentaro ignores Kinnaka’s statement, and addresses Morpheus instead:

So, we’re not going ta be defeating Orodinus, jus freeing Kinnaka’s mother. Is there a way to gain control over the undead? Or is there some quick and painless way of takin’ em out?

Morpheus smiles again:

It’s true that a hero must know when it is time to leave. The best approach to taking on Orodinus is to be gone before he arrives, or if he is there, to wait until he leaves before making your move. ... Killing the undead is a simple matter – they should fall to weapons as surely as any other creature. Their advantage will be in their numbers. You must find a way to even those odds or give yourself the advantage. But as to controling the dead, do not even consider it. Necromancy is magic that is shunned by most mortals and gods alike.

Kentaro:

Is it obvious when Orodinus leaves the castle? Wot can ya tell me about Orodinus’ habits?

Morpheus shrugs, clearly growing bored with the conversation:

He’s a demon. He goes on killing sprees. He tortures animals and small children. He bathes in the blood of virgins when he bathes at all. He splits his time in the infernal regions, wandering the earth, and at Darskap. It is obvious enough to me when he leaves the castle, but that won’t help you. I would assume when he is out that the castle remains dark, unlit, unheated. If you’re looking for clues in the behavior of his unholy servants, you’ll find none, for they do not share emotions like the living. They do not rejoice in his absence, nor regret his arrival as most should.

Kentaro:

Oh … Kinnaka and I are probably assumin tha’ yer gonna ‘ave us on several other missions. Is tha the case?

Morpheus:

That is almost a certainly.

Kentaro:

If there is a time-sensitive mission ya have fer us, can we expect ter have some … ah … financial backing to help us get to our destination on or before the time?

Morpheus looks amused:

Please. I am a god. I can afford to be generous, and I can provide most forms of payment that mortals generally desire. Tell me what excites you. Power? Gold? Fame? Women? Men? Name it. If you do not disappoint me, I shall not disappoint you.

Kentaro:

That certainly is very generous of ya. We’ll only be needin’ enough money ter pay for our journey and the supplies necessary fer the task at hand. We’re followin’ ya because it’s the right thing ter do.

Morpheus:

Your show of support is truly encouraging. In my experience, however, heroic acts are frequently put aside when base needs aren’t met. Your needs shall be met, if only you have the courage to ask.

Kentaro:

How many undead do ya think we’ll be facin’? Will Kinnaka and I be enough to face em?

Morpheus:

Oh, all together, there are nearly a hundred. Whether you are enough to face them depends on many factors. If you plan to stand toe-to-to with them and exchange blows, certainly not. I would hope that my chosen heroes are more intelligent than that, however.

Kinnaka:

Hai. we are Sensei.

Kentaro nods:

I greatly appreciate everythin’ tha’ yeh’ve done fer us so far. May I request some time with my friend that we might gather wot we need, and figure out if we need anythin’ else?

Morpheus:

A most excellent suggestion. I have business to attend to elsewhere as well. I shall return this evening to see where you stand. You may as well stay here. It’s more comfortable than the shack, and will provide you with whatever you may need in the way of necessities and creature comforts. Of course, if you prefer the shack, you need only exit by way of the door through which we entered.

Kinnaka quickly gets off the chair into a bow, head still lowered. Morpheus, without another word disappears from his seat, leaving Kinnaka and Kentaro to discuss and plan in peace. With frequent pauses to look up information in any of the several reference materials Morphus left them with, K&K discuss a plan for perhaps half an hour. Upon his return, Morpheus listens to their plan, nods, and says he will be happy to provide the following items for Kentaro and Kinnaka’s use:

• A map of the castle
• 2 150-foot lengths of rope with grappling hooks
• 2 small cubes that turn into rock golems
• A wand that scans a conical area from wand tip to 40m wide at distance of140m); warms in presence of undead; gets warmer with more/closer undead
• 2 cloaks that provide limited invisibility to undead when wearer is motionless and silent
• 2 roll-up sleds

He will not provide any enchanted weapons. As K&K discovered during their research, skeletons and zombies are both susceptible to non-magical weapons. In addition, skeletons are highly resistant to edged weapons and highly susceptible to damage from blunt weapons. They accept the refusal with equanimity and turn instead to packing up their new equipment, and preparing for an immediate departure.

Just as they are preparing to depart, Morpheus gives each of them a device that looks like a compass, but a close look reveals that the needles are pointing at the door to the hut. Confused, they look at Morpheus, who chuckles and tells them that dwarven compasses are attuned to the doorways of a particular mine complex, serving as both direction finders and keys. For starters, the compasses always point the way to the nearest door, and are magicked to not point directly at the door, but always to the shortest route toward the door. Every lockable door in the complex has a recess both inside and out at eye level for a dwarf. Fitting a compass into the recess will open the door. Once inside the mountain, they should keep the needle pointing behind them to ensure they are moving forward. At the halfway point, the needles will swing around and point forward. They need merely follow its guidance.

He also gives each of them a lantern that he calls a “dark lantern”. Dwarves created dark lanterns for the use of visitors to their mines who did not have dark vision. As dwarves only very rarely allow visitors to their mines, dark lanterns are very rare. They imbue the holder with dark vision while they hold the lantern within the confines of the mine. They will not work anywhere outside the mine, but they do have the added advantage of protection, as they should keep most of the creatures that may have moved into the mines – trolls, kobolds, etc., at bay.

A light snow is falling as Kentaro and Kinnaka make their way from Zephrom’s hut (for they can’t bring themselves to call it “Morpheus’ Hut”) toward the ridgeline to the east. The entrance to the mine is some 10 miles distant, so they will be traveling at least half the day before they get there. In practice, their actual travel time is somewhat longer, as the last stretch is up a very steep switchback path. At its top, they find a large flat surface on the mountainside that can only be the door. It is covered with snow, but a swipe with one of Kentaro’s huge hands reveals the recess they are looking for. It is the work of less than a minute to clear the snow sufficiently to allow the compass to fit into the recess.

As soon as Kinnaka fits the compass into the hollow, a pink light outlines a large rectangular section of rock face. A second later, the outlined section swings silently back, revealing a corridor cut arrow straight into the mountain face, though angled slightly downward.

The pair enters the mountain and starts along the corridor, which is easily wide enough for them to walk side by side. As soon as they get beyond reach of the door, it swings shut and closes with a small noise and a brief rush of air. Instantly, all light is cut off from the outside. Kinnaka and Kentaro pull out their dark lanterns, which do indeed give them the ability to see, although they see no colors, only shades of grey. They are relieved, however, to note that it is much warmer inside the mountain – both by virtue of being out of the constant mountain winds and by actual temperature. Before long, they are forced to remove most of their heavy furs.

Their path is easy and straightforward. The corridor continues straight ahead, with only the occasional wide area or smaller corridor that crosses the main path or branches to the right or left. Although the darkness is complete, it is not silent. Out of the darkness come many small sounds: the skittering of small claws on rock, the steady drip of water, the very occasional sound of something much larger moving or calling or fighting in the distance. The smell in the mine is strongly of long-term damp and stale air, and weakly of living creatures. They clearly are not alone.

Several times they hear audible whispers followed by sudden silences as if the voices belong to nearby things that no desire to be revealed. Nothing ever comes of the incidents, though it is impossible to say whether that is because of K&K’s size, the magic of the dark lanterns, or for some other reason.

Soon enough, having grown weary from the walk and the tension through which every step takes them, the pair decides that it’s time to sleep. Kinnaka calls a halt at the next widened area, which also boasts a small room cut into the rock. It is nearly perfect for sleeping in, having but a single entrance, though it has no door to seal anything outside.

After some discussion, they decide that the dark lanterns have served very well thus far at keeping bad things at bay, so they will trust them to do so through the night, and will set no guard. They set the lanterns together in the middle of the room, and sleep in the corner farthest from the doorway.

Kentaro, as usual, is asleep in minutes. Kinnaka on the other hand lies awake for about 4 hours, listening the to constant, but ever changing rhythm of small noises. None, however, seem threatening, and eventually he falls asleep.

19 Dec?

Kinnaka wakens feeling fully refreshed, not having suffered anything like his “normal” level of nightmares. He knows immediately by the sound of the snoring coming from the pile of rags in the corner that Kentaro is still fast asleep, and decides to let him sleep for another hour.

He looks out the doorway, but sees nothing moving. As usual, the sounds of distant movement are present, but he no longer pays any attention to these things. He silently declares the area safe and spends some time in prayer to his ancestors.

When Kinnaka awakens Kentaro, they briefly discuss what date and time it might be, but the lack of any sure means of knowing how much time has passed since they entered the mine makes mockery of such a discussion, and it quickly dies down. Whatever the actual date and time may be, Kinnaka and Kentaro are soon up and moving again.

When they stop for lunch, Kentaro glances at his compass and points out to Kinnaka that the needle has turned, and is now pointing before them. They have passed the halfway point on their dark journey. Kinnaka is very relieved. He can’t wait to get out of this dark stone prison.

Determinedly, the pair trudges onward, arriving at last at the eastern door. Kinnaka, eager to be out of the mines, jams his compass into the recess and practically throws himself outside. He catches himself on the doorframe just short of falling to what would surely be an untimely death, for the door has opened onto a very small ledge, perhaps 3 feet wide, then drops off a nearly sheer precipice of some 70 feet. The path winds downward to the right.

Several things strike them immediately: it is very cold; it is very windy; and it is fully dark. Kinnaka’s best guess puts the time around midnight, and they agree between them that the most likely case is that it’s the tail end of December 19^th and the beginning of December 20^th, though it is impossible to be sure.

Although the sun is long since gone, the combination of a nearly full moon, a cloudless sky, and a snowy valley combine to provide plenty of light by which the two partners can see. The views across this valley are spectacular. Rugged mountains ring the valley, which is filled with a nearly unbroken carpet of towering cedar, juniper, and cypress trees. Toward the center of the valley, a single promontory rises clear of the surrounding forest. On this promontory sits the castle known as Darskap, utterly silent and dark.

They set up camp just inside the doorway, closed and locked against intruders from the outside, and in a manner similar to their last “overnight” stop, settle in to wait for dawn. Kinnaka falls asleep fairly swiftly for him, but still awakens several hours before dawn. Kentaro, as usual, has no trouble sleeping until Kinnaka makes him get up.

20-23 Dec?

Kentaro and Kinnaka spend some time finding a good defensible spot for watching the castle, but can’t come up with anything better than their current location. In the end, they settle for watching the castle from the ledge and sleeping just inside the door.

This pattern continues for several days and nights. The castle continues to be dark and silent, but our heroes are in this for the long haul, so they Finally, on the fourth night the castle is ablaze with light. At that point, Kinnaka announces that come morning, they will be moving to a new observation point nearer to the castle. Kentaro is overjoyed. Days of sitting and watching in near silence wear extremely heavily on a person used to crowds, company, and merry making.

24-31 Dec?

The following morning, true to his word, Kinnaka moves them into the valley proper, to a spot about 200 yards from base of the hill, near where the main house is located. He finds an excellent shelter spot that keeps them out of the worst of the wind, protected from the snow, and capable of keeping them relatively warm. Into this, they move their meager belongings as they settle in to watch some more.

From this new, closer location, they can also hear odd sounds coming from the castle, angry sounds: roars, mutterings, chattering, the odd shriek, etc. Clearly something nasty is present.

The sounds continue through the day, and while it continues, neither Kinnaka nor Kentaro are eager to move around. They are both equally overcome with a general feeling of trepidation; neither wants to risk being seen by whatever is making the noises.

The sounds, and the fear they engender, continue with only short pauses through the entire day. As night falls, the castle is again brightly lit. The sounds continue, causing even Kentaro to have difficulty sleeping. Eventually, however, he does fall asleep, as does Kinnaka. Both are plagued by nightmares that seem to last for hours, and both awaken in the morning feeling completely unrested.

As soon as they wake up, K&K are aware of a change in the air, but neither is able to immediately put his finger on the cause. It doesn’t take long for them to realize what it is; the castle has fallen silent again. Both breathe a sigh of relief and allow themselves to relax for the first time in what seems like a week, but in actuality is a bit less than 24 hours.

For the remainder of the day, and then off and on over the next week, they spend time reconnoitering the area. First, they spend some time watching the numerous figures that move with quick, jerky movements along the crumbling battlements. They quickly figure out that the patrols are following strictly patterned movements:

1. Walk from point A to point B.
2. Turn and return to point A.
3. Repeat endlessly.

Next, they circle the base of the hill from a bit of a distance and determine that their plan to escape the castle by sled will likely work. The slope below the wall they expect to leave by is pretty steep and free of trees, but does have the occasional rock. At the very end, maybe 250 yards or so from the base wall, there is a small 15-foot cliff. They will have to be careful to stop before that point. At Kinnaka’s directly, Kentaro secures one of their ropes, attached to a grappling hook, to a rock near their most likely “landing spot”.

Finally, they spend a large amount of time using the “undead detecting wand” to get a feeling for how it behaves in the presence of different numbers of undead.

When they go around to the front of the hill, they can see no movement inside the gatehouse itself, though from this angle the gate appears to be open.

By the end of the third day of silence from the castle, they are both confident in its use and what it is telling them. They have even managed to use it to figure out a rough concentration of skeletons on the walls and in the towers, and have figured out the rough placement of about 50 of the 60 skeletons that Morpheus told them were there.

After three days of such efforts, however, there is little more for K&K to do, other than to continue watching, waiting for Orodinus to return, if indeed, it was, as seems likely, the demon himself who was present in the castle several days ago.

More days pass, each one welcomed by Kinnaka’s steadfast patient observation and Kentaro’s increasing impatience to do something. Repeatedly, he tells Kinnaka that they won’t be in the castle for very long, and to continue waiting is to court detection by the enemy. Kinnaka is unmoved. He wants to determine the pattern, if any, of Orodinus’ visits.

And so they wait. And quietly argue. And slowly run out of food, for they cannot hunt in view of the skeletons on the walls. Finally on December 31^st, over a week after Orodinus’ departure, with their supplies at a critical level, and still with no sign of the demon’s return, Kinnaka relents. He decides that unless the demon returns in the night, they will move in the morning.

23-27 June

With that agreed to, they travel from Greysmere to Maure Castle, encountering nice weather, followed by two days of rain in town.

28 June-6 July

7-22 July

22 July-7 August

8-23 August

24 August-3 September

4 September-2 October

Following a suggestion by one of the more sensible people offering advice, they approach the Master of a late-season caravan about being hired on as guards. The deal is quickly done, although most of their wages will be withheld in order to pay off the extreme weather gear the Caravan Master is willing to spot them. They’ll wind up with a little money in their pocket, but more importantly, they’ll be well protected against the cold of the extreme north.

4-16 October

18-27 October

He relates the story, such as it is, to Kentaro, making sure to also point out that he is 26 years old. Kentaro asks if Kinnaka’s father owned the tower, but as far as Kinnaka knows, he father was an elf who lived his entire life in the Celedon forest. With that minor mystery apparently in an insoluble state, the pair move on to other things, not the least of which is enjoying themselves on the Caravan Master’s tab.

That night, for the first time, Kinnaka begins to hear sounds in dreams that had previously been silent. The sounds are very subtle, but undeniable, and are not pleasant ones. Screams, high-pitched giggling, tearing and rending, all faint, but present. The following day, he has to resort to his spell before Kentaro even gets out of bed. It’s going to be a long day.

28 October-15 November

After a few hours, the bartender at a local tavern assures K&K that the person they need to find is Haken Ingmarsen, a suggestion that is seconded by several customers. Haken is an ancient trapper and fur trader who “knows every inch of the Barbarian lands”. If anyone knows where they can find this Zephrom fellow, it’s Haken. Unfortunately, he has taken to wintering over in Krakenheim, where he is a regular at a pub called The Foothold, which is frequented by trappers.

A few questions elicit the information that Krakenheim is 300 miles by road, so they can expect to be traveling for a couple of weeks or so, barring bad weather. Fortunately the locals inform them that they may be in luck – the November snows have been much lighter than normal, and there is generally very little snowfall in the winter months. They waste no time in pondering their choices. The next morning finds them on the road again.

Kinnaka

15-30 November

They have two hours to kill before that hour, so the two wander around town for a while, taking in the sights, before return to the Foothold at half past four bells.

At 5:00, the door opens, letting in a chilling blast of cold air from the outside. The bartender nods his head and says, “Haken. Careful or he’ll talk yer ear off.” K&K turn to see a someone enter, who seems tiny even in a huge parka and snowpants. He sets a pair of snowshoes by the door and moves to a table near the front window, nodding at the bartender as he goes.

Kinnaka approaches:

Good Evening. I am hoping zhat zhe Earth Mother has blessed your day. I am Kinnaka. I have been tord you may be abre to herp me rocate someone.

Haken smiles and waves him to a seat:

Elf, eh? Pleased to meet you. Not many o’ the fair folk come up this way. And yer friend’s rather large, ain’t he. Half-giant, I’m guessing? Ye better grab the big chair o’er there. Sit, sit. We can talk. Bring me an ale an’ we can talk fer a long time. Hah!

Kinnaka:

So I harve been tord. An erf can risten for a rong time. To herp you on your way to story terring, I am rooking for a man named Zephrom.

Haken talks as only a man who spends most of his time by himself can talk, but in the middle an otherwise rambling bit of conversation, he gets around to mentioning that Zephrom is a crazy old man who lives up the Jenelrad river on the banks of a lake in the high Corusks that lies in a broad, almost circular pine valley. He throws in that heading up there at this time of year would be sheer madness.

K&K part ways from Haken fairly late, returning to the inn room they have splurged on. As Kentaro begins to snore, Kinnaka steps outside, and in the chilling, clear air, prays to his ancestors for guidance.

That night, his usual dreams are interrupted by the appearance of the old lady he last saw in his dreams in Greysmere. She smiles, and says simply, “Come.”

Misunderstanding, Kinnaka moves to follow her.

She smiles again ad holds up her hand:

No, no. Come to me. Come to Zephrom. Find us at the lake. Come now.

Kinnaka:

I wirr, ancient mother.

She nods:
Yes. I knew you would. I was counting on it.

With that, she disappears, and Kinnaka is left dream-free for the remainder of his time abed. In the morning, he wakes Kentaro early and informs him that they’ll be leaving town this morning, but they have some chores to deal with first. The next few hours are spent in finalizing travel details – finding someone to watch Kentaro’s horse until he returns, selling Kinnaka’s horse to get the money to purchase a donkey, a good supply of food, and a number of other items to help them survive in the Arctic conditions they are sure to encounter.

01-08 Dec

Throughout this period, the mountains have been growing steadily closer, the land upon which they walk bending inexorably upward. Following the river provides an easier path to follow. Their sure-footed donkey seems to be an expert at finding the best path to follow, and it isn’t long before they allow her to lead, remaining content with following the trail she blazes.

09-10 Dec

Gaining the summit takes almost the entirety of the next day, especially given the short days in the northern reaches at this time of the year, with sunrise occurring around 9 bells (mid-morning) and sunset at approximately 4 bells in the afternoon.

Undaunted, our heroes press forward, and even though they are forced to do the last tiny portion of the climb in the dark, they do manage to get to the top of the hill. They make camp quickly and get settled for the night.

11 Dec

He looks toward the sound and steps away from the snoring mass of furs that is Kentaro to hear better. As he does, with an explosion of snow and an enormous roar, a shaped vaguely like an upright gorilla, but topping out at around eight feet tall and covered from head to toe in long, matted white fur suddenly appears just a few feet from Kinnaka. The creature roars once more and springs forward.

Kinnaka yells and runs toward his Naginata. Thanks to his exceptional quickness and dexterity, he manages to dodge the creature’s first swipe and grab up the weapon. Thanks to the length of the pole arm, the elf is able to get in a swing before the beast arrives, connecting with the huge target and opening a gash along its right shoulder. The animal screams and swings wildly with its claws. Kinnaka manages to block one huge paw with the handle of his weapon. Unfortunately for the monster, its wild attack only succeeds in hitting the naginata’s blade with its other paw.

As Kentaro rolls out of his furs and starts to move, Kinnaka verbally prompts him to make better speed even as he shortens his grip on the naginata to account for the close combat, and attacks with a thrust that pierces his opponent’s left side. Kentaro responds to Kinnaka’s shout with the information that the creature is a yeti. Kinnaka finds the information of limited usefulness, as he is under attack from a flurry of paw swipes, two of which he manages to block, although two strike home, doing significant damage to his abdomen and upper left arm,.

What Kentaro failed to say is that his store of information about the animal kingdom includes the fact that yetis are very susceptible to fire based attacks. He foregoes his more traditional weapons in favor of grabbing the biggest, most brightly burning log from the fire. It’s not actually that big, but it will have to do. He looks up to see his partner successfully stab at the creature one more time, causing it to pause and reconsider the wisdom of continuing to prosecute the attack.

The yeti makes his mind up quickly when Kentaro chooses this moment to arrive and swing the burning log with all his force, with great effect. Even though the stick snaps off at the point of impact, lessening the potential damage, the damage is sufficient to convince the creature, dazed, bleeding, burned, and in great pain, to turn and limp away at its best speed.

Kentaro’s first impulse is to continue the attack and kill the beast, but upon realizing that A) the only weapon he is holding is a stick from which the burning end has been broken off, and B) his partner has slumped to the ground, bleeding badly and barely conscious, decides to let it go. He settles for binding Kinnaka’s wounds and making the elf as comfortable as possible.

After a brief discussion, they decide that despite Kinnaka’s severe condition, their best bet is to continue onward. They have probably no more than a couple days’ walk before reaching their destination. Returning to Krakenheim would probably take several weeks.

Kentaro bids Kinnaka lie still while he prepares for departure, and spurred on by adrenaline, makes record time of it. The donkey also seems anxious to get out of the area, and despite bearing the extra burden of Kinnaka, makes very good time for the remainder of the day.

12-15 Dec

16 Dec

Fortunately, within an hour they reach the top of a small rise and are greeted with the magnificent view of a . Several primitive huts of varying sizes dot the shore, and amazingly, one spews forth a column of smoke. Clearly they have reached their destination.

Kentaro:

Yeh see that Kinnaka? Beautiful ain’t it? I’m sure when we’re all done ‘ere you’ll be wantin ter spend some time ‘ere eh?

Kinnaka, not at all happy with the mountains, the snow, the cold, etc., eyes his partner warily:

No.

Kentaro shrugs, and they begin plodding forward once more. They are about halfway to the cabin when they hear the rhythmic sound of an axe on wood, and as they get closer still, they see the figure that is swinging the axe. A minute or so later, he catches sight of the approaching pair, puts down the ax, and settles in to await their arrival. If he is concerned about the approach of two strangers to his remote location, he doesn’t show it.

Kentaro stays the donkey, tells Kinnaka to wait, and runs up to find a very old, yet clearly very with eyes the color of old ice.

Kentaro:

My friend is hurt. We were attacked by a yeti. Do yeh have a healer around?

Zephrom:

No healers, but bring ‘im in. We’ll see what we kin do. Livin’ alone, I’ve learned a thing er two ‘bout healin’.

Inside, the place is pretty much what they expected – the main room toward the front of the cabin takes up about half the square footage. Two doorways are in the far wall. Both rooms boast a curtain in place of a door, and both are currently open. One leads to a kitchen; the other, to a bedroom. All the rooms are decorated with furniture that seems to have been hand-made by a rank amateur using local hardwoods. Many of the hard surfaces are covered with animal furs. Several animal heads– a bighorn sheep, a moose, and a polar bear – decorate the walls. Although the large stone fireplace only contains a small fire, the room is very warm.

Zephrom asks them to have a seat by the fire and goes off to fetch his first aid kit, which doesn’t amount to much, but he wields it with a small degree of skill. When Kinnaka is more comfortable and Zephrom has done all he can, he offers them a warm meal, although he warns them that he is no chef.

Kinnaka suddenly remembers that he has not introduced himself. Although he could reasonably blame the laps on being near death, both from yeti-induced wounds and being half-frozen, he does not. He mentally chides himself for the “inexcusable oversight” and immediately springs to his feet to make amends. Although the sudden movement, combined with a small bow, causes his head to swim nearly to the point of passing out, he performs the necessary task, though his light-headedness causes his words to come tumbling out, in apparently random order.

Kinnaka:

Hai. I am being carred Kinnaka. Arigato. I wirr repay what I can, when I am being better.

Kentaro:

‘Ave yeh ever met an elf before Mr. ... ah … I’m sorry I didn’t get yer name. Wot is it?

Zephrom:

There’s some as call me Zephrom, but ye kin call me by me rightful name. I’m Morpheus. God of Sleep.

Kentaro [casually]:

Well It’s nice ter meet ya. I’m sorry it had ter be in these circumstances. I’ll gladly do any work fer ya if yeh can help my partner.

Kinnaka, remembering that the old lady and his own ancestor, both of whom appeared to him in his dreams sent him to find this man called Zephrom, is not nearly so casual. He gets down and bows deeply without looking up.

Kinnaka:

I am most deepry, humbry honored.

Zephrom:

Why thank ye. Yer friend Kentaro’s not so convinced, I see.

Kinnaka [still bowing]:

My ancestors sent me—from beyond in zhe house of dead. I have more reason to be bereiving zhan him. I aporogize for his behaviour.

Kentaro:

Not convinced? Was I impolite? [He gets visibly worried.] I didn’t mean anythin’ by it. I’m sorry. [He does his best to imitate Kinnaka’s bow.]

Zephrom:

Well, partially true anyway. I sent you! Or at least I sent the messengers to bring you anyway, which amounts to the same thing, I reckon. [He looks at the two of them, still bowing.] Oh, do get up. We’ll be spending a fair bit o’ time together in th’ near future. Ye may as well stand. I’ll go get th’ soup.

Kentaro:

Would yeh like any help sir?

Zephrom:

No, no. You rest. Ye’ve had a long journey. Won’t take but a minute.

After Zephrom departs for the kitchen, Kinnaka takes a while to stand, his mind a whirl of confusion. Finally, he sits back down, knowing the debt he will owe is more than he can possibly pay for in one lifetime … and not really liking it.

Zephrom returns a few moments later with steaming bowls full of chili, slightly stale bread, a roughly hacked off piece of cheese, and two large mugs of coffee. He then returns to the kitchen to clean up, leaving them to eat. Before he returns, both of them fall asleep, a state that claims them for a few hours, if the absence of the sun when they wake up is anything to go by. Kentaro wakes up first and sees that more food (meat sandwiches and potatoes this time) is laid out on the table. A kettle sits at the edge of the fire; the smell of coffee permeates the room. Zephrom is nowhere to be seen.

The half giant gets up and looks around at the animal furs, spending some time identifying them. Mostly they are of the standard type (fox, rabbit, bear), but several more exotic ones (yeti, snow snake, and a few Kentaro can’t identify) are also represented.

As Kinnaka continues to sleep soundly, Kentaro decides to check his wounds to see if he needs to be re-bandaged. He carefully peels back the bandage covering the worst wound, the one on his abdomen and is … well, surprised doesn’t really sum it up very well … shocked and amazed to see that the wound is completely healed, leaving behind not even a scar to show where the wound was.

Kentaro is filled with joy but keeps it to himself. Able to relax now, he eats his meal and then settles back down, lazily watching the fire, content with the warmth and the full feeling in his stomach, not to mention the fact that his friend is apparently completely healed. He doesn’t even notice that he is nodding off again before he does so, with wonderful dreams to keep him entertained through the night.

17 Dec

The next time Kentaro wakes up, it “feels” like morning, even though the sun is still several hours from rising. Kinnaka is still asleep, and … and … Kentaro shakes his head in wonder … is smiling. The sound of washing dishes comes from the kitchen.

Kentaro gets up and being careful not to wake up Kinnaka, heads into the kitchen, where he watches a small pile of dishes clean itself in a large tub. Of Zephrom, there is no sign, so Kentaro walks around, looking in the other rooms. It doesn’t take long to determine that all three are empty of human – or divine – habitation, save for Kinnaka.

Out of the bedroom window, he catches sight of a small barn. Assuming Zephrom can be found there, Kentaro goes out to find Zephrom putting out fresh hay for their own donkey and two others. They are a little crowded, but don’t seem unhappy. All three are freshly brushed. As Kentaro enters, Zephrom stops what he’s doing and welcomes him.

Zephrom:

Good morning. I trust you are feeling better this morning?

Kentaro:

I’ve never felt better in my life! Yeh’ve completely healed my partner! I can’t thank yeh enough. Can I do somethin’ ta show my graditude?

Zephrom smiles:

Why, yes! Yes, you can, and I’ll explain how very soon. For now, I think it’s time to wake Kinnaka. He’s had well more than his fair share of sleep, wouldn’t you say?

Kentaro:

Never though I’d agree ta tha’.

Zephrom:

He IS rather fearsome, is he not? Although, I’d hazard a guess that there are a fair few who would say the same of you, no?

Kentaro:

Fearsome? Nah. He’s just like any hurt animal. Jus trying ter be normal … at least as far as that goes fer an elf.

Zephrom:

Yes. You’ll serve well enough. For now though, shall we go?

Kentaro:

More than happy to … ah … yer sleepiness.

Zephrom:

Mind your tongue. It wouldn’t do to be disrespectful, now would it?

Kentaro:

My apologies sir. I will follow yeh.

Zephrom:

Well done. Come now. Kinnaka awaits.

He heads back to the house where Kinnaka is just getting up. When the elf sees Zephrom, he bows again.

Zephrom:

Yes. Can we agree that you aren’t to do that any more? Or maybe once in the morning if you feel you must, but after that, we must dispense with that particular formality. For now, please step into my office. We have much to discuss.

And so saying, he steps through the curtain that closes off his bedroom door. Kinnaka, head lowered, follows him, Kentaro in tow as well. They are both surprised. The has changed a bit since the last time they saw it.

13 June

Kinnaka smiles and says, ”Wercome, most honored grandmother. May our home be to you a prace of rest and comfort. Prease be at our tabre sitting. I wirr be making you coffee.” He leads her to the kitchen and then tries to find the coffee and figure out how to make it. He’s seen Kentaro do it half a dozen times; how hard can it be? Eventually, he empties the tea ball, cleans it, and puts coffee beans in it. Then he puts the still hot kettle on the fire. It doesn’t take long for it to come back to an optimal temperature for tea. He then puts the tea ball (with coffee beans in it) into the teakettle and places the kettle on the table. He whispers a prayer and chants over the kettle. As he does so, he cleans a new cup and places a larger cup in the middle of the table. After doing so, he opens the kettle and pours some very weak coffee into the common cup. He knows it doesn’t look right, but there’s nothing for it at this point but to carry on. With the ladle he mixes it and then pours it into a smaller cup. He bows the old woman, picks up the cup, and walks it around the table to her. He gently places it in front of her then sets a spoon down with equal care. Bowing, he backs toward his spot and pours himself a cup. With that he cleans the spoon, the common bowl, and the ladle again. Placing them down carefully on a specially laid cloth then seats himself, closes his eyes, and takes a drink of the (very light) coffee. He tries his best to hide his dislike of the coffee as he takes a sip. He waits for his guest to talk first, as he “enjoys” his coffee.

The old lady drinks slowly with her eyes closed, motionless apart from her right arm and her mouth. She doesn’t say a word until she has finished her “coffee”, which takes almost half an hour. Kinnaka is content to sit in silence. Finally, a few minutes after she has finished drinking, she stands laboriously. It seems to take a great while for her to get up, and causes her no small amount of pain, but Kinnaka senses that she would be offended by any offer of help, so he does not offer it, instead watching a nuthatch through the kitchen window, pretending he does not notice her infirmity.

When she has completed the interminable act of rising to her feet, she turns to go and begins to hobble slowly to the front door. As she continues to walk slowly toward the front door, she finally speaks, though still without looking at her host, her voice as dry as an old twig.

You are very kind. I have no money with which to pay you, but for your kindness, I offer you instead, peace. [At this she stops walking and turns her head. Her eyes meet Kinnaka’s, and the elf feels himself rooted to the spot.] You punish yourself unjustly. You didn’t kill her. The visions that prevent and disturb your slumber aren’t of her.

Kinnaka:

It is my honor to be serving one so wise in the ways of worrd, but I am not knowing what it is you are referring to. My dreams I have never understood, nor zhat of pain they cause. You are more wise than me to be knowing what affricts me. I onry can hope, precious grandmother, you are arso knowing how zhen I may be removing zhem from my head.

The woman shakes her head slowly, even sadly:

No, this I cannot tell you. Such knowledge is hidden from me and is most dearly purchased. To discover its price you must seek Zephrom in the land of the Frost Barbarians. Yes, Zephrom can tell you what you most want to know. [She laughs briefly, a warm laugh, more like to have come from a young maid than an old crone.] And he is most eager to mark your arrival.

With that, the old woman turns and resumes her slow, painful shuffle toward the door.

Kinnaka:

Zhat is a most desireabre state, grandmother. However, I am yoked to an effort presentry zhat I cannot extract myself.

The woman, who had paused to hear his reply, turns with a dismissive wave of her hand and resumes her walk:

Can’t, eh? ... Or won’t? ... Well, all living things have to make choices, good master elf. You will choose what you will choose, as all others must. [At this point, she reaches the door and opens it, though she pauses in the doorway.] However, if it helps you decide, know this. The shadows that torment your dreams are the unquenchable agonies of your mother, suffered these many long years. She is dead, yet she cannot pass on, for her essence has been usurped. As you sleep, you feel them as if they were your own. Unless you act, naught will change. So much I know and no more. Zephrom can explain the rest, should you choose to extract yourself. The choice is yours to make – think hard, and decide well.

With that, she steps out and closes the door. With the click of the latch, Kinnaka regains the use of his legs. He stands for a few minutes, frankly stunned, then goes for a long, long walk, thinking about what he will do. One thing he does know is that he can’t simply leave. He has a job to do.

Even as he thinks these words, he sits bolt upright in bed and realizes that the whole thing was a terribly realistic dream. He spends a longer time than normal abed, waiting for his breathing and heartbeat to return to normal. When it does, he enters the living room. Looking out the window, he sees that it is just after dawn. With a strong sense of deja vu, he hears a loud knocking on the front door.

Kinnaka hesitates before he opens the door, but when he does, Thekla enters and as the elf breathes a sigh of relief reports that the trial is off. Early this morning, they managed to make a deal for the stolen tools. What tools could be found were returned, the value of the rest was reimbursed, along with a fairly substantial “fine”, but all charges have been dropped.

She informs Kinnaka that Shey is looking for guidance as to whether Tsunami should return and continue “poking the hornet’s nest”, as he puts it. Kinnaka tells her that Tsunami deserves a week off before starting up the attacks again. Kinnaka then says that she (Thekla) has done an admirable job so far and he believes she can go far. However, he very lightly chastises she does need to learn how to bow properly before one not so kind as he take offense. He gets up and stands next her and starts to give her a lesson on bowing. He intends to teach her for 10 minutes or so, but it’s clear from early on that while willing to bow in general, she has no patience with a lesson how to bow. The realization disappoints Kinnaka, but doesn’t tremendously surprise him, and his forced to cut the lesson short. Before she leaves, he congratulates her for the excellence she has demonstrated in the field. To her credit, Thekla does bow before she leaves, which placates Kinnaka somewhat.

After Thekla leaves, Kinnaka takes a long walk to consider his immediate future. On his way back to the cottage, he sees a face in the crowd at the northern market that he recognizes. It’s the face of the old lady from last night’s dream!

Kinnaka starts toward her, but she turns and walks away, disappearing into the crowd. He scans the crowd for some time before realizing that she has completely disappeared. Eventually he gives up and continues to the cottage, where unusually, he finds Thekla waiting for him. It soon becomes clear why; she is there to report that the “architect” arrived at Tran’s house and essentially took over. There is a big pile of rolled documents in Kinnaka’s room at the Viceroy.

Kinnaka thanks her and asks her to accompany him. He’ll go to the printers and drop them off for him to copy. Kinnaka, of course, will want to know all the details and how it went.

Thekla goes willingly, and fills in Kinnaka on the way. On two occasions between the Viceroy and the printer’s office, Kinnaka is sure he sees the old woman, but both times the glimpse is fleeting, and he can’t be sure. After arranging for the plans to be copied, which will take a week (negotiated down from two weeks, for a substantially higher sum), they return to the Viceroy, where Kinnaka plans to drop off Thekla.

Halfway there, he sees her again, standing in the doorway of a tobacconist’s shop. As they make eye contact, she turns and disappears into the shadows beyond the shop’s doorway. Kinnaka excuses himself from Thekla, saying he has some things to attend to, though he’d like to meet her later tonight. She responds that she’ll be at the Viceroy all evening. If she doesn’t see Kinnaka there by midnight, she’ll go to the cottage.

Kinnaka nods and heads towards then into the tobacconist’s. However, when he gets in, he doesn’t see her. In fact, he doesn’t see anyone apart from the tobacconist himself, who is friendly enough but tells him he must be mistaken. Nobody’s entered the shop in the last hour. In fact, although he’s been open for more than an hour, Kinnaka is his first customer. Can he do something for hizzoner the elf? No, Kinnaka responds. He thought he saw an old friend coming in here. The shop owner is clearly disappointed, but shrugs and goes back to doing whatever he was doing before Kinnaka arrived.

Back on the street, Kinnaka analyzes all of the old woman’s appearances, trying to think if there is a commonality between them, but cannot come up with anything concrete. The two most likely possibilities that come to his mind are that she’s either keeping an eye on him or just wants him to know she hasn’t gone away. Or perhaps both. Thoughts tumble through his mind a thousand to the second as he wanders back to the cottage, which he reaches without any further appearances by the old lady.

When he arrives, he enters to find Kentaro making coffee (with much better results than Kinnaka achieved in his dream). The half-giant notices the subtle change in his friend’s demeanor and inquires as to its source. Kinnaka hesitates then explains the dream, and the meaning behind it. Kentaro is surprised to find out about the circumstances of Kinnaka’s birth, and privately decides that that explains a great deal about his friend’s behavior.

Kinnaka tells Kentaro that he’s conflicted. On the one hand, for him to leave with an assignment unfinished would be a loss of face he’s not willing to accept. On the other hand, he cannot fathom causing his dead mother any more pain than he’s caused her these twenty-some years. He has to help his mother regardless of his honor. His ancestors come before the County. Especially since the County has treated them fairly rudely.

Kenatro agrees, and says that if Kinnaka ever wants a peaceful night’s sleep and wants to let his mother’s soul rest, he must go. They discuss the logistics of making such a move for a while, before deciding that the best thing will be to turn the operation over to Thekla. They’ll inform Brill of the change in person, and write to Tovish to let him know he’ll either have to approach Thekla about it or send a replacement for himself. Whichever way Tovish decides to go, Kinnaka will finish this month’s work and let Brill know about the change when he goes in for his monthly meeting. They’ll take Thekla with them, in case Brill wants to meet her, and leave directly from there.

With that decided, Kinnaka goes to the Viceroy to have his discussion with Thekla. When he arrives, Thekla is already there, in conversation with Yegishe, but as soon as she seen him, she scurries over. She is already starting to talk before her feet stop moving, but Kinnaka stops her with a gesture. They’ll talk upstairs, he tells her.

When they are in the more private confines of the private room, Thekla tells him excitedly that Guardsmen have started asking more questions about him and Kentaro. They have apparently started looking into their background, residences, and current activities. Thekla believes that they have connected them, with the possible exception of Kianni, with Kempeitai, though Tsunami and Soshi don’t yet seem to have been so connected.

Kinnaka jumps on this opportunity to tell Thekla that he needs to go away for an extended time, possibly forever. She stands stunned for a second, so Kinnaka continues, telling her what a great job she’s been doing and offering her the position. She eagerly accepts the position, but when Kinnaka tells her that he’s actually working for someone else, and he needs to take her to meet him, she loses some of her enthusiasm. It takes a fair while, but ultimately, Kinnaka convinces her to come with him to meet Brill. He doesn’t tell her that Brill may refuse to see her outright! So with that arranged, they part, all thoughts of what the guardsmen may be asking wiped from both of their minds.

Much later, as Kinnaka lies in bed, waiting for sleep, he hears a familiar voice in his ear – the voice of the old woman. He can tell that she is smiling, though he cannot see her in the darkness. “You have chosen well, young one.” Kinnaka smiles to himself, and drifts off to sleep.

14 June

For the first time, Kinnaka’s constant nightmare changes. The usual swirl of dark colors continues, but is slightly more defined. Also, streaks of identifiable color begin to appear. The dream still consists mostly of blacks, browns, and grays in varying shades, but the occasional burst of red or purple flashes across the background as well.

Also, for the first time he feels pain in his dream. Real pain that he knows he will remember well in the morning. He feels the skin being very slowly peeled off his legs below the knee. It seems to go on for hours before the first layer of skin on his legs has been completely removed. Then a second layer begin to be drawn off. And so on, with time stretching toward infinity as it sometimes does in dreams, he slowly loses three full layers of skin from his knees to his toes before the feelings fade and he finds himself walking in an elven forest.

The trails he follows seem hazily familiar, but he can’t completely recall them either. The tinkling sound of slowly flowing water gets louder as he gets closer to it, and then, around a particularly sharp bend in the trail, he comes upon an old, old male elf sitting cross-legged on the banks of a great, lazy river. He holds a fishing pole in a manner that seems to indicate he has been at this for some time now, though there are no fish to be seen on the bank near him. Apparently he is having little success.

At first the elder elf does not appear to be aware of Kinnaka’s presence, but without turning or removing his pole from the water, he addresses Kinnaka in Cerebor, the language of Kinnaka’s homeland. He introduces himself as Kazuhiro Minoru, eldest brother of Kinnaka’s grandfather Takumi. Kinnaka pauses at this. He knows the name well, but remembers that his great uncle Kazuhiro, a highly respected advisor to the elven high court, died years before Kinnaka was born.

Kinnaka bows deeply, and waits silently for Kazuhiro to continue.

Kazuhiro:

I was to have been your spiritual guide these many years, young Kinnaka, but I have been prevented from serving in that most worthy position by a power that is beyond my understanding. A veil was drawn between us; a veil of misery, agony, and suffering. I have been repelled by that veil for many years. Now for the first time, I have been successful in piercing through it, though I know not why I have been granted success when all my former attempts have met with abject, dismal failure. I also do not know how long my success will last or how long I shall be permitted to speak before the veil is drawn closed again, so I must be brief.

Kinnaka, I applaud you. You have made a difficult decision, but have made it with courage and honor. Think no more of this place of humans. For you, there was never any real honor to be gained here, even had you achieved complete success. Now that you have successfully extracted yourself from its vile clutches, you must not look back or hesitate to move forward. Each day that passes provides the forces that align against you more power to prevent you from achieving your great destiny. Deny them the use of that power. Arm yourself and fight the evil that would tear our world apart.

Your path forward is neither simple nor straight, and will become harder the longer you tread it, but reaching its end shall bring much honor to you, your family, and your ancestors.

One last word before I give you leave to speak. Allow the old woman to guide you. She has been sent to serve when I cannot. And now, ask your questions. The young always have questions, and since I have at long last been successful in delivering my message, I can entertain such things for as long as I am permitted.

Unfortunately, even as Kinnaka opens his mouth to speak, Kazuhiro begins to spin, and much like water draining through a small hole, begins to swirl faster and faster until he is completely gone.

Kinnaka jerks awake to see that the sun has fully risen. He prepares quickly for the day, writes a quick, but urgent message for “Mr. Sanders”, and goes to deliver it to Marko at the Christina hotel. Afterward, Kinnaka spends the remainder of the day alone, mulling over the events of the past 24 hours and what it might mean for his immediate future life.

Kentaro spends the day much more practically, using the Chancellery “credit card” to purchase traveling supplies – food, new oilskin cloaks, cold weather gear, updated equipment, etc. If they’re going to be on the road for a long time without a ready means of support, he figures, they may as well get as much as they can while they can afford it. However, for some reason, he decides not to tell Kinnaka about the new purchases. He can’t explain why, even to himself, but it seems to him to be the right thing to do.

Neither one sees Thekla for the rest of the day, marking the first time since they hired her that she has not made an appearance in the evening.

15-19 June

Kinnaka spends the night dream free, and the next morning (June 15), he receives a response from Tovish. It contains the following information:

1. A long, fairly vulgar diatribe regarding their sudden departure.
2. Notice that their expense card will be terminated immediately, although a small sum will be left on it in the amount they have earned while they worked for the County. When it runs out, they will not be able to refill it in the usual way.
3. A comment that they are by no means to tell Thekla about their position in the Chancellery. If they approach her at all about it, Chancellery people will do so in their own way and in their own time, which certainly won’t be before Kinnaka and Kentaro have left.
4. A long, fairly vulgar diatribe about not bothering to come back later in the hopes of getting their jobs back.

Kinnaka reflects that he has done the best he can to obtain a suitable replacement for he and Kentaro, and that his honor is therefore fully intact and Tovish is simply an illiterate peasant. He does, however, hope Lord Tar will view their departure in a somewhat more favorable light.

Late in the day, Thekla returns. She makes no comment about their imminent departure, other than to ask Kinnaka when they will be heading to Karakas. He informs her that they will leave on 20 June, 5 days hence. Thekla thanks him for the information, then tells him that Tenner and Lymon showed up claiming they were out of money. They’re looking for more, claiming that Kinnaka owes them for their next two weeks. She’d like to confirm that. Kinnaka informs him that he’s paid them for the full month, so their on their own in that respect. Thekla smiles and tell him that she’ll be happy to pass that word on.

After that, both Kinnaka’s dreams and their life in general remain quiet. Thekla resumes her nightly appearances, but now in more in an informative light, rather than looking for guidance. Kinnaka advises her where he can, but reflects that she’s making most of the same moves he would, and where her moves differ from his, at least she is putting workable plans in place. Daily, he grows more convinced that she is the right person for the job.

Meanwhile, Kentaro has verified that their expense card has indeed been shut off, for the most part. He estimates that they have sufficient living expenses for about 2 weeks on the road, as long as they don’t have any large, unexpected expenses. He still doesn’t tell Kinnaka about the new stuff he’s already purchased, though he isn’t sure why. Plenty of time for that later in any case.

On 28 May, Kinnaka and Kentaro awaken to a cloudy day, with a strong feeling of rain in the air, though none is currently falling.

During breakfast at the Christina, where Kinnaka is rapidly becoming a regular, he is surreptitiously handed a sealed message. He thanks Marko and finishes his leisurely meal before going back to the cottage to see what news Tovish has for him today.

He finds Kentaro just waking up (he apparently had a VERY late night last night). While his partner moves slowly about trying to get himself prepared for the day, Kinnaka familiarizes himself with him the message then shares its contents with Kentaro.

First it states that if either Kinnaka or Kentaro need to give anyone a name of a “Ministry contact”, they are to use Ragnall, a furrier with a shop in the southern area of town. He is also the brother in law of Chief Constable Jennix, so the tie should be plausible. Ragnall has no real position in the Chancellery, of course, but has been prompted to confirm that he holds the mythical position of Southeastern Regional Coordinator if asked.

The people for whom Kinnaka requested summaries are:

Anabeth: During the most recent Lord Mayor’s election in Greyhawk, Anabeth was an outspoken supporter of Kurtein and opponent of Count Aphic. When Kurtein became Lord Mayor, she took his seat on the Mage Guild’s high council. She’s a very fat, 50-ish woman who changes her hair color frequently (red, blue, purple, etc.)

Stimmin: Stimmin is a major lumber merchant based in Hardby who does business with several of the foremost of Hardby’s ship builders. He has also founded several schools and donates heavily to local orphanages, which he visits frequently. He’s a dapper, well-groomed 40-ish man, small, very thin, with grey hair worn swept back on his head and a thin mustache.

Duncan: Don’t know where he lives, but he seems to be a messenger. He has been noted visiting both Anabeth and Stimmin several times over the past few months, usually shortly before something bad happens to County facilities or personnel. He’s a large man who rides a black horse and wears a heavy blue traveling cloak.

Sometime after lunch, while Kinnaka and Kentaro are enjoying a lazy day watching the rain come down, off and on, and heavy at times, Thekla stops by to report that Shey has reported completing Tsunami’s first delaying action. Last night, they brought down the scaffolding around one of the larger residences being upgraded. Since the scaffolding in question was also the temporary storage for quite a large number of facing stones, it caused quite a lot of damage to the building façade itself, which will take a week or two to straighten out. Things went well, and nobody was caught. She passes on that Shey did mention, however, that it is early days; that the builders can’t suspect sabotage yet. As the weeks go by with a steady trickle of accidents, it’ll only be a matter of time before they start putting things together and improving their watch. For now, it’s just fun.

Kinnaka smiles. “Yes,” he thinks, “it certainly is.”

Later that same the evening Thekla gets in touch again to tell Kinnaka that Tenner and Lymon have been set up in a cheap room at the Viceroy itself. Kinnaka asks he if she has had any luck tracking down the three names he gave her to research. Thekla reports that has heard nothing about anyone called Stimmin, but there is an Anabeth who works at a greengrocer’s shop near the northern market and a Duncan who works as a blacksmith’s assistant. He thanks her for the work. She bows again before she leaves, just as awkwardly as last time, but perhaps with a touch less self-consciousness.

29-30 May

After the storms of the 28 May have passed, the next two days offer weather that is absolutely perfect with temperatures in the mid 70’s, low humidity, and cloudless skies. Neither partner has anything pressing on their plates. Their three teams are functioning well. Tsunami has created one delay at a building site. Kempeitai is conspicuous by a regular presence at the Viceroy, backed up by regular reports from Thekla that Kinnaka and Kentaro are apparently being talked about a lot, mostly in the “wondering who they are and what they’re up to” are. There are no threats, either directly or implied. Antonie verifies that Soshi is scoping out Tran’s place regularly, but that until they have a solid plan or concrete orders, they are restricting themselves to watching.

31 May

The third consecutive day of gorgeous weather comes with a surprise in the form of a message from Krilaine. He reports that he has finished the spell. If Kinnaka and Kentaro would be kind enough to drop by sometime today, he would be pleased to return their chest and collect his fee.

The news would normally improve Kinnaka’s mood, but seeing as he is at a fairly low place mentally at the moment, it has little impact other than to rouse him to some sort of action. He informs Kentaro that they will go to Krilaine’s shop immediately to pick up the chest. Kentaro is not opposed, and hops up readily.

Our heroes are traversing an alley on their way to Krilaine’s shop, when three thugs step out and bar their way forward. Two are armed with short swords. The third bears a heavy sap. The one slightly forward of the others (Kinnaka mentally dubs him “Leader”; the others “Follower”, and “Sap”) tells them that this is a toll road. They have to pay to pass. Unfortunately, neither Kinnaka nor Kentaro remembers the pass Krilaine gave them to ensure safe passage.

Kentaro is annoyed by their demand and amused by the thought that they think they have a chance of collecting any money off them:

Toll? There ain’t no giant toll ‘ere. Be off wit ya now!

Kinnaka is simply in no mood to deal with would-be robbers:

Prease move aside. I word hate to have to hurt you men.

As they speak, they hear a cough above them. They look up to see two men with crossbows leaning out second floor windows to either side of the alley holding their crossbows steadily trained on their victims. All five thugs appear calm and relaxed. They’ve obviously done this before, and even given the unusual size of their prey, their side is favored by arms, position, and surprise. They obviously aren’t expecting resistance.

“Leader” smiles placidly and tells them to hand over their purses so that his friends won’t be forced to shoot them in the head with their crossbows.

Kinnaka steps forward:

Back off now before we are getting angry. We no wish to hurt you but wirr if you don’t move.

Thug:

Now ye stop right there. If there’s t’ be any hurtin’ here, we’ll be doin’ it. Now, yer purses, please. I won’t ask again.

Kinnaka moves suddenly, and with blazing speed, catching everyone (including Kentaro) by surprise. He grabs “Leader” and uses a hip throw to dash him the ground. The man hits the ground hard, dazed and temporarily out of the combat but essentially unhurt. In a smooth motion, the elf continues the move by attempting to take down “Follower” with a leg sweep, though the thug manages to jump over it. He whirls toward “Sap” next, attempting a shoulder lock, but the would-be mugger dodges just enough to avoid being caught.

By this time, everyone is starting to react. “Follower” attempts a swipe at Kinnaka’s back as the elf grabs for “Sap”, but the elf’s sweeping motion confuses causes him to miss badly as three sounds join the general melee. The first is Kentaro shouting, “GET YER ASSES DOWN FROM THERE!” as he leaps upwards toward one of the crossbowmen. The other two sounds are the pair of crossbow bolts being released.

The first bolt catches the half-giant squarely in the meat of the shoulder. The wound does a fair amount of damage, and is certainly painful, but not fatal. Kentaro is lucky. If not for his unexpected turn and leap, it would have been a clean head shot. The second bolt merely grazes him, thanks the fact that the man who shot it has suddenly found himself grabbed by an immense hand. Now, it’s a proven fact that people standing inside second floor windows generally consider themselves to be out of the immediate danger of hand-to-hand combat. Of course, most people in that position aren’t facing an 8-foot tall half-giant jumping and stretching upward for all he’s worth.

On the upward leap, Kentaro’s hand latches firmly onto the man’s tunic. Then gravity takes over and brings him back down. With over 400 pounds of Kentaro dragging him downward, the crossbowman has no choice but to follow. But the giant, unhappy with merely pulling the man down, opts to add momentum to the fall, hurling the unfortunate crossbowman downward with great force. The man hits the pavement very hard, accompanied with a loud snapping sound that immediately precedes his screams as he curls into a fetal position. This battle is over for this robber.

Facing the remaining three thieves, Kinnaka continues to concentrate on “Sap”. As he unsuccessfully tries again for the shoulder lock, his motion slows long enough for “Follower” to strike again. This time the weapon skitters along the elf’s ribs, opening a long, but fortunately shallow furrow. Kinnaka sucks in his breath and grimaces, but renews his concentration on “Sap”. This time he successfully achieves a shoulder lock, and thanks to his new wound, decides to end this now.

He puts all his force behind the lock, and is rewarded by the sounds of a loud pop and a scream as the man’s shoulder separates. Kinnaka himself feels the pain in the man’s shoulder, and it causes him to lose concentration long enough for the man to pull away and collapse to the ground. Another thug finished.

By this time, “Leader” has managed to pick himself up off the ground. He drops into a defensive posture next to “Sword” and quickly assesses the situation. Two of his men are down with only minor wounds to their two opponents. The remaining crossbowman has expended his bolt with no time to reload before Kentaro grabs him, too. “Leader” isn’t stupid. He calls for a full retreat, and all three of their enemies who are still mobile suit their actions to his words.

Kentaro starts to head after the fleeing thugs, but Kinnaka tells him to let them go. Reluctantly, Kentaro does. Kinnaka, his shoulder still on fire, even if the pain is entirely in his mind, winces in pain and shouts after the fleeing thugs through gritted teeth, “Begone and terr peopre not to mess wizh Kinnaka and Kentaro!”

Kentaro asks what they are going to do with the injured men. Kinnaka does not respond, so Kentaro settles for picking up “Sap” by his injured shoulder, eliciting new screams from the man, and tossing him off to the side of the alley. The half-giant lightly asks Kinnaka if he is ok and tells him that he can take over from here if he wants.

Kinnaka shrugs and mentions that he’s fine going to talk to Krilaine, but that Kentaro should have someone look after that arm. Kentaro pulls a face and says he’s “just fine”, and to prove it, pulls the bolt from his own arm, then promptly passes out – or at least nearly does. While his partner is still mostly out of it, Kinnaka takes a moment to tie on a makeshift bandage. As he does so, Kinnaka can feel the half-giant’s pain in his own shoulder, and it is excruciating. He is astounded by the fact that Kentaro not only managed to finish the fight, but also maintain focus and sense as long as he did. By the time he is done, Kentaro is once again able to focus, so Kinnaka tells him to head back to the Viceroy and find one of their team members to get a healer. He is then to retire to the cottage until the healer declares him healthy. Kentaro looks sheepish, but obeys. Kinnaka tells him before he heads off that he did well. Kentaro smiles and repays the compliment in kind, and the two split up.

Kinnaka does the best he can to patch up his own wound, which is still very painful, but not debilitating. Fortunately, the blood has almost stopped flowing by this point, so he doesn’t have very much to do at all. Next stop, Krilaine’s workshop.

Krilaine welcomes Kinnaka back to his shop, then notices the elf’s torn, bloody tunic. He offers to put things off if Kinnaka needs to attend to other matters first. Kinnaka demures, so Krilaine switches gears quickly and informs him that the cost for casting the spell to open the chest is 100 GD. However, when last they spoke, his pertner offered a “favor” in exchange for a lowered price. Krilaine tells Kinnaka that Master Asinth, the local Mage Guild Baron has been voicing official objections about “questionable practices” by Krilaine and threatening to pull his Guild membership. If they can convince Master Asinth to withdraw his objections, he’ll drop the price by half.

Kinnaka says he may think about it, but first he needs to know Master Asinth’s area of expertise and what sort of protections he has around him. Krilaine responds that he doesn’t travel in the same circles as Master Asinth. He’s never been to his house, so he can’t speak to that. At the Guild House, he has the full range of teh Guild’s magic, of course. He doesn’t, as far as Krilaine knows, travel with bodyguards, so he would assume either some sort of magical protection, or none at all – though considering his abrasive personality and rich lifestyle, he’s doubtful that “none” is an option. ... Oh, and his area of expertise is as a body shaper – cosmetic surgery basically.

Kinnaka thinks about it for a few minutes, but decides that the odds of success are low enough that he doesn’t want to take the task on. Instead he agrees to pay Krilaine’s full asking price (100 GD). The two agree that the fee will come out of the contents of the chest, should it turn out to contain items of sufficient value. If it does not, Krilaine will hold the items as collateral against Kinnaka’s eventual payment.

Accordingly, the chest is opened. It contains (no surprise) raw silver. A quick visit to the scales reveals that there is approximately 40 pounds of silver, with a value of about 200 GD. Kinnaka readily gives half to Krilaine, who accepts it with thanks and tells the elf to come back any time. He is always willing to help a man … or an elf … in need.

Kinnaka tells him he will undoubtedly be back, but he expects that the prices will be more reasonable later on. Krilaine smiles and says that assuredly his price will be appropriate to the task presented. Kinnaka does not smile as he responds that he is sure they will. The two part – well, not exactly amicably, but without animosity.

On returning to the cottage, Kinnaka finds Kentaro in bed asleep. A few empty bottles indicate that a healer may well have been involved, though he doesn’t wake his partner to find out for sure. Instead, he lets the half-giant sleep and heads off to his favorite spot by the lake to spend the rest of the day watching a large bullfrog catch flies.

1 June

At the tail end of yet another day with very nice weather, Thekla reports in the Viceroy that apparently someone has hijacked a shipment of support beams that on its way to Greysmere to supply several building projects. The man in charge of the shipment stated that when they woke, the three wagons containing the beams were simply gone. The two guards who were supposed to be on watch must have fallen asleep. The fact that a total of 12 horses would have to have been hitched to three wagons and the wagons driven off without waking up anyone in the camp leads to speculation of magic use or an inside job. Rumors are about evenly split as to which is more likely.

Kinnaka congratulates the team and asks Thekla to make them aware of it. He also wants to know what they did with the beams. She doesn’t know, but promises to find out. He tells her to make sure that some of the profits should find its way into the group’s coffers. Thekla smiles and promises to pass on his congratulations to the team.

2 June

The second day of June marks a change in the recent weather pattern. The day begins cloudy and cool. Humidity is high, promising rain before nightfall. In the event, the rain begins rather sooner, about an hour after lunch, and continues rather heavily and steadily well into the night.

Today’s update from Thekla includes the news that people have started talking about K&K with a mixture of fear and awe. Apparently, word is starting to get out about the fight in the alleyway. That, combined with the previous rumors that they were hiring people in large numbers is starting to make them a common subject of conversation.

Thinking back over the day, Kinnaka recalls that he was the recipient of any number of odd looks, though he didn’t attach any special meaning to them at the time because he’s fairly used to odd looks. Now he finds himself wondering whether there might be more to them that that, and asks Thekla to look into that as well – he also wants to know the general level of positive vs. negative comments. Thekla nods.

Despite his general bad mood, Kinnaka finds himself liking the woman more and more. She is efficient and respectful, intelligent and organized, creative and organized, and most importantly, doesn’t ask a lot of useless questions. He silently congratulates himself on making a very wise choice in his aide de camp.

3 June

The next day the weather continues to be cloudy, cool, humid, and rainy. Out of one particularly heavy downpour, Thekla finds Kinnaka and Kentaro (freshly out of bed, though still not completely healed) at the Viceroy to report two things.

First, she has discovered that the team sold several hundred support beams to a merchant shipping them to benefit some construction projects at Pargenters Mine. She adds that 5 GD has been added to the team’s coffers.

Second, she reports that those talking about the battle between K&K and the thugs in the alley are of basically three camps. The minority, represented mostly by very lowlife goons, view then as a threat to their way of life and a pestilence that must be removed at all costs. Most view them as merely engaging in self-defense. A small percentage of those are very behind them as they represent “every man’s desire to bring the rule of law to the untamed streets. The third group, again very small, think it’s a damn shame when decent humans can’t even pursue an honest day’s work without being set upon by vagrant elves and giants.

Kinnaka asks if there is a threat he needs to pursue, but Thekla’s opinion is that there is not, but Kempeitai (she crucifies the pronunciation!) believes that the minority groups bear watching in case their opinions start to sway the masses. Kinnaka agrees with the assessment, stating that Kempeitai (he says the name slowly and carefully to give Thekla a chance to hear it pronounced correctly) should be watching them. He reiterates she has his blessing to act if need be. She smiles, but says nothing.

4-7 June

The weather during this timeframe can best be defined as “pre-summer doldrums”, with the weather hot and humid, but cloudy enough to threaten a rain that never comes. The 5th brings news that a walkout of construction workers has affected several of the County’s larger building sites simultaneously. As the workers are being supported by their Guilds, replacement workers are hard to come by. Specifically the new Defenders’ Headquarters, the Count’s personal residence, and two new buildings are being hindered.

The lockout lasts through the 6th and 7th, with little progress apparently being made in negotiations between the County representatives and the Guilds.

Kinnaka sends his congratulates through Thekla, but says little else. Kentaro decides that that simply isn’t good enough, and heads out to the Viceroy to use some of the teams new money to buy the entire team a round of drinks (or two, or three…).

8-10 June

As the walkout enters its 3rd full day, the weather finally breaks, a light rain falling, bringing with it much cooler temperatures and much higher humidity. It doesn’t last long however, as the next day brings a return to haze, heat, humidity, and stickiness, though if possible, even more so than before. Greysmere is mired in the kind of weather than makes even the flies seem reluctant to move.

Into this oppressive weather, Kinnaka strides on the evening of 10 June, bound for

Sergeant Huckaby’s house. He arrives a little early, and finds a shady corner to stand in and wait. Before long, he hears the sound of a deep voice calling cadence, and a few seconds later, the early evening crowd parts to reveal a man in chain mail marching two other men down the street. The elf watches as they enter the house, and relaxes again, waiting for the good Sergeant to depart again.

After a short – well, short for Kinnaka anyway – wait of half an hour, Sergeant Huckaby leaves by himself, glances up and down the road, seemingly in indecision, then abruptly chooses to turn left (away from Tran’s house) and starts to walk along the road. Kinnaka blatantly follows the man, not trying to hide, and gradually drawing nearer.

After walking the length of two houses, the sergeant stops in front of the window of a hat shop and stares inside. Kinnaka notices that although he rests his hand casually on his sword grip, he has also surreptitiously loosened the blade in the scabbard. Kinnaka approaches, stops next to the man, looks at the hats, and offers, “I am not sure if I am riking zhese styres. Very unfamiar too me.”

Sergeant Huckaby does not look up, but asks, sotto voce, “Why’re ye followin’ me, elf?”

Kinnaka mentions that they need to talk in a more private location about an important matter, and offers to let the other man name the location. He does so – a clearing off the main road a mile north of town. The two separate without another word.

Half an hour later, Kinnaka reins in his horse at the meeting site, and notices that Sergeant Huckaby is already there, breathing hard, red-faced and sweating, and brushing down his horse, which has apparently been worked hard in the past half hour and is currently drinking deeply from a small stream.

Sergeant Huckaby wastes no time in pleasantries, speaking gruffly and angrily:

Say yer piece then.

Kinnaka:

Majestic beast. A warrior not trained in zhe ways of art and phirosophy is a warrior rost in rife. Stirr, I not want to be acting in way zhat waste your time. I know how precious it is to you humans. May you prease be terring me what you know about me and were tord?

Huckaby:

I know naught o’ elves. Flighty ‘n’ frivolous’s what I heard. D’ye have a sense o’ honor?

Kinnaka:

Zhere are many zhings we honor: our ancestors, zhe gods, and nature to name some. It is said wizhout dishonor zhere can be no honor. Zhere is a prace in zhe word for both. I understand zhe need but feer no need to practise dishonor. I am zhinking zhat we bereive in honor differentry zhan you. But I am wondering who is vouching for me, zhat you disrepect zhem by questioning my honor?

Huckaby:

Hmph. Well, mebbe ye should lissen afore ye take ‘at high tone, yeah? I swore a oath t’ protect Master Tran, his family, ‘n’ his house. I live by me word. Ne’er broke it afore. Ne’er planned to. Now I get tol’ – not asked, mind ye – tol’, that I got t’ break ‘at oath. I got to let ye in ‘n’ give ye what ye want. No questions asked. Bah! Piece o’ filth this whole deal. Jess tell me what ye want ‘n’ after ‘at, I want no more o’ it.

Kinnaka:

I am doubting you wirr be bereiving me, but your master wirr not be harmed and if we do zhis right he wirr not need to know. We have saying zhat zhough storm is heavy and breaks trees and starts fire it is for good in zhe end. Zhe forest grows stronger afterward. It is same here. You are piece of bigger pran zhat wirr strengthen your County more zhan simpry guarding Tran.

Huckaby:

Ye don’t get it, do ye? It’s nothin’ t’ do wi’ who ye intend t’ harm er what ye do. I’m t’ break me oath t’ protect ‘em. Turn me head. Don’t matter what yer doin’. E’en if yer goin’ t’ save th’ life o’ the Count ‘imself. … Me oath’s me oath, an’ after ‘is, me word won’t be worth two spits in a cracked cup. Just get on wi’ it. What’s yer plan?

Kinnaka:

I am pranning no harm. I am needing copies of zhe prans he keeps of a buirding. I am zhinking zhis wirr take severar days. I am working on ways to get zhem wizhout your herp, but zhey may not work out. Perhaps you herp us. I want no harm to any member of zhat house.

Huckaby:

Tell me ‘is. Let’s say ye come ‘n’ go ‘n’ nothin’s harmed and ever’thin’s fine. Can ye fix me rep’tation? Can ye make me word good agin afterward?

Kinnaka:

Zhere no reason your reputation suffer. Onry suffer if ozhers are knowing. If not, your reputation same as before. Perhaps you terr me how chest is protected? What it take to open. How may documents zhere are. You herp me distract guards to ozher prace so we are in and out quickry. It better for arr zhat way.

Huckaby shouts briefly:

No! [Then he calms down again.] No. When a man’s broke his oath, it’s broke. E’en if no one else e’er knows, it’s still broke. I’ll know, ‘n’ that makes all th’ difference. ... [He pauses, then resumes speaking, his voice low, hollow, and monotone.] Th’ chest is locked. Simple lock. Nothin’ more. Key’s in th’ middle drawer o’ th’ desk in th’ office. Don’t know how many documents. Lots. A dozen? A score? Who knows? Th’ guards’ll do as I tell ‘em. They’ll stay outta yer way. [Here, his voice regains a touch of its former emotion.] But mark this. Yer not t’ touch a hair on a livin’ soul in ‘at house er as th’ gods’re my witness I’ll cut yer balls off meself.

Kinnaka:

I can see you are not a man to be taking rightry. OK. I have ozher prans in motion. We try ozher prans first. I see you in three days wizh pran. Same time as now in zhis fierd. You are to be terring no one.

Huckaby:

Three days, three hours, no matter. I’ll be here. Ye do what ye need t’ do.

Kinnaka:

Hai, I wirr be doing zhat. May zhe sun be shining on your path for zhe rest of your days.

Huckaby:

Pah!

Even as Sergeant Huckaby delivers his final assessment of the current arrangement, Kinnaka is already turning to go. Without another word he hops on his horse and returns to the Viceroy for his evening meeting with Thekla. There he tells her that he wants her to find him a safe house. The state of the place is not important; it just needs to be a place he (or someone) can go to should they need to disappear for a time.

He also tells her that team Soshi needs to have a letter delivered to Tran tomorrow. The messenger needs to be someone young enough to pass for an apprentice that won’t be expected to know anything more than he was told, and who can disappear for a month or so without raising questions, in case things go wrong. The letter will request Tran’s urgent departure for Greyhawk because of a medical problem with one of his children, and will inform him that an architect is on the way to oversee things while Tran is out of town.

The messenger will have a chest with him that will lock upon closing, but needs a key to open it. Tran is to leave any necessary blueprints in the chest. The temporary architect will have the key with him to open the chest. That’s it. Presumably, Tran will comply. If he doesn’t, and takes the plans with him instead, Soshi needs to be prepared to jump him.

Thekla nods and tells Kinnaka that all will be done as he asks. A she bows prior to leaving, Kinnaka notes that she does so much more comfortably now. He smiles to himself. He’ll have her fully trained in no time!

11 June

The evening update is an interesting one. Thekla passes on that Team Soshi sent a street orphan named Hener to deliver the letter to Tran. He’s a well-spoken lad who cleans up well, but if he had needed to disappear for a month, he could have done so easily. No one would have missed him.

However, as it turns out, he had no problem at the house. The message was delivered, and he ensured that Tran read it before accepting the chest and sending him on his way. Immediately afterward a flurry of activity started at Tran’s house, but nobody has left yet. They weren’t 100% certain what’s going on, so Thekla took it upon herself to find Cassie, who told her that preparations are under way for Tran to leave. It seems that he is the only one leaving, though, and all the servants are to stay on. She is pretty sure he has moved the plans to the chest.

Apart from the activity at Tran’s house, something else occurred pertinent to K&K’s new “anarchist” lifestyle today. The worker walkout came to an end this morning. The striking laborers returned to work only to find that large quantities of their tools had been stolen. The rumor mill is abuzz with conversation. It seems that those in charge are starting to put things together and are talking about a “major investigation” being underway to “bring anti-County fanatics” to justice. Chief Constable Jennix reports that he already has several leads that he is following up, and expects to be making arrests shortly.

Kinnaka thinks about it for a few seconds, then informs Thekla that the day after Tran leaves, whenever that turns out to be, we need to have an “architect” arrive to take over the project. The imposter needs to be able to read, and should understand enough about blueprints to be able to identify the papers Kinnaka is looking for.

Furthermore, all activity should cease for the moment and Tsunami should be prepared to go to ground. Kempetai needs to find out who the suspects are, without arising suspicion if possible. We need to set up a system where they are warned before the guards get close to them.

Thekla takes these new directions in stride, and begins to move off in her usual no-no-nonsense way to make it happen. Then she stops and thoughtfully tells Kinnaka that Kianni is looking into getting the safe house. She should have some details by tomorrow. Kinnaka thanks her, and she bows and leaves.

12 June

Second, she reports that Cassie stopped by the Viceroy while on an errand to report that Tran left in the wee hours, on horseback and with two of the guards. The captain, sergeant, and four guards remain switching shifts at the house.

Kinnaka curses to himself then tells Thekla that Shey, Adena, and Ceire should take a short trip, and suggests that they hire some folks to stay in their houses to look after them while they’re gone. At worst, they’ll be arrested briefly while their identities are sorted out, which will give the others a bit of a head start on the chase by a few hours or maybe a day. They’d soon be set free by the authorities. Thekla likes the idea, and pauses for a bit, starting to think about who she might ask to do this.

Kinnaka waits patiently while she considers, and when she again looks up with an enigmatic smile on her face, he tells her that the last thing he has for her is to find out whose tools were stolen and their value. It may be possible to buy her way out with the owners. Thekla likes that idea as well, apparently, as she quickly gathers her things, makes her farewells, and rushes forth to set those wheels in motion, in her anxiousness to get started forgetting to bow. Kinnaka bristles internally,and spends a short time considering whether to discipline her for the breach of etiquette, remind her gently next time he sees her, or ignore it. Then he remembers that she “only human” after all and can’t be expected to behave properly. He sighs and thinks for a second about the punishment he would have received for such a gesture. He decides to ignore it, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

During their evening meeting, Thekla briefs Kinnaka on all that has been going on. Shey, Adena, and Ceire have taken their leave of the city, and are set up in a safe location. Thekla doesn’t want to say more, as the less Kinnaka knows, the less someone can try to pin on him later. Kinnaka agrees and asks for the next subject. She tells them that she has some feelers about about the tools and the price for them, but has had no luck getting a price. She’ll continue working on it. Although there is more conversation, nothing else of real substance is discussed before Kinnaka returns home for the night.

Kinnaka wakes up in the pre-dawn hour to a thunderstorm, which doesn’t stop him from going out and wandering, as is his usual habit. By the time he returns home, perhaps an hour after dawn, the storm has passed, the clouds are clearing, and the day promises to become, well, if not bright and sunny, at least less wet.

He enters the cottage to find his large partner still asleep, so he sets to making breakfast, the smell of which soon rouses Kentaro from his bed. They are no sooner finished cleaning up the detritus left by the meal preparation and consumption than there is a knock on the door. The first attendee for their morning meeting has arrived.

Before long, Thekla, Shey, and Antonie are seated in the common room. With Kentaro and Kinnaka both present, the room is very crowded. Without any further ado, Kinnaka gets the meeting underway.

As Kinnaka intends this meeting to be an introduction to each another, the organization, and their place in it, he begins by introducing himself as the overall leader of the organization. Thekla will be his aide de camp, meaning that she will be Kinnaka’s personal assistant. Her duties will be many and varied. Communication from her will be treated as if they came from Kinnaka. As of right now, she has no special orders other than to protect Kinnaka and Kentaro’s back. Is she hears anything through her contacts that needs immediate response or action, she has his full authority to act immediately and brief him later. However, he WILL hold her responsible for any fallout that results from those actions. He hopes she’s up to the task. Team leaders (more on THEM in a minute) will be in charge of their own groups and will work semi-autonomously under Kentaro’s leadership. Kentaro will be the person they deal with most frequently, as Kinnaka has duties that require him to be away from Greysmere often.

Kinnaka tells them that he and Kentaro worked for the Chancellery; however, they were fired for no good reason, so now they’re working on their own. They came to Greysmere because it’s far from Greyhawk and they heard that there were … uh … opportunities to be had. Kinnaka then asks each person present to share their own personal stories with him.

• Shey talks first, and at length. The upshot is that he comes from an upper middle class family, with lots of older brothers and sisters. He had short stints as stonemason’s apprentice and butcher’s apprentice. He does not mention what he does for a living, nor does Kinnaka ask at this point.
• Thekla is a double widow. Her first husband was a rug merchant who died in a cart accident. The second was arrested as a murderer and hanged, though she doesn’t believe he did it. Fortunately, her first husband left her enough money that if she’s careful and lives frugally, she won’t have to work any more, but is always willing to find ways to supplement that.
• Antonie was born in Hardby, but ran away to join the merchant marine. She became her ship’s junior quartermaster after 5 years, but retired the next year after getting pregnant. She moved to Greysmere because her brother lives here – he’s married with a large family, so one more is no trouble for him.

Kinnaka then asks each of them what they think their best skills are.

• Again Shey answers first. He states firmly that his best ability is to make friends easily, then as an afterthought, adds that he’s also very good at getting things that he wants, which upon further inspection means that he mostly works as a pickpocket, burglar, etc.
• Thekla opines that she’s unmatched with a dagger and excels at disposing of goods of questionable origin. She says that this latter skill is a direct contributor to her, ill-appreciated history of keeping Shey out of trouble. Shey disagrees with this, saying that he appreciates it very much indeed.
• Antonie is apparently more sedentary. Her skills lie in organizing things – parties, groups, you name it.

Kinnaka then outlines the groups that he wishes to set up, which is as follows:

• Team Tsunami, led by Shey and consisting of Adena and Hannah, is to commit acts of sabotage against County building projects. They are to start no sooner than two hence, and act with at lest 3- to 4-day intervals. They need to be well planned, so as to limit injuries and death as much as possible.
• Team Kempeitai, led by Ceire, and consisting of Thekla and Yegishe, is responsible for gathering information providing security. Their primary job is to identify and report anyone talking about the group’s activities. Thekla, in addition to being Kinnaka’s aide de camp, will also concentrate on keeping Ceire focused and provide expert assistance.
• Team Soshi, led by Antonie, and consisting of Atticus and Caitlin, will be given their instructions later. The other teams will not know their mission goals, in order to protect Soshi, should any members of the other teams get caught.

After letting this sink in for a few minutes, Kinnaka wants to know what each person thinks of their missions, the people on their team and whether they can work with them.

• Unusually, Antonie speaks first, saying that she can certainly work with both Atticus and Caitlin, both of whom seem inordinately attached to her. She has no information to base her decision on, but believes her team has a good mix of talents and personalities, and will be well suited to any task thrown their way.
• Thekla jumps in next, saying that she likes Ceire very well, but honestly doesn’t see the need for her on the team. She is particularly fond of Yegishe, and would consider making him husband #3 if he weren’t so damned young. He’s definitely a good addition. She also feels that they might benefit more from Kianni, who has “the gift of gab” and a knack for eliciting information from people.
• Shey speaks last, saying that he likes Adena a lot, and gets along with Hanna; he thinks they have the potential to work well together and do some very good things. He is eager to get started, but offers that if Ceire is not going to be used on Thekla’s team, he could use her on his – maybe in place of Adena, if the team is limited to three.

After thinking about it for a few moments, Kinnaka tells Thekla that Kianni’s suspicious nature may give the Kempeitai too many leads to follow up. Her gift of gab may be negated by seeing assassins in every corner. If Thekla thinks she can rein her in, Kinnaka could be convinced. Thekla looks thoughtful for a while, staring at Kinnaka intently, then quietly states that she’s sure that she can control Kianni. Kinnaka nods and approves the change.

He then turns to Shey and tells him that as Hanna doesn’t like Ceire, including her on team Tsunami would leave them open to a personality problem. Also, the fact that Ceire is so easily distracted could also be a problem if not managed well. Shey good-naturedly comments that it’s a simple matter of putting them on different tasks. If he has four on his team, they can both pair off, and he can easily make sure that Hanna and Ceire don’t work together any more than absolutely necessary. Kinnaka thinks about it for a second, then approves Shey’s request, too.

Thekla thoughtfully comments that Kinnaka seems terribly well informed for someone who has only recently shown up in town. Kinnaka agrees that he is well informed, then praises her on her observations and the other two on their leadership. They will need it, he assures them. He also tells them that he will usually be well informed and will tell them all he thinks they need to know. They generally will not need to know all information that he possesses. This is to protect them, and him, to the fullest. He won’t be running a charity organization, but he will be running a lucrative one built on discipline and success. Sloppiness and poorly thought out actions will not be tolerated. There is no action, says the great Hiroki Azuma, that is worthwhile doing ill-prepared for.

All nod eagerly and knowingly throughout this fairly lengthy (for Kinnaka) speech, though he loses them all with the final statement! There are no further comments, however, so Kinnaka heads into his next point – payment. Kinnaka lets them know how much he will pay each group. The amount is fairly generous, but there is a stipulation – Kinnaka will pay it to the team leaders only. It will be up to them to negotiate how much they will pay their team members. Shey inquires as to whether his team can receive a larger amount, seeing as it will have four people on it, but a look from Kinnaka makes it clear that this line of questioning is closed for discussion. Shey takes the news with good humor, and makes no further fuss.

Finally, before calling the meeting to an end, Kinnaka tells Thekla and Antonie that they should be at the Viceroy at 7 bells for supper. He and Kentaro will meet them in the common room to discuss their first mission. Antonie nods. Thekla points out that 7 bells is a very busy time at the Viceroy. They’ll have a quieter time of it if they meet earlier, say 5 bells or half-6. Kinnaka thanks her for the information, and adjusts the plan to 5 bells, pleased with his choice of aide de camp. Not only does she seem to be very logically minded, but she also has no problem speaking her mind. He believes they will be able to work together well.

He also passes on to Thekla that he wants to meet with Yeghishe after this meeting. He will be spending most of his time at the Viceroy, and may well end up acting as the team’s courier. And finally, he wants Thekla to find out where Sergeant Huckaby lives when he’s not at Tran’s house. Thekla agrees without further comment, which brings the meeting to an end.

After the morning meeting, Kinnaka goes over to the Christina hotel to see if he has had a response from Tovish. On this visit, he spends a little more time looking around and finds that through a door off the lobby there is a small, but rather nice-looking common room. Satisfied with his discovery, he approaches Marko and asks for a message for Talmoth.

Marko simply nods and hands Kinnaka a sealed envelope. Kinnaka thanks him and tells him that from now on he will make a point of eating in the common room at random intervals every 1 to 3 days. When there are messages for Talmoth, Marko is to deliver them there. Marko promises to do so.

To get an idea what he’s in for, and because he’s hungry, Kinnaka goes into the common room, selects from a menu that offers a fair selection, and eats a very well-prepared meal accompanied by a decent wine. When the serving maid asks for payment, he determines that the bill is actually very reasonable. All in all, coming here regularly doesn’t seem like it will prove to be an onerous task.

He waits until he gets back to the cottage, however, before opening the note. Interestingly, the answers are written in Celeric. He didn’t know that anyone in the Ministry knew he could read that language, so he wonders how this note came about. However, wondering won’t tell him what the note actually says, so he turns his attention to reading it.

The message is written in the same sort of flowery language Kinnaka used in the original messages (yes, messages; it’s a response both to the one sent from Karakas and the one sent to Mr. Sanders two days ago), but it basically says:

1. Congratulations on getting into the organization.
2. Regarding the blueprints –a copy will be sent to the cottage, but it will take at least 4 weeks. Action has already started to make this happen. No need for further contact on this matter. If it turns out you don’t need them, destroy them when they arrive.
3. If you still need to get into the architect’s house, contact Sergeant Huckaby, the #2 man in Tran’s personal guard, in about 2 weeks. He’ll see to it that the guards don’t react to any break-in that is pre-arranged with him. You’ll need a plan to avoid others in the household (family, staff), however.
4. You need to find out what Brill wants to divert Tar’s attention from, if you can. You are to consider this a priority.
5. You need to gather further information about Brill’s overall plan and organization. The Ministry has several people under observation. You need to find out whether Brill reacts at all to the names Anabeth, Stimmin, or Duncan.
6. The Defender Headquarters construction project can easily be stalled according to the schedule presented.
7. The Ministry is quickly coming to the conclusion that Brill’s plan is bigger and more complicated – as well as more important – than they originally thought. Use extreme care in the future. Keep your profile low. Have a plan ready to run to ground if necessary. Have a nice day.

Kinnaka spends some time crafting a response, this one addressed simply to “Sanders” to indicate a routine communication. In it, he asks for more information on Anabeth, Stimmin, and Duncan. He only wants the basics – who they are, where they live, and how and why would he have heard of them.

After the morning meeting, Kinnaka leaves Kentaro to his own devices and heads out to immerse himself once again in nature. He visits a small nearby lake to watch water skimming bugs flit about the surface, takes a long walk, and generally spends the time clearing his head and wondering how long it will be before he can reasonably return full time to the woods. Kentaro on the other hand, decides that it has been far too long since he spent any time fishing. To rectify that failure, he heads into town, makes a few minor purchases (line, hooks, etc.) and then walks to the same (if only he knew it!) lake that Kinnaka watched earlier, and fills the time until supper by unsuccessfully attempting to remove fish from its waters.

On the way back to the cottage, a skinny youth who identifies himself as Hannit, from the butcher’s kiosk on the South Market, stops Kinnaka on the street and mentions that word on the street is that he and Kentaro are hiring lots of people and he’d like to get in on it. Kinnaka wants none of it, but Hannit simply won’t give up until Kinnaka throws a shoulder lock on him. After that, the young man goes away pretty quickly, while Kinnaka continues homeward.

By half past 4 bells, the pair is once again at the cottage. When Thekla arrives, shortly before 5 bells, Kentaro greets her warmly. She responds in kind. Kinnaka is much more reserved in the way he welcomes her, and Thekla smoothly adjusts her response accordingly.

Before they leave for their appointment at the Viceroy, she reports that she has discovered that Sergeant Huckaby lives with the rest of Tran’s guards in a rented house 4 doors down the street from the main house. Kinnaka thanks her for the information, and tells her that her next assignment is to find out anything she can about anyone named Anabeth, Stimmin, or Duncan. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any more information on any of them. Thekla nods slowly, then thoughtfully tells him that he hasn’t given her much to go on. Kinnaka acknowledges the critique without comment then tells her that she needs to be discrete when asking questions. His new aide de camp shoots him a “well, no shit” look, but simply shrugs and tells him that she’ll do what she can, but he shouldn’t expect miracles.

For the rest of the short walk, Kentaro and Thekla chat casually, yet animatedly about everything and nothing. Kinnaka wonders why they bother.

The three enter the Viceroy to find Antonie and Atticus already in place at a private table at the back of the room. A quick glance around tells Kinnaka that Yegishe is also there, sitting at the bar deep in conversation with a person Kinnaka doesn’t recognize. Thekla noticing the direction he is looking and the expression on his face, informs him that the stranger is Kianni, the third member of her team. Kinnaka nods.

While they eat, nobody discusses business, but afterward, Kinnaka tells them that he has an idea for stealing the blueprints from Tran’s house. At the next new moon, in about 10 days, they will arrange a fire in the building next door. When it jumps to the architect’s house, they move in to make sure that everyone gets out of the house alive, and in the process, they steal the chest. When the rest of the place burns, everyone will assume that the chest was burned up in the fire.

When he asks whether anyone has any comments about that plan, Thekla points out that fire is unpredictable. In that area of town the houses are built very close together or actually touching. In Tran’s block, there are half a dozen buildings or so that share walls. Torching one and letting the fire expand to another puts all of them at risk. Lots of kids live in that area. Have you given any thought to controlling the fire or minimizing casualties outside the target area?

Kinnaka agrees that casualties should be minimized and asks if anyone has any ideas. He is pleased that Atticus seems comfortable enough to propose several ideas, but disappointed in the quality of those ideas. When Atticus has run out of ideas (or at least run out of ideas he cares to share!) Antonie suggests a plan that seems workable. In the end, after half an hour discussion, her original plan has been modified as follows:

1. They will arrange for Tran to receive a message from one of their people who will claim to be (and have documents to prove it) from the Greyhawk Architects’ Guild. The message will explain that there is a problem with one of his children, a problem that demands his immediate attention.
2. The “architect” will offer to take over the project while Tran is out of town.
3. While Tran is out of town, they can have the documents copied at their leisure.

The end of the meeting brings an end to Kinnaka’s day – at least publicly. He spends the rest of the day watching owls hunt, identifying any number of constellations, and engaging in similar pursuits. Kentaro, on the other hand, spends the evening familiarizing himself with a wide variety of Greysmere’s lower-class denizens.

26 May

May 26 is a cloudy day, but no rain actually threatens. On this day, Kinnaka sends Kentaro to Hiram’s print shop to pick up their “Ministry” identification. While there, Kentaro also drops off their new order for a letter of introduction from the Greyhawk Architects’ Guild. Hiram tells him that that is no problem. It will be ready tomorrow.

While Kentaro is doing his chores, Kinnaka is also busy. He spends a full hour eating a pleasant meal at the Christina after dropping off a note for “Mr. Sanders” asking Tovish for the name of a man he can tell others is a contact of his within the ministry.

27 May

May 27 is a day much like yesterday was, weather-wise, though K&K actually have fewer things on their plate for the day. Kentaro’s major accomplishment is going to Hiram’s print shop and picking up the team’s shiny, brand new letter of introduction from the Greyhawk Architects’ Guild.

Much later, just as K&K are sitting down to enjoy a hearty meal at the Viceroy, a familiar-looking couple enter and stop just inside the doorway, apparently letting their eyes adjust to the comparitavely dim light in the common room. “Wouldja lookit ‘at,” mutters Kentaro. Kinnaka is less surprised, but is fairly annoyed. Tenner and Lyman were supposed to have arrived yesterday.

Kinnaka moves to his rented room and asks Kentaro to bring them back in ten minutes. When they arrive, Kinnaka tells them in an irritated manner that they’re late. They were expected yesterday. To Kinnaka’s annoyance, they don’t look apologetic at all, merely stating that they had “a spot of bother” getting away when they wanted. They had to leave a day later than planned. Kinnaka gruffly reminds them that when he tells them to be somewhere on a certain day, he expects them on that day. No problem, they assure him.

Kinnaka remains unconvinced of their sincerity, but chooses to let it go. They are, after all, only here to fail in order to give credibility to the fact that this is a dangerous and unpredictable operation. He gives Tenner and Lymon a description of Yegishe and tells them they’re to get a room, then tell Yegishe where they can be found. Kinnaka will send for them when they’re needed.

The pair nod, but point out that they don’t have any money for a room. Kinnaka gives them a small amount of money – enough for a cheap room and passable food for a month – and tells them that it’s their first month salary. Their eyes light up as they gratefully take the coins. Then they thank Kinnaka and head off to find Yegishe.

Kinnaka spends a couple minutes calming himself down before summoning Thekla to tell her about the two new people. He explains that they’re semi-trustable, semi-intelligent hands and feet if any of the teams need them. They need to be monitored and motivated, but they can keep their mouths shut. Thekla doesn’t look happy with the new information, but doesn’t say anything at first. Then, in response to a meaningful look from Kinnaka, she tells him that the teams have good chemistry at the moment. New people that nobody knows may throw that off. This is a tight community, and outsiders aren’t generally welcomed.

Kinnaka tells her he understands the chemistry. The new people aren’t for inclusion into the teams. They’re people that the teams can use as needed, and at least they won’t ask too many questions. They are for use on things that we don’t want to use our teams on. Thekla looks Kinnaka in the eye and tells him they’ll use them in places where failure is … an option.

Kinnaka smiles and simply says, “Hai.”

Thekla smiles back and relaxes. Although the change is visible to Kinnaka, it is not obvious to anyone else. She tells him that if there is nothing else, she’ll see to it that their new teammates are properly settled in.

Kinnaka:

Arigato. ... And Thekra. You’re doing werr.

Thekla pulls an awkward-looking and ill-executed but obviously well-intentioned bow, then turns and leaves. Kinnaka smiles and resolves to figure out some way to teach her how to bow correctly. For now though, he has had enough on intrigue for the day, so he retires to the small lake near the cottage to enjoy the evening as best as he can.

19-21 May

With Nature providing such ready entertainments, he turns his mind only very reluctantly every evening to the problem of finding Tenner and Lymon, which is proving more difficult than he would have believed possible. It isn’t until the evening of 21 May that things start to turn around for him, when he spots Lymon wandering the streets of Karakas.

He sidles up to his former henchman, whispers, “Follow me,” and moves off, not bothering to glance back. He knows the man will follow. Sure enough, when Kinnaka stops and turns around in a dead-end alleyway a few blocks away, the first thing he sees is Lymon turning the corner. Although he expected a longer conversation, Lymon agrees to Kinnaka’s proposal almost immediately, and promises to talk to Tenner. He’ll be at Kinnaka’s campsite the next day, after lunch, either with or without Tenner, depending on how that conversation goes.

Apart from an aborted meeting with Cassie, who showed up at the cottage on the evening of 19 May, but refused to speak with anyone but Kinnaka, Kentaro spent the time pursuing Thekla, Shey, Antonie , the three people highest on the list of potential hirelings. He finds them to be reasonable enough people, and without undue negotiation, all three are soon “on the payroll”.

His next task is to evaluate the fighting skills of their intended team. Kinnaka suggested a tournament, and Kentaro sees no reason not to do that. To that end, he spends a few days coordinating a weapons demonstration/competition to be held on 22 May.

22 May

Finally, on 22 May, Kinnaka finds a mark on the table leg, and going to the dead drop site, a note in the chest. He opens it and reads a short response to his latest inquiry. The key points are:

1. The silver chest is rigged with a lightning trap that will deliver a powerful bolt to whomever opens it without the proper key. Someone at the Ministry of the Exchequer has the key, but they couldn’t get a copy of it. Any reasonably powerful mage can disarm it using Kellman’s variation of Bruster’s Intermediate All-Purpose Counter-Spell. Any other counter-spell will cause the trap to go off.
2. They may keep the silver in the chest to cover mission expenses, but they need to return the chest. A note to the authorities on where to find it will be sufficient.
3. Their new contact in Greysmere is named “Marko”. He’s a young man who works behind the counter at the Christina hotel. They can recognize him by the fact that he wears a County medal – a Significant Contribution Citation, which is a white enamel cross hanging from a red ribbon.
• To pass routine messages, they should give him a sealed message addressed simply to “Sanders”. To pass urgent messages, the message should be addressed to “Mr. Sanders”.
• They will receive messages from him by asking for messages for “Talmoth”.
• “Bugbear” is a panic word. If used by either party, it means that K&K need to leave town immediately.

After lunch, Lymon shows up, with Tenner in tow. Both are eager to get started, but given the darkening skies and increasing wind, express a disinclination to ride in the rain. Kinnaka tells them that there’s no major hurry – that they can set out in a day or two, to give the weather a chance to clear, but that they are to set off on the third day at the very latest. He’ll meet them in the Viceroy in Greysmere. With that agreed to, he gives them a small advance to help them get settled in their new home, and they head off to make their preparations.

As soon as they are gone, Kinnaka finally packs up and leaves Karakas. At about the same time, back in Greysmere, Kentaro is getting the weapons demonstration underway, and by the time Kinnaka has settled down to camp for the evening, he feels that he has some concrete answers for Kinnaka.

23 May

Kinnaka spends 23 May riding through a rainstorm of ever-increasing ferocity. It doesn’t begin to let up until near sundown, and even then, it only tapers off to a steady, light rain.

In Greysmere, the storm doesn’t adversely affect Kentaro’s plans for the day, but that’s only because he didn’t really have any. He does continue making the rounds of some of his favorite locations, maintaining contact with the people they intend to hire, and at least in the case of Thekla, Shey, and Antonie, that they already have.

Kinnaka finally arrives a little after dark, and heads straight to the cottage. Kentaro isn’t home. He’s most likely out on the town, but that doesn’t bother Kinnaka at all, who spends the quiet time getting re-settled into his room. That doesn’t take long, and before long he finds himself heading out to wander the Greysmere streets, to re-familiarize himself with the area.

When they finally meet up back at the cottage, K&K spend some time filling each other in on their progress to date, though Kentaro doesn’t mention the results of the competition just yet. He wants to save that tidbit for tomorrow. Fortunately, Kinnaka doesn’t press him on the matter, and before long, they both head for bed.

24 May

The morning proves to be another cloudy one, but at least the rain, though threatening, has thus far held off. Kinnaka leaves the cottage shortly before dawn, and finds a comfortable place from which he can sit and think about what faces them both in the days to come. He isn’t bothered in the least by the light rain that begins falling an hour later, nor does he show any interest in the fact that it stops an hour after that. Instead, he sits immobile; reveling in whatever life has to offer.

After another half hour, he smells bacon frying, and realizes that his partner is awake, so he returns to the cottage. Kentaro greets him warmly, and over breakfast lets him know about the early results from his evaluation of the weapons skills of the people they are looking at as potential employees.

1. With the dagger, Thekla and Antonie are exceptional, and practically everyone else can use one. The exception to this is Caitlin, who admits to no weapons skills at all.
2. Adena, Atticus, Yegishe, Ceire and Shey are competent with a sword, though none show any overwhelming skill.
3. Only three claimed any competence with a bow. Adena was very good with a crossbow, and Hanna decent with a short bow. Atticus knows how to hold a long bow, but his skill is abysmal.

Kinnaka acknowledges the information with a nod and decides that the time has come to confront Krilaine of Jalpa at the shop next to the Viceroy.

Krilaine’s shop is very unlike any magic shop that K&K have ever been in, and between them, they’ve had the opportunity to visit a fair few over the years. Missing are the glass jars full of unusual items, the shelves of books, the robes covered with stars. In fact, Krilaine himself in no way appears to be a mage. Had either of them encountered him on the street, they might have mistaken him for an innkeeper. He is short and very overweight, and although clearly in his upper 50’s or early 60’s, he carries himself like a man many years younger. His face is cheerful and open, his smile ready and honest. His clothing reminds them much more of a lord than a mage – well, a low ranking lord anyway. He greets the pair in a friendly way and asks how he can help the respected elf and his … large friend. After about 10 minutes of idle banter, Kinnaka finally gets to the point.

Kinnaka:

We are in need of a “Kellman’s variation of Bruster’s Intermediate All-Purpose Counter-Spell”.

Krilaine looks chagrined:

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Kellman’s variation? Now that’s naughty. Up to no good, are we?

Kinnaka:

I am in no way being “naughty” however, I do seem to be in possession of a chest that its owner tells me I have use of this spell to open it.

Krilaine smiles:

I see. So if you’re not being naughty, may I ask for your Ministry of the Exchequer identification?

Kinnaka:

You may. However, I am not in possession of such. As you may be aware we work for the Chancerrery. The formar titre being “The Ministry of Security”. How we came by this and what is wirr be used for are, frankry, not your business. But we both know that you are not in habit of tarking about what happens. We may move on, no, yes?

Krilaine:

Oh, you get me wrong. I’m not opposed to your being naughty. Not at all. And yes, I am very discrete. Always. ... However, you must understand the naughtier the spell, the higher the cost. There are certain … safeguards … I need to include for my own protection, and those don’t come cheaply.

Kentaro:

Now I don’t think it has to be too expensive. Perhaps we can make a deal?

Krilaine:

Certainly there are things you can do lower my price. The most expensive ingredients of this particular spell variant are decade-old fairies’ wings and 3 oz. of pickled black dragon tongue. Bring me those ingredients, and I can knock half off the price immediately.

Kinnaka raises an eyebrow and looks at Kentaro with his arms spread out as if to say, “Well, go ahead ….”

Kentaro:

I ah…well ya see…er…a…where could I find these?

Krilaine:

The traditional locations are on fairies’ backs and in dragons’ mouths, but you might try a component market at any of the major cities’ magic guilds.

Kentaro suggests that if there is something of equal value that he needs, we’ll get it if he keeps the half price mark.

Krilaine:

Oooh, now that IS an interesting offer, and one that bears thinking about. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. The counter-charm you’re looking for takes about a week to fully perform. Come back in that time and it’ll be done. I’ll name the rest of my price at that time. Can you agree to that?

Kentaro:

That is an interesin offer ain’t it? But I’ll be needin’ a more specific view o’ what ya need done. It doesn’t have ter be us getting’ somethin’ fer ya either. Jus’ somethin’ near half price o’ the counter charm we’re wantin’. We can expect this service to be known to us in about a week right?

Krilaine looses his happy-go-lucky attitude for the first time:

Sir, you insult me. I am a businessman. I have built a reputation for discretion and trustworthiness. Ask any in these parts and they’ll tell you the same. Once I’ve given my word on a deal, you may rely on my doing my part. I do not maintain a long and still growing client list by cheating my customers, of that, I can assure you.

Kentaro:

Alright … Alright. Jus’ makin’ sure we’re on the same page. I understan’ ya. Didn’t mean ter offend ya, sir. I appreciate the consideration ya given us so far.

Krilaine calms down immediately:

Apology accepted. Then this is my deal, gentlemen. I will perform your counter-charm. The normal fee for this spell is 100 GD. Your fee is the value one service to me, to be named in a week’s time, subtracted from that amount. Do we have a deal?

Kentaro looks at Kinnaka, hoping for, and receiving, a nod of approval:

Then we ‘ave a deal sir. You’ve made a fair bargain.

Krilaine extends his hand:

Your hand on it, sir.

Kentaro extends his hand. Krilaine grips it, shakes twice, smiles, then lets go.

Krilaine:

Now then. What am I opening?

Kinnaka:

We wirr bring zhe chest around tonight. Where wourd you rike it brought too?
Also, when shourd we come back so we are present when zhe box opens?

Krilaine:

If, as I suspect, it’s a chest decorated with a lion’s head, you’d best bring it in the back way. [He gives instructions on how to navigate the alleyways that lead to his back door and hands them a marker.] If you’re bothered, mention my name and show them this. Those who would annoy you in those alleys know me and will leave you alone. ... As for opening it. You can either be present – I’ll send word to you at a location of your choosing … OR, if you’d rather, I can attach the counter-spell to a key. That’ll take an extra day, but I won’t charge any extra. It’s a simple spell. … You will be able to open the chest at a location of your choosing that way. Whichever way you wish.

Kinnaka:

Prease send word to zhe Viceroy.

Krilaine:

Ah, the Viceroy. And what name shall I send for?

Kinnaka:

Kinnaka.

Krilaine: Very good, sir. Look for a summons in about a week.

After leaving Krilaine’s shop, Kinnaka and Kentaro stop by the Viceroy, where Kinnaka pays for a 6-month room rental. The transaction doesn’t take long, and isn’t very expensive. On inspection, the rooms there are small, dark, and reek of decades of smoke, but Kinnaka decides that they’ll do for their intended purpose.

On leaving the Viceroy, they make a quick stop by the Christina Hotel, where they spot Marko working behind the counter. Kinnaka gives them a message for “Mr. Sanders”, which to his credit, Marko takes without batting an eye. Apparently, conversation is not expected when passing messages.

They head next to the southern square, where Hiram the printer’s shop is located. They present him with the letter from Sponge and ask Hiram to make them some official papers saying that K&K work for the Chancellery. Hiram agrees readily and asks if generic letters of introduction and ID cards will be sufficient. Upon hearing that they will do fine for now, he promises to have them ready in two days.

Next, Kinnaka asks him if he would be able to copy architectural plans as well as official looking papers. The printer looks hurt that you’d even question his skills by asking such a thing, but merely states that he could certainly do that. The amount of time required to do so would naturally depend on the level of detail in and the size of the originals.

K&K leave the shop well pleased with their progress to date. Then, since the last item on their list of things to do today is to meet with Cassie, and since they can’t see her until around sundown, they decide to break for lunch, then head over to the construction site where the Guard Headquarters is being built.

There they spend a couple of hours watching some workmen leveling the ground and digging and such, all in preparation to begin framing and stonework. Kinnaka expresses surprise that they aren’t using construction mages to speed things along, but on discussion, they decide that it’s probably because there is so much construction going on all over that the construction mages are all occupied elsewhere. But they agree that they don’t really know, so to hold further conversation about it would prove to be a worthless exercise.

They also notice that the architect isn’t on site, but one workman says that he’s at his office meeting with the foremen. If they need to see him, he’ll be back later, probably in a couple hours. But if you’re looking for a job, you need to talk to the foremen, not the architect. And anyway, the worker tells Kinnaka not to bother, as they don’t hire elves. They consider them too flighty.

Kinnaka seethes but says nothing. He simply turns on his heels and leaves. He decides that it’s getting close enough to the time Cassie can be expected to arrive, so they head to Olliver’s Wine Bar.

Kinnaka sits at one of the outside tables, while Kentaro heads inside. Several women matching Cassie’s description walk by without paying any attention to him, but finally around 7:00, he notices a young lass who is walking rapidly along with her head down, to avoid the worst of the most recent rain shower. At the last minute, she looks up, makes eye contact with him briefly, and changes direction toward the bar. After her initial eye contact, she ignores Kinnaka and heads inside.

Kinnaka takes a few minutes to finish his wine and then heads inside. He glances around for both Kentaro and Cassie. Even though the bar is crowded, he readily spots Kentaro sitting by the fireplace, telling one of his favorite stories – the one about the fisherman and the rabid beaver. It takes him maybe half a minute more to spot Cassie, sitting at the bar, drinking a glass of wine, and trying hard to ignore a young fop who is trying very hard to make her acquaintance. As fortune would have it, an empty stool is on her other side.

Kinnaka sits down next to her:

Didn’t we have dinner planned tonight, my dear?

The woman looks at the fop:

I told you my boyfriend would be here. Do I need to tell him to make you go away?

Apparently, she does not, as the would-be paramour disappears quickly.

Without making eye contact with Kinnaka, the woman asks:

Your name, sir?

Kinnaka:

Kinnaka. May I wark you home?

She smiles and extends her arm:

To do anything less for my heroic rescuer would be unseemly.

Kinnaka takes her arm and walks her out. He catches Kentaro’s eye as he stands. After they are out of the tavern, he asks her if they can talk at her house or if it would be better to go to Kinnaka’s.

Cassie extends her hand:

Cassie. Pleased to meet you, Kinnaka. Oh, I’m sure you already knew who I am, but the conventions must be observed, don’t you agree?

Kinnaka:

I furry agree. There is a lovely nightingale nest near the river if you’d rike to see it.

Cassie:

I believe I would. Perhaps you can describe it to me? I’ve never met an elf, but have heard they see things differently than humans do. ... [Then she looks shocked.] Oh! No offense intended!

Kinnaka smiles:

It is true. We do see zhings differentry. You humans onry see zhings for how zhey can herp you at the moment; not how zhey are in nature. You destroy even when you create. I have yet to find one of you to sut and watch and understand why zhe spider goes around zhe way he does and why he stops. Why it is important to zhe word. You rearn most important ressons in rife by watching what nature herself does and provides for. Where you despise zhe rat, I rearn from it. … Zhere (he says pointing to a bird flying) Zhe swarrow heads south, avoiding zhe eagre. At reast, it wirr untir it has more of its ferrows. Then zhe swarrows wirr work together to keep zhe eagre away.

Kinnaka continues walking and pointing out to her things that most humans won’t actually pay attention to. Cassie looks suitably impressed at each insight, and doesn’t even try to interrupt. In fact, she actually seems interested in what he has to tell her.

As soon as possible, Kentaro wraps up the story about the beaver and heads out after the others. He spots them a couple blocks away, heading toward the river. He doesn’t try to catch up right away, assuming that an 8-foot tall person running towards them would just scare her. Rather, he walks casually in order to catch up slowly.

Kinnaka continues talking, and Cassie continues listening until they get to the nightingale nest. He points it out to her and then lapses into silence. They are still standing that way some 5 minutes later when Kentaro finally catches up. Cassie glances up at him, but returns to her quiet contemplation of the nest. Kentaro does his best to figure out what they are looking at, but can’t do it.

Kentaro:

Ah…ya both alright?

Cassie:

Kinnaka is going to explain the nest to me.

Kentaro:

Ya sure ya want ‘im doin tha’? How long do ya have tonight?

Kinnaka looks at him crossly and replies:

I was watching a White-breasted Nuthatch eating richen above that nightingare’s ….. never mind … did you terr them arr about your beaver?

Kentaro:

Well I had ter have it stuffed after tha’!

Cassie looks confused and falls silent, watching the conversation between them like a ping-pong match.

Kinnaka:

Stuffed! Stuffed! ...... You’re trying to get me angry aren’t you. Enough of zhat! (He looks off into the water.)

Cassie touches his hand:

Don’t let him get to you. [She shoots a glance at Kentaro.] I’m sure the big meanie was just playing with you.

Kentaro chuckles to himself:

Oi! I’m jus kiddin ya now.

Kinnaka looks at her and flashes the briefest of smiles:

As you say, we see zhings differentry. Stirr I put it aside. (He stands up taller). It was a magnificent Nuthatch!

Cassie:

It was beautiful. ... You know, most people never notice such things at all.

Kentaro:

Ya ya…nautre is beautiful alright. Ya ever had to wrestle a thorned grumple? tha’ ain’t pretty.

Kinnaka:

Thorned … ! (He stalks off down river)

Cassie [to Kentaro]:

You aren’t helping, you know.

Kentaro calls to Kinnaka:

Now wait. I was jus kiddin ya. I respect all creatures. Especially the thorned ones!

Cassie stamps her foot and glares accusingly at Kentaro:

Oh! [Then she jogs after Kinnaka.] Look, we can put this off until another day. We need to meet though. Someplace private. The cottage is best.

Kinnaka stops turns, his dark expression revealing thousands of words of anger. He kneels down and starts singing a quiet, song.

Cassie:

What are you doing? ... [She turns back to Kentaro.] What’s he doing? Do all elves do that?

Kentaro:

Ah no! Now I’ve made him do that. I’m sorry Cassie. No. Not all o em do tha’

Cassie:

But that’s … so sad. [She looks crestfallen.]

Kentaro:

Listen, let’s leave ‘im be fer now. (He tries to encourage her to come with him) We’ll see him a bit later when this runs its long and depressing course.

Cassie looks from one to the other and back again:

I … I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. ... Maybe tomorrow.

She’s obviously on the verge of tears.

Kentaro:

Jus’ wait a second. Don’t go off alone. Let me walk wit ya.

Cassie

I … no … that’s all right. Look, just give me a time to come back to the cottage. We’ll talk there.

Kentaro:

Alrigh…just remember tha’ he’s not always like this. And he’s not like other elves.

Cassie:

A time?

Kentaro:

Can ya talk later tonight? How about 10? He’ll be better then.

Cassie:

All right. I’ll be there. But I’ve got to go now. ... Oh, and by the way. I think you’re mean. He’s lovely and you had to go and do that.

She turns and stalks away. Kentaro doesn’t say anything. He just shrugs and walks back towards his friend waiting for him to finish his song.

At 10 bells, there is a firm knocking on the door. Kentaro opens the door to find Cassie on the doorstep, wearing a dark cloak with a full hood. He invites her in and offers her a drink, which she accepts. When everyone is settled in the sitting room, Kinnaka starts by apologizing to Cassie for his inappropriate behavior. Cassie accepts his apology readily, and with a smile.

From there the conversation moves on to what Cassie knows about Tran (the architect) and his household. The first topic of conversation relates to the usual inhabitants of the house, which are few.

Transtram “Tran” (30), architect. Arrived about a month ago from Greyhawk. Dotes on his wife, Dilla. Likes talking about family, work, ships, religion, art, music, ancient manuscripts, and history. Hates politics, schedules, tardiness, weapons and armor used as decorations, open carriages, lemon in his tea, and fox hunting. Scared of water and heights. Takes special pride in his children, who were left behind in Greyhawk under the care of a nanny, and who are more beautiful, intelligent, and talented than any other children ever born. Doesn’t seem to get any visitors besides people related to his work.

Dilla (30), Tran’s wife. Accompanied Tran from Greyhawk. Entertains often – afternoon teas and small dinner parties. Perhaps half a dozen regular guests/friends plus a small number of others who irregularly visit. Two to three AM visits per week from Dr. Willoughby. Although there is frequent speculation amongst the local hires, non has any concrete knowledge about what she might suffer from.

Dr. Willoughby (60), Dilla’s personal physician. Kindly and good humored in most things, but stern and directive when it comes to his duties, which are mainly to look after Dilla. Will not discuss her condition with any but Tran. Traveled with the couple from Greyhawk. Comes to the house most days, but doesn’t live there. Cassie doesn’t know where he lives.

Permanent Servants: Calmers (50), butler and Mindred (50), housekeeper. Also accompanied the couple from Greyhawk. Both are nice enough to work for – meaning they don’t abuse the maids. Loyal to and secretive about their employers. Communicative, if not jolly. They live on the second floor, in two small bedrooms.

Tran’s guard all wear soft leather armor and round, flat helmets. The guards also wear bezainted shirts and carry short swords. The two leaders wear chain shirts and carry long swords, plus their helmets have nosepieces. None have bows.

• Captain Harvill (35). Very taciturn. Huge handlebar mustache. Only shows up irregularly at the house (perhaps once per week), and then only talks to Tran and the soldiers on duty. She doesn’t know more about his duties than that. Cassie knows that the soldiers came with the retinue, but does not know where they live in town.
• Sergeant Huckaby (30). Curly blond hair. Fairly attractive. Shows up at the house several times per week, sometimes more than once per day to inspect and talk to the soldiers on guard, of which there are always two. Cassie doesn’t know that much about him except that he’s friendly and funny.
• First shift guards: Parker (25) and Harald (15). They have a good relationship with the maids – joking and teasing each other. Harald, a pimply teenager, blushes easily, and so is teased much more directly. Parker loves to laugh at Harald, but when he feels the lad’s had enough, he’s quick to call a halt to the games. They’re on duty every day when Cassie arrives, and are replaced at noon.
• Second shift guards: Trevor (20) and Leslie (20). They are both very good-humored, and are well liked by the maids. They both love to flirt and get flirted with, though nothing has ever come of it on either side. They start at noon, and are still on duty when Cassie leaves for the day.
• Third shift guards: Lionel (25) and Mark (20). Cassie doesn’t know anything more about them than this, as she has only met them once or twice. They are on duty when she isn’t in the house.

There are also two maids – Annie (25) and Cassie herself. Cassie loves Annie. Annie’s been a maid for almost 10 years. She loves to talk and flirt a lot, work a little, and generally is considered too lazy to move up the servant hierarchy. Cassie knows she isn’t lazy – she just doesn’t care enough about cleaning to do a thorough job. Cassie shares this opinion. Both get along very well with the soldiers, who they love to tease (Annie more than Cassie). Tran and Dilla are generally undemanding bosses who don’t mind exchanging words with the maids, though neither have had extended conversation with them as that would be “above their station”, a point that Mindred reminds them of frequently. The last servant is Winston (20), the driver. He’s a pig of a man with a peg leg. However, he’s so nasty that neither she nor Annie has talked to him much at all. All three of these servants are locals who were hired by Tran. None of them live in the house.

Speaking of Tran’s house, the next subject of conversation is about the house itself. Cassie is not aware of any special protections placed on it besides ordinary locks and the guards.

The layout is mostly standard downstairs; just the usual rooms – a foyer, a dining room, a sitting room, a kitchen, and a larder. Atypically, there are three doors that access this small space. The one in the kitchen and one in the foyer are to be expected, but another that opens directly on to the dining room is a bit incongruous, and possibly proof that the place used to be two separate dwellings. The only access to the first floor is the stairway that leads up from the foyer.

Upstairs, the apartment has been divided in to two halves. To the left is Tran and Dilla’s suite – an anteroom, a sitting room, and the bedroom. To the right is Tran’s workspace – a meeting room with a large table and many chairs, his private office which also contains a large locked chest, and a room at the back with two beds. Cassie has access to all rooms, but cannot say for sure whether anyone uses the beds in this final room. Although she does go in to dust, she has never had to make the beds or otherwise straighten anything up.

Kinnaka asks Cassie how she got the job, and is interested in both the fact that apparently Brill gave her a recommendation, and in the fact that she calls him “Brill”, not “Sponge”. Something to follow up on later, he thinks, and asks her instead what her idea is of K&K’s mission. Cassie doesn’t know. Her job is to follow Kinnaka’s orders to the best of her abilities.

He asks her if she has seen the blueprints at all. She has – she’s seen him carrying them around, and he sometimes leaves them on his desk or on the table in the meeting room, but she’s never paid any attention to them. He also asks how many documents there are, but she doesn’t know. She’s seen maybe half a dozen documents at any one time, but doesn’t know whether she’s seen all the documents, or if the documents she’s seen were always the same ones or different, and she definitely does not know the sum total of the document. She didn’t know they were important before this, but will look more carefully in the future.

Kinnaka will tell her that they need to get access to the blueprints and get a good look at them. They may need to look at them more than once. They definitely need to know if there is magical protection on the chest. He asks her to speak to the Butler to find out. Cassie says that she will be happy to oblige.

Kentaro asks if Cassie thinks Tran could use a secretary of sorts – someone to manage his paperwork and so forth. Cassie thinks that since he works such a tremendous amount, she doesn’t see why he wouldn’t accept help.

Kentaro proposes that Cassie suggest to the architect that she become his secretary, someone to do the more mundane, tedious tasks of his work.

Running with that idea, Kinnaka asks how good her writing is, if it is of sufficient quality to allow her to expand that role to writing odd routing correspondence and such. Cassie looks from one to the other and initially looks doubtful, but brightens up and says that judging by her observations of the household, she believes that she could talk Tran into it.

With that settled, Kinnaka sees Cassie to the door. He offers to walk her home. The girl pats him on the cheek, telling him he’s sweet, but it’s not necessary. Kinnaka instinctively retreats from the contact, a move that gives Cassie the opportunity to depart without further discussion.

After she leaves, before they go to bed, Kinnaka and Kentaro have a short discussion, in which they decide that they are certain that Cassie has provided answers fully and to the best of her ability. It’s clear that she’s cooperating in every way, but there are simply some things she just doesn’t know.

As soon as breakfast has been safely put away, Kentaro announces the pair’s decision to leave today. In fact, they will be leaving immediately. Most of the men present don’t really know them, and some of the others aren’t what you would call close. There is practically no reaction to the announcement, although one man, a local named Adolfo wishes Kentaro well, and asks what the pair’s plans are. Kentaro thinks about it briefly, then responds that they are heading off to find full time jobs. The man briefly looks suspicious, but then shrugs and seems to accept the response. He shakes Kentaro’s hand as the two head out the front gate.

The weather is a fine one for riding early in the morning, with clear skies and the temperature in the mid-60’s, just about average for this time of year. They travel for around 4 hours before the presence of a dark cloud on the horizon makes it clear that the weather doesn’t intend to cooperate all day. By noon, a number of dark clouds are moving quickly overhead, but they aren’t organized, and nothing comes of it. They sleep dry that night, if they do get a little chilly, with temperatures into the 40’s – again, about average for early May.

The next day, the clouds are out in force early, creating a near solid overcast that threatens to soak them at any moment, but luck is with them, and they manage to arrive in Greysmere dry. They follow the directions Brill – “Sponge”, Kinnaka reminds himself – gave them at the end of their latest interview, and wind up circling the entire town before they arrive.

The cottage is located to the northwest of Greysmere, about a 5 minute walk out of town, amidst a cluster of seven similarly constructed dwellings irregularly spaced around a central well and green. The hamlet is too small to have its own name, and though it is definitely outside and separate from Greysmere, it is patrolled by the Greysmere guard, when it is patrolled at all – which according to Sponge is extremely rare.

Kinnaka and Kentaro’s new home has a single story, is about 40’ long by 20’ deep, and is at least 50 years old. A single door and three windows adorn the front wall. The cottage’s only exterior door opens into a simply furnished common room boasting three interior doors. The first, on the far wall, leads to a kitchen/pantry of slightly smaller than the common room. The other two doors are on the right and left walls. Each leads to a bedroom of adequate proportions and minimal furniture. Despite its age, the building is well sealed, and the roof has been recently re-thatched. They soon learn that the fireplaces work well. Even with the evening chill returning, the cottage is cozy. They won’t live like kings, but at least they’ll stay warm and dry.

10-13 May

In the morning, Kentaro wakes up to find Kinnaka (no surprise) already awake and making breakfast. He notices that the rain that held off during their ride has arrived during the night. It is raining heavily, and shows no sign of letting up. Kentaro looks around and notices Kinnaka’s cloak dripping a large puddle on the floor. Apparently the elf has been out this morning. This also comes as no surprise to Kentaro. Kinnaka never seems to be bothered by natural phenomena such as rain.

His partner tells him that even though there are seven buildings in the immediate vicinity, they have few neighbors. Four of the buildings currently stand empty. The fifth of course, at least temporarily, belongs to them. The final two are both inhabited by old married couples who have apparently lived here for quite some time. Fortunately for K&K’s purposes, although their neighbors seem quite friendly with each other, none of the four seems inclined to make friends with the newcomers.

Despite the lack of social camaraderie with their neighbors, the pair quickly falls into a rhythm that gets them through the passing days without allowing them to go completely stir crazy. They spend the (once again dry and spring-like, after the rain lets up late on the 10th) mornings wandering the streets in and out of the town, learning their way around. They also pay a great deal of attention to the comings, goings, and movements of the people in the town, to learn who is who, where they go, what they do, and who they do it with. They don’t know what will be asked of them, and want to prepare as best they can.

They generally get together in the afternoon for lunch before splitting up again for the afternoon. Kinnaka typically heads out of town to commune with nature and do what constitutes fun for an elf. Kentaro heads instead into town and frequents several different middle- and lower-class pubs, generally in the working-class northwestern part of town, making contacts and generally having a good time.

They prefer to meet again for supper then visit a few other locations together, although Kinnaka tends to leave early, leaving the late night frivolity to his partner. Once Kentaro gets home, they spend some time discussing the day’s events and tomorrow’s plans.

The most significant activity the pair (okay, mostly Kentaro) undertakes at this point is to prowl the warren of small shops and tiny alleyways and backstreets in the northwest in order to get acquainted with this seedy area of town. The results of this search is as follows:

1. They identify some of the more intelligent locals with a low sense of civic morality, a large capacity to follow orders, and the limitless ability to keep their mouth shut.
• Russell, 40 y.o. male, sad-sack, very large, but bad knees (can barely walk)
• Atticus, 25 y.o. male, slender, fun, daring, unflappable
• Hanna, 35 y.o. female, short, slim, quiet and serious, but sharp as a tack
• Wojtek, 35 y.o. male, all-around average, hero-worshiper (Kentaro)
• Yeghishe, 15y .o. male, tall, overweight, overwhelmed, but notices everything
• Kianni, 25 y.o. female, tall, overweight, borderline paranoid, follows orders
• Caitlin, 25 y.o. female, pretty, practical, and a little highly-strung
• Ceire, 25 y.o. female, pretty, natural leader, but distracted easily
• Antonie, 30 y.o. female, sturdy and quiet, well-organized
• Shey, 20 y.o. male, short, fast and nimble, friendly, thinks outside the box
• Thekla, 30 y.o. female, very practical, keeps to herself
• Adena, 25 y.o. female, tough, will do about anything for a silver
2. They have identified several public establishments that will serve as a meeting place. They are uniformly dark, cluttered, and crowded with people who don’t ask too many questions. They are:
• Olliver’s Wine Bar (Kinnaka’s favorite)
• The Missing Maidenhead (Kentaro’s favorite)
• The Viceroy (a very popular inn that boasts an anteroom designed to slow eager guardsmen and a discretely placed back door that is perfect for avoiding same)
3. Kentaro’s task of finding a mage with high skill and low curiosity is accomplished almost disappointingly easy. Within an hour of the start of his search, no fewer than three different individuals have recommended the shop of Krilaine of Jalpa, which is located immediately next to the Viceroy.

Though relatively boring, neither can say they are truly unhappy with their few days in Greysmere, but all too soon, the day comes when they are forced to hop in the saddle again and head back to Karakas. It’s not an enchanting prospect, as after three clear days, a light rain has started again before they go to bed on the 13th. Kentaro hopes it stops before morning. He hates riding in the rain. Kinnaka doesn’t care either way.

14-15 May

Kentaro’s worst weather-related fears are confirmed on the first day of the ride back to Karakas, as the rain that began last night continues on and off throughout the day, though never very hard. No, the hard stuff is apparently being saved for morning of the second day of the ride back to Karakas. Fortunately, however, the afternoon is much kinder to anyone who happens to be on the road. When the clouds clear, the rain stops, the sun shines brightly, and the temperature jumps at least 10 or 15 degrees.

Well before sundown, they arrive at the outskirts of Karakas. They set up camp well off the main road where there is little chance of being seen and settle in to wait for dark. Once the sun has fully set, they split up. Kentaro goes into town to mark the table leg in the Temple. He then finds a street urchin and gives him a couple bits to deliver the letter to the guardsmen who were guarding the silver they “stole” a week ago. The letter explains where they can find their swords, and contains instructions on how they can claim their reward for keeping their mouths shut.

Kinnaka goes to the dead drop site to deposit a brief report to Tovish to report their progress to date and request a new way to keep in touch. The dead drop in Karakas will simply no longer suffice. They also need a way to pass messages quickly should they need to. He also makes a point of reporting the location of the chest, and asking to be allowed to keep it, should Brill be aware of specifics about it and bring it up. If they can’t keep it, he at least needs to know exactly what’s in it and such.

When both have completed their tasks, they rendezvous back at the campsite and have an early night. There is technically no reason they have to be at the diary early, but after some discussion, they agree that it will raise fewer questions if they spend a full 24 hours there. So with that thought in mind, they decide to arrive as early as possible.

16 May

It soon becomes apparent that they chose a bad day to arrive, as the 16th brings with it the first real heat of the young spring season – a cloudless, humid day more reminiscent of early summer than early spring. That, however, is the way of spring, and Kinnaka is no more bothered by the heat than he was by the rain a few days ago.

K&K arrive at the dairy just after breakfast, but are not welcomed by the workers, none of whom they recognize from previous visits. The overseers, however, greet them warmly. Between that, their sheer size, and Kinnaka’s extra “intimidation factor”, they are left more or less alone.

Much later, in the wee hours of the night, Kinnaka again finds himself alone with Brill, a.k.a., Sponge. This time it takes him much longer to get to the meat of the meeting, and while he still strictly observes the master-servant paradigm, Kinnaka feels that he is definitely more personable in the tone of his conversation than at any time during their previous meetings. Finally, however, gets to the point.

Sponge:

Kashiwa-kun, Greysmere is a small town, though suddenly it finds itself on the fast track to extreme wealth. Oh it has long been a place the rich and famous have come to play, but it has recently had greatness thrust upon it. [He enumerates the honors the Count has bestowed upon Greysmere, counting them on his fingers.]

1. It’s become the ruling seat of the Baronet of Stythe,
2. home to the Southeastern Defender Column Headquarters,
3. abode of half a dozen Knights of the Ram – including one of the 16 holders of the 2nd Class of the Order.
4. Also, the Count and the Baroness Amian have already established residences there, and rumor has it that the Baron Selintan may soon do so as well.

In addition to the 10 residences that have long been established along the Western Lake Road, 2 more are under construction, and survey crews have been seen dividing up the remaining land into large plots. Eventually, more than a score of mansions may stand along the lakefront.

There is an inordinate amount of work for us to do there. I consider myself fortunate to have found you when I did. You are a cut above the usual men I find for such tasks. The last man I sent to Greysmere had a simple kidnapping assigned, and the imbecile wound up killing his target. It cost me a useful accomplice and him his life, but the real tragedy is that security is consequently much tighter in Greysmere than previously. That means that it will be difficult to operate there for some time to come.

However, you have proven yourself to be a person of rare talent. I think you’ll be able to accomplish your tasks quite satisfactorily. In fact, I have such faith in your abilities that in addition to the usual monthly assignment, I have a standing order for you. You are to inhibit the construction on personal residences along the Western Lake Road, as well as all new government buildings. Each such act will earn you a significant bonus payment in direct proportion to the degree to which you delay the various projects. Small delays will garner you bonuses enumerated in pennies. I realize that doesn’t sound like much, but causing many small delays can still result in quite significant payments. Besides, more significant delays are worth more significant rewards. I will pay parts for significant construction delays, and dubloons for major delays and project terminations. You stand to do quite well.

Do you have any questions regarding this standing instruction?

Kinnaka:

I have no questions regarding zhe instructions as you have ourined, but I am in wonder if you wourd instruct your rowry servant in ends you are trying to achieve. It seems that by slowing things down you risk higher than ordinary security and, therefore, more scrutiny of Greyhawk. Is the eye of Greyhawk looking at our operations really any good?

Brill chuckles:

The eye of Greyhawk, eh? A most apt description. Currently, I believe the Eye to be looking elsewhere. Places it does not need to be looking. We occasionally need to distract it, as others distract it away from our corner when required. We have many parts moving in concert toward a unified goal. Ah, we are all simple cogs in the great machine.

Kinnaka:

We have a saying: Zhe Wheer in zhe Sky keeps moving. As it moves, we move wizh it. To move against, is …. (he shrugs) werr, it is not advisabre. It crush a man like the grain under the roadstone. Hai, I understand zhis concept. It is a good one to be remembering arways.

Brill:

Excellent. Skill and wisdom. I sense that you will go far, Kashiwa-kun.

Kinnaka:

Domo Arigato

Sponge:

Do itashimashite. ... Now then, your monthly task is this. Ground has been broken for the new Defender Headquarters building in the northern part of town. I require exact copies or the duplicates of the architect’s plans for that building, plus any references to modifications to those plans. Letters, notes, sketches, ideas on the backs of beer mats, everything. You don’t need to make a special trip here to deliver them. Just wait until you are next scheduled to return and bring them with you when you come.

Kinnaka:

Hai.

Sponge:

Excellent, Kashiwa-kun. And now it grows late. Do you have any questions before we both return to our beds?

Kinnaka

It is a good night for zhe stars. Zhey read us on our way. However, we are arso red by information and preparation. I am wondering who wourd be zhe architect and what I may be knowing of his storage procedures or peoples whom he is entrusting zhem too.

Sponge:

All excellent questions. The architect is a man named Transtram – or Tran to his close friends, of which I am told he has few. He lives in a rented house in the east part of town. I believe he keeps them at his office in this house, but have been unable to get anyone inside that office to verify the fact. He brought a personal guard staff with him from Greyhawk. Two guards are permanently stationed at the door of his office. I have placed a maid in his service – a young lass called Cassie, who has verified as much, but none have access to the office without Tran’s express permission.

Kinnaka:

Are we permitted to tark to zhis Cassie?

Sponge:

Of course, if you wish. Pick a date. I will send her to the cottage.

Kinnaka:

19 May wirr do. I am arso zhinking zhat a werr skirred … um … how you say …. Map-ahgrapher … wourd be very usefur. Wourd you have one in your emproy? It worud be safer zhan me hiring one wizhout zhe benefit of a rong term relationship.

Sponge:

Unfortunately, I do not. I’ve never had need of one before.

Kinnaka:

Hai. I am zhinking of using my ord identity to gain access. Officiar rooking papers wourd arso be herpfur. Can zhose be provided?

Sponge:

Yes. ... I’ll write a letter before you leave. Present it to Hiram the printer, in Greysmere. He has a shop off the southern square. He’ll get you what you need. It will take a few days, however.

Kinnaka:

Domo Arigato. I wirr do so. I wirr be zhinking of more detairs of pran. but is zhere anyzhing erse I should know? Peopre coming to watch for me? Zhe architect is a mage? Etc. etc.

Sponge:

I am aware of nothing else. Should anything else come to my attention, I will communicate through Cassie.

Kinnaka bows:

May zhe moon not set before you have an encouter zhat benefits you or your ancestors.

Sponge:

Then we are done here. Return hence in a month.

Kinnaka:

Hai.

17 May

The next morning at breakfast, K&K announce their intention to leave the dairy. When they do, Mario, the senior overseer, asks them if they will be returning to Greysmere. Kentaro assures him that they will, whereupon Mario gives him a sealed message and asks him if he’d mind delivering it for Brill. It’s addressed to “Kashiwa, Greysmere”. Kentaro assures him that he will.

On the road back to their campsite, Kentaro gives the letter to “Kashiwa”, who opens it and finds that it is to Hiram, the printer Brill told Kinnaka about yesterday, with a request to provide the bearers with the documents they request, with the bill to be sent to Sponge. Kinnaka smiles and pockets the letter.

Back at the campsite, K&K decide to split up. Kentaro will return to Greysmere to start the process of hiring their assistants for the forthcoming task. Kinnaka will remain in Karakas to wait for word from Tovish and find their two former associates to return with him to Greysmere to help out with their forthcoming efforts.

After lunch, Kentaro departs with a wave and a smile, while Kinnaka heads into town to check the table (no mark) and find Tenner and Lymon, but despite looking in all the usual places, he has no luck. He doesn’t ask around yet, deciding that there’s no reason to give anyone a reason to connect them. Besides, he figures to have several days in which to find them.

Eventually, he goes home without seeing them, but not terribly disappointed. He spends the evening enjoying watching a small stream flow endlessly past the campsite and thinking through plans for accomplishing his goals in Greysmere.

For his part, Kentaro rides slowly, enjoying the glorious weather and the chance to sleep again in the open. For a change, he is in bed early, and falls asleep almost instantly.

The next six days pass slowly, with little for K&K to do while waiting for a response from Tovish, except enjoy the glorious sunny weather. On the 17th, Kentaro checks the table leg in the Temple, with no luck. Two days later, Kinnaka slips into the abandoned building to check the chest, but it remains stubbornly empty.

18 May

The morning is again beautiful, warm, cloudless, and just breezy enough to keep it from being too warm. Kentaro has rarely been this happy, and accomplishes the rest of the ride to Greysmere without incident.

Kinnaka spends the morning enjoying watching a pair of squirrels chase each other through the trees and similar entertainments. After lunch, he sits down and drafts a long message to Tovish, informing him of what he discovered during the interview with Brill, and asking for help in their endeavors over the next month. However, in the evening he becomes distracted watching a fox, a brace of quail, a hawk, three men on horseback, and a snapping turtle. By the time he remembers the letter, he decides that it’s too late to deliver it, and promises himself to do so first thing in the morning.

Despite having hugely enjoyed being on the road, Kentaro is happy to see Greysmere on the hazy horizon. A few pints will go down very nicely…