Ann belived that Farn was hiding something. She belived that he was upset that we'd removed his cursed; that he missed the power it had given him, even for so short a time.

Now, here's the thing. There is a massive surge with having that much power- it's downright thrilling, to feel that dangerouse, that unstoppable. To know that if someone pissed you off enough, you'd become this massive, hulking beast and could just- twitch a wrist and they'd be gone.

I don't miss it. I'd become something like a Were, or even a Were again if I thought I would be in control of myself, of the change. Sure, why not, wouldn't hurt. But it's not something I activly look for or want.

Ann, on the other hand, often mentions that she misses it. That she'd take that power back if only she could, if she ever got the chance. And she told me, quietly, that she felt Farn was the same way.

A mildly disturbing prospect on both counts.

We decided just keeping an eye on him for now was the best- and really, wasn't it the only?- thing we could do. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with us milling about the ship. I spent most of my time on deck, again, alternating between walking with Ann and Meyone to bothering Alaric to chasing an enthusiastic Conchetta to keeping an eye on Farn. I bounced all over that ship, and still managed to get bored after a couple hours.

As if sensing it, another ship chose that moment to bring itself to our attention. We all stood, watching the ship approch, waiting for a signal, waiting for a fight. So far it had made any agressive actions, but it was coming closer, and coming at us.

Ann's ship, Ann's desicion. I let my hands go to my weapons and waited. We all stood in a circle, Ann at my far right with Meyonne, as always, acting as her huge shadow. Our hirelings were slightly further back uncertian of the course of action to take. They didn't know us very well, at this point, and weren't quiet comfortable putting themselves right in with us, I think. Alaric was beside me, a comfortingly calm and steady pressance. Very little seems to frighten him- although, I can't say that surprises me. We watched the ship approch slowly, and then Meyone asked Ann what we should do.

I jerked my eyes from the ship and to my elvin freind, watching her quietly as she stood in silence. She was chewing her lower lip and if she felt my eyes on her didn't aknowledge me in any way.

"Ann." My voice was low and gentle, a subtle prod. You're in command here, Ann, make the desicion and stop being wishy-washy about the damn thing.

Alaric's rasping voice came from my left, something about being able to burn a vessel. I really hoped he meant that one, not us. I sent an elbow into his ribs sharply, knowing Ann hadn't appreciated the words, and whispered over to Ann again. She needed to do something, damn it, now.

She finally snapped her eyes down to us again, mostly on Alaric, and barked that we would intercept the ship, translated to us by Farn. A silent, heavy breath was pulled in by everyone- you could feel it- and the tension in the air doubled.

At least until the ship grew near, and it's grand beauty was obviouse to all on deck. Magnificent, elegent beauty, enough to make our poor ship look like one of our fishing vessels by comparison.....and flying Talron's colors proudly.

My heart stopped, then caught again and began to race. I looked over at Alaric, eyebrows in my hairline. He didn't look even mildly surprised.....in fact, he looked like a little boy reciving a gift. I knew he was Talron's old friend.....but just how old?

What the hell was going on?

A few men came aboard our ship, and Alaric stepped forward to greet them; two carried a chest, one a bottle of some kind of wine. Ann stepped back, but I stayed put, refusing to move. Nothing and noone with Talron's colors frightens me or intimidates me.

Except, sometimes, the man himself.

One of the men adressed me by name, to my surprise. I nodded to him, and recived a bow. My eyebrows went even further up my forehead, if it was possible. In fact, I don't think I had eyebrows anymore, just right then. They came back later, of course. The eyebrows, that is.

The man said it was a pleasure to finally met me, and greeted Ann formally. Ann asked how they'd found us, and the man glanced at Alaric with this odd, smirkey little smile. He said it was easy to find someone you knew well.

Well, then. Is everyone in Talron's command an arrogent, secretive plotter?

I lifted my eyes to Ann, who was a walking stormcloud, her murderouse gaze locked on Alaric. I snickered softly, and turned my eyes on Alaric. He was grinning stupidly, that I know something you don't know kind of grin, and I wanted to slap it off his face. I was torn between angry and amused, and when I looked back at Ann, she promised to kill him.

I told her I'd help.

It worked; the anger lifted from her eyes and she was grinning at me. I smirked back, letting out my breath slowly. This was Talron-related, this was okay, safe, we could relax. For now.

Alaric and the men slipped off below decks to discuss what they had to. Ann and Meyone took themselves off to a corner, talking softly, and I left them too it; then needed.....'privacy'....every one in a while, as obliviouse as they both were- still-are. Besides, I had problems of my own running through my head; if Talron's men had come, did that mean Talron himself had returned? Was he going to leave? Had the empress.....was he.....

Stop that. You have bigger worries then that right now.

I took a deep breath and leaned over the railing, closing my eyes and trying not to let myself get any hopes up or fears going. I tried to produce a mental zone of 'don't fucking mess with me right now', and it seemed to work; not even Conchetta came near me. I almost felt bad about that one.

About a half hour later, then men and Alaric returned. I straightened up slowly and approched, my resolve in my choice firm. From the other side, Ann and Meyonne came, too, and her eyes told me she knew what I was going to ask. I didn't much care if it pissed her off. If there was even a chance, even a hair's breath of a chance that he was back, I wanted to know about it. This was fucking impossible, running all over the world when all I wanted was to root my feet into the earth outside Befrengaurd and not move until I was certian-sure that Talron was returned, alive, mentally and physically okay, and- and-

as mine as he'd ever been.

I 'd come dispite that longing for a number of reasons; one, the primary driving factor, was that Myn was my fault. I'd gotten her into a bad situation, and if this is what it took to get her out again, I wasn't not going to be involved. Another was who Alyssa was.....who's daughter she was. Toby had helped us, and now he needed our help.

Another was Ann herself. She followed me around all over the map when I was sniffing around like a bloodhound for hints of my past. After she'd come to the South with me, I couldn't very well refuse her anything. I owed her, and massivly.

And the final reason was simple. This had to be done. A long time ago someone decided we weren't allowed to live a quiet, normal life of peace and blissful ignorance. Ann, Meyonne, Alaric and I, all of our companions, were set right in the middle of things, and it was our job to make as much right as we could. It wasn't in any of our nature to just let things go. We might want to go home, we might not want to do what we did, but we did it.

I bowed to the Captian of the other ship, and asked politly if I may have a word. He said yes without a pause, and I found myself turning beat red as I asked if there was any word or news from or on Talron.

His turn to lift an eyebrow.

Apperantly, the last they heard was what we knew; he was in the Citadel. No new information on him- no word from him, to them or me.

I asked, then, throughly confused and a little sucpisiouse, who sent them to find Alaric.

And found that it had been Alaric.

I felt the snarl curl up a corner of my lip, heard the growl start from somewhere in the bottom of my chest. I can't turn anymore, but I found that even after being were for just a short time, I'd retained growling when angry. Maybe I did it before, even. I certianly don't know. All I know is that if you're wise, you'll back the fuck up when I did it, because I'm either going to hit or yell.

Alaric doesn't know me well enough to know it, and simply gave a bashful half-shrug when asked why he'd not told us.

Oh yeah, I was growling.

The captian let me know that if anything did happen, he'd let me know- though I wasn't sure how that would come to pass- and then they left.

Annnnd five , four three, two, one-

Ann's voice split the air like a whipcrack, sharp with anger and disapproval. She didn't yell, didn't even raise her voice, but even I was flinching under her hard words and ice cold tone. Ann has a way of speaking that makes you feel like you're about ten years old again, being scolded by an adult.

Alaric, though, remained unappologetic and sullen through the entire speech, and when it was over, shrugged, smirked, gave me a nudge in the ribs and headed below deck. I watched him go with a lopsided smirk.

I think.....I could get into way too much trouble with him.

I took a deep, steadying breath and went back to the railing, this time not trying to exude waves of anger. Just trying to enjoy the ride, and enjoy myself. Still, I couldn't help but watch the speck that flew Talron's colors, watch it until it was no longer visible and then imagine I could still see it.

Just for a second, I'd felt home again. There had been something comfortable and familer in a land that was anything but. I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands.

Stop it. You're being a shit-stupid little girl. Grow up. Get on track, Semie, this isn't a game.

The rest of the evening passed much in this fashion; I tried to distract myself from bleak thoughts and entertained myself bothering my friends until Molholander finally appered in veiw. Yet another airship came up on us about the same time, but apperantly it was one of the city's, and okay.

They said, bluntly, that they were going to escort us in. Instantly I saw the tension start to knot Ann up again; she doesn't like anyone messing with this ship. She's as protective of it as a mother with a baby. Everyone else seemed relaxed and at ease, though, so I took their cue and stayed that way myself, lounging on the railing as we glided in. These people seemed to know us and know what they were doing, and frankly, if this was a bad situation, we were outnumbered and outgunned anyway. Nothing to do but watch and wait.

Ann might be surprised to hear me say that- me, of all people- but in truth I'm actually a pretty big fan of it. And in a situation like this, even more so. You start acting out, and then things really do go all to shit. But if you just relax and stay calm, go with the flow of things until you see the big picture, you can usually end a situation more.....happily.

So I perched on the railing and hoped I didn't fall off backwards, and watched the men and everyone else. Ann was talking to a human officer, but I couldn't hear what over the wind in my ears. We moved slowly compared to our normal speed- at our normal speed, I'd never be sitting where I was now- but it was still fast enough to toss my short hair and drown out what she said. She turned and looked at me. I gave her a lop-sided grin and flashed a reassuring signal to her. Relax. It's alright, I wanted to say. not everyone is out to get you.

Molholander was one of the most lovley cities I've ever seen. Nothing can compare to what Nabudel must have looked like in it's prime- even to what it was as a ruin- but it was a close second. Ann was clearly caught by it, and I had to admit it was an almost graceful looking city.

We docked, and the ship was hooked into place- odd thing to do, from the look on Ann's face- and we were asked to follow one of the men into the city. Like we had a choice. Still, I shrugged and hopped down, dusting off my pants and going willingly enough to the gangplank. I turned and grinned at Ann, making a 'come on' wave and heading down it ahead of the others. Oh, don't get me wrong; I was nervouse, too. Of course I was. But if they were going to hurt us I thought, they probably would have already. I saw no one with cuffs or weapons at the ready, and no one seemed.....agressive or displeased in anyway. Ann fell in step beside me, and I resisted the urdge to grab her hand. She looked purely freaked the fuck out, she did.

Such a nervouse little elf.

They brought us into a building that was teaming with people, but not human people. Elves and gnomes, more then anything else. I tipped my head as the guard gave us directions, then waited for Ann to move. This was her deal. Meyone, Alaric, Thorin, and I were at her back. Even our little hirlings were there, should shit begin to fall down on our heads. Slowly, deliberatly, we started forward again, Ann's breathing slow and deep, a sign she was controlling herself. I kept my body language relaxed and calm, trying to reassure her without words. It didn't seem to be working.

Finally, we got to the proper door, and Ann pressed a palm to it. I met her eyes, and nodded, and then she swung it open.

To reveal and very familer sight. A gnome I'd only met once, who's life we'd saved when I was still new to this group. His name was- is- Master Ron Dangledongledot.

Yeeeeah, you heard that right. Try saying it without sounding like a fool.

I thought Ann was going to collapse, and heard my own delighted laugh break the suddan silence. We greeted each other warmly, all of us, and found that apperantly he'd been here on business. His cousin was captain of the little gnome ship we'd seen before, which explained.....a lot.

He bid us to eat and so we did; though it took Ann longer then any of us to relax and enjoy the meal. Even then, she sat on the very end and seemed disgusted to watch us eat; she's always been a bird about eating, ever since I met her. I know my manners aren't that bad, but I feel downright rude compared to her.

We were told we'd be given proper rooms for as long as we were here, and had full use of the bathhouse.

I choked. Luckily, no one seemed to notice, but I had to take a hasty drink before I started coughing and embaressed myself. Bathhouse which implied naked people of both sexes together in one room naked.

Did I say that part already?

I could already feel the heat in my cheeks, turning my ears pink. Thankful for a dark complexion and black hair, I ducked my head and waiting for the bad moment to pass. By the time it had, Ron was telling us that we would have someone to show us around shortly, and that we should enjoy our dinner and relax. We were welcome here, and we could stay as long as needed. I smiled, thanking him with everyone else. It's nice to be welcomed, for once.

The place was as beautiful as it'd seemed, and startling warm. I don't mean the weather- I mean, we were greeted in friendly manners and people of a few differant races intermingled with no obviouse tension between any of them.

We each got our own room, lush, lovely spreads that made me want to go no where else for my entire stay here. A big bed, he size someone like me could drown in, thick carpet for toe-burry-ing, beautiful colors, the smell of the wood from the furniture overlaying everything, and an assortment of other furniture and nick-nacks. There were even potted plants, which I assumed Ann was happy for. My favorite part were the balconies, all connected and all just about one entire wall.

I'm sorry, can we steal all this?

Joking. I'm joking.

We were shown to the bathhouse, next. It was as beautiful as the rest of the place, with elegent carvings on the walls and statues and such everywhere. The entire bathing area was a giant 'flower', and you could, um- pick a petal. Sevearl people already had.

There were benches and places for clothing and towels. It was huge, open, and I could hear the pleasent sounds of laughter and talking echoing around. It was a lovely place, and if it hadn't been full of naked people I would have been very happy there.

Ann pointed out the huge statues on the walls, life-sized representations of each angel of each land. There were even little plaques underneath that told about each.

One looked very, very much like Toby. Ilasureta.

The Weres had been mentioning her. I shot Ann a concerned look, and got a shrug in reply. She didn't know the anwser to this situation any more then I did, it seemed.

And besides, there were more pressing matters right now.

Like Annwasgettingnaked.

I felt the heat rush to my face again, and not even my dark skin could hide it this time. Her items first, then gloves, then cloak, then her sh-her shirt.

I could not form a complete sentance if I'd tried. She'd just droped her shirt in front of me, showing me all of her, as if it was no big deal. I'd seen Ann naked before- she'd seen me naked, too- but all the same.

Her shoes and pants were next, and I was aware that I was making little fish-out-of-water noises. She gave me a cat-smile and beckoned me in, taking great pleasure in my mortification.

It's rare it's her that gets to be on that end of the pair of us. Meyonne and the others were loosing their clothing, too, completly with any lack of self-confidence. I put my face in my hands and headed inside, not daring to look up, even as I heard Ann slide into one of the petals. Peeking through my fingers, I made my way over to that petal. I removed my shoes and put them under the bench were Ann's belongings had been layed, dipping my feet in next to her and finally, slowly, lowering my hands.

Normally, I would have had a great deal of fun seeing Meyone in the water with Ann. He was in the same petal and looked very content with himself at that moment. I could hear Conchetta and Noman, and to my left Thorin was in the water, women around him like cats to cream. I can't say I blamed them much- he was a well toned, handsome man, and though I couldn't see much where I sat, if he looked like that below the waist, too-

-well. If it weren't for Talron, I might be over there myself.


Wave.

I screamed as a wave of water splashed over us suddanly, marking Alaric's entrance into the water. I groaned as it instantly turned brackish, forgetting my shame in amusment. He hadn't even bothered to rinse! My laughter rang out helplessly, and Ann sent me a tolerant, tired glance. She tried to convence me to climb in with them, that I would enjoy a nice, hot bath, that I needed to wash off the traveling dust, that it felt good, that it was nice.

I would, I did, I'm sure it did, and I'm sure it was. All of those things would still be true later, when the place was less full.

As they bathed, I chattered happily as if totally unflustered, and watched the comings and goings of the bathhouse. I was chatting a mile a minute, but saying nothing. It's a good way to distract someone from noticing something's wrong. Besides, brainless chatter feels good, now and again. No plans on what tatcical moves to make next, or how to stay alive another day. Instead, teasing Alaric for his smell and being teased for refusing to get naked.

No way. No fucking way are you going to get me naked in front of these people.

I was jerked from brainless talk when Ann announced she'd 'be right back'. I followed the path of her gaze, and my jaw set.

Beautiful, dark skinned Elf-ladies, in the petal just across the way. They were beautiful like Ann was beautiful, but in a totally differant way, too. Same perfect, flawless skin, and ears raised into elegent points that stuck out of their long hair. Eyes that were wise and knowing and gentle and so many differant colors.

Long legged and slender limbed, like Ann when she climbed over to join them. I watched her go. Straight, beautiful back, blonde hair cascading in a waterfall, darker with wet. Ears, smaller then theirs, poking up through the wet strands, perfectly curved rear leading down into long, strong legs. Beautiful. She was so beautiful. They were all so beautiful.

I rolled my eyes and forced a laugh, pretending that I was mocking her be right back, when in actuality I found myself trying very hard not to get up and run out.

Conchetta suddanly appered by my side, but in the water, resting her arms on the side and greeting me merrily. I forced my eyes away from the women I so longed to be like and turned back to the girl I was like. She wasn't jealouse of them, from what I saw. She didn't seem to care that she wasn't well-endowed or tall and slender or a goddess to look upon.

Of course, she also wasn't in love with a king.

We talked pleasently for a while, and then suddanly she gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth, her giggles almost hysterical. I turned-

-and yes, actually, Thorin was that nice below the waist, as well. I wished I'd gotten into the water after all, so I could sink below it in shame. My throat closed, my ears burned, and I clamped both hands frantically over my mouth.

Still, I could feel the laughter rush up out of my throat as a very naked, very unashamed Thorin went striding away from Ann, having obviously just spoken to her, and marched past us.

Three woman were carried in his arms.

All at the same damn time.

Their sultry laughter reached my ears, and I fell backwards, howling. Someone- probably Conchetta- hit me for it. But it wasn't hard, and it didn't hurt. I sat up to see our other companions in variouse states of amused embaressement, too; even Meyone.

Ann returned to us a moment later. I watched in pleased surprised as she splashed him swimming by, then hurried over to us, where she knew he couldn't get her back. I raised a brow, my heart lightening. Here we were, playing, laughing, joking, happy.

I guess, no matter how hard things get, we're all pretty okay if we have one another.

As soon as everything had calmed down- and I could speak again- the topic turned back to more seriouse matters. Everyone kind of....converged....on the petal. We decided plans would be made in the morning.....it wasn't safe and it was rather pointless to wander the streets at night. Time to go to our beautiful rooms and get some well earned rest for the night.

That said, Meyone promptly came out of the water- my hand went back over my eyes- and so did Ann. I rose- hand still over my eyes- and, through my fingers as before, made my way back to the door.

My embaressment was not personal in this case. I had no desire to see what I'd seen of Thorin's on anyone else tonight. Thanks. Thanks ever so much.

Ann was still trying to convence me to go ahead and clean up while we were here. I told her I'd do it on my own time, would you leave me alone, elf? Damn. I stared intently at the floor until everyone was dressed, and we straggled out of the bathhouse. Once out, I was in a considerably better mood, and talking happily to Ann as we got back to our rooms. There, though, her teasing and prodding stopped as we came to our respective doors, and she paused in the hallway. Meyone and I stopped, too, glancing at each other and back to her.

Funny, how she bonds us. I don't know what all else Meyonne and I have in commen, and I think if I'd been alone in Fera he never would have stayed with me. But one thing we both do care for, one thing that we do have in commen, is a very real concern for the elf in front of us.

I asked, tentivly, if Ann wanted to share a room. I mean, we always do, only recently have we not. Usually when we don't, something weird or bad happens. Sometimes even when we do, I'll admit, but it was a sense of familiarity all the same. But she turned me down after a long pause, and we agreed that the conecting balconies would have to be enough.

Once everyone had settled in for the night, I grabbed a change of cloths and headed back out. I went back to the bathhouse, which was now nearly empty but for a few people in the very far pettles of the room. I grabbed one in the farthest corner I could, and did what I needed to do. In the clear water, I could see all of me just as I could see all of Ann, earlier.

Short, unevenly cut hair, boring black. Dark skin streaked with freckles across my nose- they looked like dirt smudges. Horrible dirt smudges that would never ever wash off. Blue eyes that would have been pretty but they'd been real blue. Instead, they were muddy silver-blue, almost gray. Stubby-nailed fingers on calloused hands, a non-existant torsoe, breasts that were bigger only because the rest of me bore undesireable weight. I twisted to see, in morbid curiousity. Nope. No butt at all. Not like the deep, sensual curve of Ann's back, leading into her bottom.

Snarling, I hit the water lightly, mussing my reflection.

Ugly. Nothing special at all. What are you thinking? You, in love with a king? You, with a mouth like scum and a body of a child? You, rash, impulsive creature? You, little better then an urchin? Why should he love you? Why, when he has the attention of an Empress? When he could have someone as beautiful and wise as those elves today?

...."I fucking hate being naked!"

I think half the room looked at me. Not for the first time, I felt my ears heat and this time I did sink below the water, with only my eyes peeking out.

About ten minutes later I made my way back to my bedroom, muttering loudly in case anyone was still awake. I wanted them to think exactly what they thought; that I was just, for some odd reason, a prude.

I closed my door softly, locking it behind. I meant to fall into sleep, emotion tiring me out; I though I'd drop off instantly. Instead, though I kept being awakened through the night by the uneasy feeling of being watched. When I'd wake, to explore it, it'd be gone. Or if I still felt it, it would move, as if the person had wings and was fluttering away from my site. Half-way curiouse and half-way frightened, I would fall back into sleep. There was no malice from what I felt.....just the sensation of being watched. I'd sleep for a bit longer, then, abruptly, be awakened again because I swear someone was just there, close enough to reach out and-

-nothing. A gropping hand touching only the darkness of the room around me and perhaps the bookshelf near the bed. Once, I knocked one of my daggers off the bedside table.

That was the most eventful occurance of the night.

I was awakened earlier then I'd like- again- by Ann, the next morning. Apperantly I hadn't been the only one to feel like I was being watched all night. Ann'd had it happen, too. She told me no one else had reported symptoms.

Well, okay then, we should be used to this kind of thing by now.

I asked her which room first, and, rather predicatbly, she said her own. I didn't much care; I shrugged, and off we toddled. We found nothing out of place in her room at all, and were about to give up the search, when Ann called my name softly. I came over to her, and she pointed out the bone shards mixed into the soil of her plant. Alaric was with us, and he came over as well. It was deffinatly odd, to him, and he began to cast a spell after a couple of minutes. He announced there had without doubt been a ghost in the plant, but now it was gone. It'd run away from him. He said he'd banished it so it couldn't return, and instantly I flinched.

I pointed out that we'd spoken to spirits- or things like them, sort of, anyway- before, and what if this one had been trying to give us a message?

Alaric shrugged. What was done was done; the ghost was gone for the moment.

"Well, check out my plant. I had the same problem."

So we switched direction and went back to my room. Sure enough, same issues. But I instisted that Alaric leave it alone; at least for one night. To see what would happen. Ann, though, shoved her plant outside and had Alaric ward her room for twenty four hours. She was not, she said, going to deal with ghost problems she didn't have to.

Alaric and I went to get our proper cloths on, and soon everyone else was joining up with us again. We told our hirlings their jobs for the day- Noman to explore the underbelly of the city, Farn to take the opposit end and see about the nobility here. To our surprise, before we could assign Conchetta, Farn spoke up, mentioning that he'd like to take her with. She was a skilled people person, apperantly, and none of us had a problem letting Conchetta go, if she felt comfortable being alone with Farn.

Then, he added that he'd also like to take Meyone.

My jaw dragged the dust for a moment. Ann's face had gone faintly pale, and her arms folded in that familer, stubborn pose across her chest. Meyone, for his part, was watching Farn with a thoughtful, considering look, although every line in his body was stiff and uncomfortable.

Okay....those two can't be impartial. Guess this is my job.

"Why?"

Farn admited that he felt he needed a 'bodygaurd' of sorts, and we'd have Thoren with us. As Thoren is pretty much a force of nature by himself, we didn't really need extra muscle.

I looked at the pair again, sighing softly. Alaric had taken a physical step back, putting himself out of the argument, and from the way Farn was looking at me, it was obviouse this was my go. I shrugged, glancing helplessly over. Farn had a point; he needed someone to protect him, since he was basically kind of helpless.

I told Ann I didn't see why not, and waited for the protests. Those two had refused to be seperated for more then a few minutes at a time since Fera. The one time I'd forced Meyone to stay back, with me, he'd nearly killed me with his eyes alone, forget the weapon at his side.

Insta-bable. I fell silent and listened to Ann weakly try to defend her choice to keep Meyone, arguements that made no sense, and felt my lips twitching. Goodness, Ann, Thoren is just a man. A large man, but all the same. You're not his enemy. Besides, he'd never catch you even if you did piss him off.

Finally, it was Thoren himself who spoke up, quietly informing Ann that she had nothing to be afraid of from him.

Aww, nice. Good job, Thor-

"Unless you get in my way."

-eeeeannnnd never mind. Ugh. Ann looked like a frightened mouse under the stare of a hawk. It got worse when Meyone quietly agreed to go with Farn and Conchetta. Ann glanced over at me and I wagged my eyebrows at her with a smirk. Her frightened look turned into a glare, and I just grinned. One way to get Ann out of being scared is to piss her off. I'm good at that.

We wandered our sepeate ways- Farn, Meyone and Conchetta, Noman alone, and Alaric, Thoren, Ann and I. It didn't feel quiet right to send Noman off by himself, not when one of us from the larger group could have been spared. But that's what we did, and soon the group of four of us were moving towards the games area.

The people around us- still a mismash of those three races- had all kinds of pets as they walked past us; all kinds of wild animals for pets. Things like I'd not been close to except for Illoria's Demetrious, and he'd not even been a real panther. I edged a bit closer to the group, trying not to picture what sharp claws and teeth could do. Unfortunatly, I'd seen it in person. I'd been on the reciving end already of things with teeth and claws.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying that I could do what I'd done best, before the man who'd begin chipping away at my life and sanity had cursed me. Then I put on a confident face, grinned lopsidedly, and approched my first target.

I am no master of the shadows, like Ann is, able to slip away unheard and unseen, stealthy and graceful as a cat. But what you need to get here, is that talking to people is just as infinatly hard as hiding from them. Ann's gotten annoyed at me, before, for taking a long time to say what I need to say. But when you use words as half your weapon, each one needs to be considered and measured.

I am a completly differant person when I'm talking for information, or talking to save our lives. I have to be. Lately it's gotten harder, with the curse around my neck; I tend to say what I shouldn't to just the person it shouldn't be said to, to my lies come through as clear as the water in the bathhouse yesterday.

Today, though, I seemed to be doing just fine. We got pointed to a man who supposedly had the luck of the angels, a gambler in the center of the area surrounded by people. With a thank you and a bow, we headed that way, Ann quietly with head down, Alaric just at my flank, and Thoren's long, long stride carrying him ahead of us. I was forced to take two steps for each of his one.

The man glanced up as we approched. His eyes and face were open but sly, intellegence gleaming in his eyes and a smile at the corner of his lips. I couldn't really put an age to him, but he didn't seem to old, from the looks of him. Older then me, certianly, but then, most everyone was.

He motioned for us to sit, laying out a gold peice. Alaric and I placed our own silver down, and then I nudged Ann until she did the same. Stubborn elf.

And so the game began. And I don't mean cards.

He told us he'd heard that we had questions, and we all took seats, looking at one another uncertianly. Then Alaric's deep voice rumbled near my ear, jumping right in to ask about the emblem. The man barely glanced up from his cards as he replied that yes, he did have something like that, once. He'd lost it, though, which from what he suggested, was unusual.

We asked him what we remembered, but he said not much; what we'd already run over was pretty much what knowledge he had of the thing. Alaric asked if he knew what the writing on it said; the reply was no. He hadn't even known it was draconic. He said that after he'd lost the emblem, he'd seen the man who'd won it pretty often. That the man's luck seemed to change. When I asked how, he said that he'd lost just about everything, yet continued to come gamble....but never again to those specific tables.

As the game continued on, our answers came out slowly- and pretty freakin' expensivly. We didn't learn too much, to be honest, and Thoren was coming closer still to loosing his temper then I would like. The man makes me look absolutly mild. Ann was trying to calm him, but as he spooked her the fuck out it wasn't going too well, and we could all see gaurds headed our way. The man we spoke with held them at bay, though I wasn't sure for how long.

He told us he wasn't sure where his father had won the emblem, and told us there were a couple people in the city that could speak draconic, we'd just have to look. We thanked him, and he appologized to Thoren for the loss of his uncle, still just as calm as anything.

Ann and the man exchanged words for a moment, then, apperantly fed up, Thoren grinned-

-and flipped the fucking table.

I groaned into my hands and Alaric began to laugh softly. Ann followed Thorin out, and our contact began to sooth the gaurds that came over instantly.

Once free of them, I began trying to calm Thorin, with Alaric's help; Ann walked stiff and silent on his other side, her head down and her eyes averted. Still scared of him. I coughed, turning the big man's attention to me.

"Wanna find someone to speak draconic?" I asked, smirking cheekily, and with a scowl, he decided that was best.

And I began to do what I do best.

I walked just ahead of the group, chatting merrily with variouse people and always getting the information I was after. Each one put me in a better mood, each one got my confidence back up. I knew it was a fluke, but damn, if I hadn't missed speaking with such ease, such confidence.

My questions lead us to a huge peice of property, surrounded by gaurds, with a huge wall and massive fences. And no sooner did we find it- the instant it came into veiw- I felt that invisible noose tighten around my throat again. I gasped and my hand went to my neck, feeling frightened now. If someone had gotten around the curse, somehow, or made it null for a bit, then-

-there was a great chance we'd just walked straight into a trap. I half-turned to alert the others, but before I could get the words out, a servent approched us and asked what we needed.

Ann nudged me, and I nudged back. She pushed me, then, and I squeaked, stepping forward. I informed the servent we'd come after being told that there was a scholar here who could read draconian. We were lead inside, after that, to a tent on the manor grounds in the middle of a small, lovely garden.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw what sat there.

Small, for one like him, about Alaric's size, with gray skin marred with red and white patches, like a patchwork quilt. Sharp teeth, sharp claws. Deadly in apperance, and also? Very draconian in apperance. As we got nearer, we could see that half of his face was very human, almost normal in apperance, but the other half.....the other half weas turning draconian, and fast, from what we could see.

Thoren was the first off the ship, moving with deadly intent towards Jasper. Alaric and I followed, though Ann stayed put with the others, face in hands. They could hear, from where they were. Thoren snagged Jasper like a hound grabs a rabbit, dragging him up off the ground by his shirt after the man claimed to know nothing. Then he shook him, a terrier with a rat, intending to break it’s neck. My hand was over my mouth, and I was torn between howling with laughter and trying to stop him. Thorin was promising to make Jasper a very unhappy person if he found out that was a lie, before dropping Jasper as though he weighed no more then myself.

Now I did start to laugh. I could hear Ann, behind me, half laughing, half gasping as well.
Then Thorin returned to us, and her laughter stopped; she backed up for every step he took forward and disappeared once more behind Meyonne. That only made me laugh harder.
We didn’t have the money to buy Farn back, not that I was entirely willing to, anyway. Ann and

I hatched a plan, that she would scout the area before anyone headed in. Thorin knew where she needed to go and would give her directions, but Alaric and Meyonne decided to start playing the Big Overprotective Males. They refused to let her go alone. Which is incredibly stupid, really; what do they think we did before they came onto the scene? Hm? Found random big, strong muscle heads to play as bodygaurds?

Men.

“It’ll be safer if I go alone.” She said, glancing at me. “I can become a cat, if it makes you feel better.”

“What I was thinking.” I agreed, and couldn’t keep the huff out of my voice. We’re not helpless, damn it!

Meyonne pointed out that there were no cats in Almoric, as if that would end the argument. He certainly sounded like he expected it to.

Ann started to argue, when Conchetta’s soft, amazed voice sounded from behind us, asking Ann if she could really become a cat. I felt a smile soften my features, half turning to her. She was so cute and wide eyed, one of the few innocent beings I had ever met. Or so it appered.


Ann didn’t look away frm Meyonne once, caught in a silent, gaze-only battle with him, stubborn elf VS stubborn monk.

“Yes. I’m a rather cute blonde tabby, actually.”

“She is kinda cute.” I spoke up, grinning crookedly. What? She is. All fluffy and long furred. I won’t lie, petting her is nice, when she lets it happen. Everyone who uses that thing pretty much turns into the same cat, with very subtle differences; for example, when Skin used it, he was skinnier. Meyonne was just a touch bigger. I’m told my fur is a little darker. But all a blonde tabby.

Meyonne was shaking his head once more.

Ann demanded to know who better to go and scout the area then herself, but Meyonne still refused to let her go alone. Alaric finally volunteered to go with her, stating they were both ‘cursed’ anyway, and no one would look at them. Ann was agreeable enough to that, and Meyonne, as well. They got directions from Thorin, and left.

When a good hour had past, we started to get fidgety, the rest of us. They’d been gone too long, and it was getting nearer our deadline. It was decided that we’d go hunting for them.
We found Alaric, who said Ann had taken off on the rooftops after an enemy. He helped us locate her, and we headed in that direction. It wasn’t long before a little blonde cat came running at us, bleeding from few wounds and growling in that pissed-off-kitty-cat way. Thorin suddenly acted, shock and fear crossing his face, and to my horror nearly cleved Ann into half-an-elf.

“Stop, Thoren, it’s Anja!” Meyonne snapped. Thorin demanded to know how he was sure, that the cat could be a spy and needed to be killed.
Kitty-Ann growled and lay her ears.

“It’s Ann, Thorin, I should know. I’ve seen her like this dozens of times, no one else looks like this! Trust me!” I added, keeping the fear out of my tone. Instead I let myself sound amused and confident. Don’t second guess me, just trust me.

Thorin nodded, and Ann returned to human form. She was hurt, alright, just as Alaric had been when we'd found him, and Meyonne crowned himself King of the Obviouse when he stated that.

Ann gave him a tired look, then told us what she'd learned after Meyonne had Alaric heal her. She wanted to go back and watch the sentries, to see where they went, and wanted me with her. Dispite everything that's happened, every new addition to our group and change made to both of us, we're still a good team, she and I. And I looked forward to working solo with her again. I agreed without hesitation and a grin, and the men were going back through the streets, entering the way she and Alaric had origonally gone.

Ann and I slipped over the roofttops, towards the men, myself in front and Ann falling behind, my deadlier shadow. We split to close in once we got close enough-

-and then I slipped.

Then vanished like spooked deer while I swore under my breath and gripped my now-aching foot, lucky only that I hadn't fallen. I shrugged helplessly at Ann when she came into veiw, and began to pick my way towards the ally Ann and Alaric had been attacked in. She fell back again.

We closed into three archers, patrolling an overpass. I crept to the edge of one of the homes onthe street, and Ann was moments behind me when she got my attention, and signelled there were men below. Five, inside the house we walked on.

Okay then. So far, eight men.

Ann motioned me to the stairs, and I nodded, doing as she wished. I stopped, though when I saw yet three more.

Eleven.

I motioned hard at Ann, who told me to keep going to the stairs, not to strike yet. I did so, cautiously, now below her.

Then a wind began to sing. It grew harder and harder, louder and louder. I stayed perfectly still and hopped it was nothing we needed to worry about.

Then, suddanly, above me, Ann's bow sang. There was a solid, meaty thunk, and the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the rooftop.

One for one, nice shot, Ann.

Then, again, the high sound of an arrow's flight, followed by a scream of pain.

"Bitch!"

You have no idea.


Again the sound of an arrow being fired, and again, the sound of a body hitting the rooftop.

Two. Get it over with, Ann, stop toying with them!

I was moving, now, coming up on my own victim with dagger in hand. Fool was too slow, too stupid, and my blade cut through him like butter, even with him watching me come.

Ann's voice, calling out from above me. Funny, how in battle we call for each other rather then the others. Instinct, maybe, from traveling alone togther for so long?

"I'm trying, keep going!" I called up, and just as I did, I hear a thud, the arrow again, and a final heavy thunk.

Three men, four arrows. Damn, girl.

I spun, jumping up to just below where Ann stood, cornered by two men. I had one more- just one more to put down before I could help her. The fucker would just not drop.

"So, this is what comes." The taller of the two drawled, looking at Ann with a disgusted leer, then letting his eyes drift to me. The man I'd been fighting had stopped, just like that.

"We recived an invitation to play." I drawled, letting a smirk curl my lips up. My blood was up, the adreinaline rushing through my veins. That cold, calm place was back, where it hadn't been for weeks, and I could feel something mildly manic in my voice and my smile.

He grinned to match my own, jerking a hand to the left. "Kill the elf, this one is mine." He snarled.

"Well, don't I feel special." I barked back, shifting my grip on my daggers. In truth, I was- sort of confused. Had my little taunt made him that angry?

He only kept grinning, and then his body was shifting, rippling, contorting and twisting and then, standing before me, was a sabertooth tiger, towering above my own height. His fangs gleamed, and his eyes sparked with dangerouse malice and intellegence, a bad combination. He was not beautiful, as Ann had been, but pure power.

And much much larger.

"Well, here, kitty kitty." I purred, dispite the fear that now battled for attention along with the adreilaline. Why on why had the pretty kitty decided he wanted me for himself? Just because I mocked him? Oh, temper temper, puss.

Above me, Ann had vanished onto the rooftops, and I could hear her yelling; Thorin and Meyonne were coming up in my perivrial vision, one holding a great axe, one with halabard. Alright, reinforcements. Let's hope Ann and I could last until they got to us.

And so we danced. I quickly found out it was a really bad thing if kitty managed to grapple me, and with sheer luck managed to break free once; then I jumped off the stairs and began trying to coax him onto ground level, which he didn't want to do. It wasn't long before Meyonne was by my side, in front of me; and we found out something very interesting.

Kitty kitty tried to bite Meyonne, and to all our of surprise-

-nothing happened. Meyonne stood, looking mildly confused and amused, and then laughed a bit. "I don't," He said, "think that did what you meant it to do."

And then we attacked.

Halfway through our suddan rush of kitty kitty, I we all stopped at the sound of voices from above us. We turned, looking up, and my heart jumped into my mouth.

Heshnel.

On his left and right were more figures, all robed and wearing white masks- one a woman, holding something I couldn't see, and the other a man, holding paper. We could hear, clearly, though we couldn't see well. A werebear (where did that come from?) told Heshnel it wasn't his fight. Confused, I glanced at Meyonne, arching a brow. He shrugged.

Hesnel said he was only there to observe, and that he had quite a bit of gold on this fight. No one, he said, was to take an agressive action on them.

Then the bear growled, and Ann yelped for Thorin. The fight was on once more. Thorin powerhoused past us and the weretiger, as if none of us were there, and charged at the bear. Heshnel was saying something else, but I couldn't catch it. Thorin's powerful yell drowned it out as his axe slammed into the bear.

Then our attention was brought back to the tiger, and what happened above I don't know.

The next thing I remember the bear was bellowing for our tiger to 'avenge him', but the tiger, huge coward he was, yelled back for the bear to 'avenge himself!'

And then he ran away. Too fast for me to even consider chasing him, and no way I could track him, not, perhaps, without Ann. So, I settled for the next best thing.

Heckling.

"Ann was a prettier one!"

Beside me, Meyone flashed me a Look, then headed up to the roof to assecess the situation. I just grinned and followed.

When we got up there, Alaric and An nwere argueing over keeping the now unconciouse were-bear alive, and bring him back on the ship. My eyebrows shot up at the suggestion, knowing that Ann's explosion was going to come any moment now.

Sure enough, the familer stubborn look came across her face and her arms folded. I know that pose very well. That is Ann's I'm done listening to anything you have to say pose. Meyonne, Thorin and I stayed quietly out of the way while Alaric and Ann bickered. Alaric had a good point; questioning the bear would have gotten us a few useful answers. And if we'd kicked his ass once, we could do it again, if he tried anything.

Ann, of course, refused to allow the bear onto her ship. She's rediculesly protective of a chunk of flying wood, as if it were alive and aware.

For all I know......maybe it is, in a way.

That is a mildly disturbing thought, and I'll let it drop now.

Alaric again snapped that we could question this fallen behemoth, if we only left him alive for a bit longer. Pushing her. Pushing the subject.

I knew what happens when she feels backed into a corner. Like a donkey, she plants her heels and throws her weight against the rope, and if you keep trying she'll bite you. You can't force or demand for Ann to move. You have to coax and coherce her.

Alaric found this out the hard way when Ann lifted her bow and plowed several arrows dead on into the bear. When she looked up and met my eyes, I realized something.

She made the oath. She always makes her oath when she feels threatened, and if she doesn't follow through on it-

-ug. She gets mopey and gloomy and is without doubt the most unpleasent and unhelpful person to be around. Ever.

I let my lips turn up into a little smile of understanding a nodded at her- that was right, anyway- and Alaric let his argument go without too much bitterness, it seemed. I glanced down at the bear's still body, not breathing, barely moving. It would stop in a few minutes, like the aftershocks to an earthquake.

What does it say about me that I've seen enough bodies die to know?

Still, this was a were-bear, not a normal human, and I couldn't help asking just to be sure if he was really dead. To my surprise, it was Hesnel that answered me, stepping forward. He said no, it wasn't, but as the body litterally melted to a steaming pile of goo before us I wondered if maybe just this once he was mistaken.

I stepped back from the goo as Hesnel continued to speak. He told us we'd won him a good amount of money, and for it, he'd see that Farn was returned to us. We hadn't won him enough for the information we wanted, though. I smirked. Again, I couldn't help but sort of like him; he certianly didn't seem all bad. And if the Were that had attacked us didn't like him, then he was okay in my book.

Ann set about checking the bodies while Hesnel made snide comments that we all ignored, then Alaric cast a spell I, by now, as used to seeing. One that lets him speak with the dead.

Creepy as all fuck, it is, but really useful sometimes.

He asked the bear why they wanted us out of the city, because apperantly they did.

Money, of course, was his driving reason. It usually is, especally in these situations. I was not really startled.

Apperantly he'd also taken a potion to change into the were-bear form, unlike my kitty. He'd changed au natural, as far as I'd noticed. They asked the bear what that potion had been.

Now, here I was a little taken aback. Because he replied, blood.

Oh, gross.

Next question was 'who gave you the- well, erm, the blood, technically, but okay.....'

And the answer made my stomach slam to my feet.

Razen Delcova.

Ah, fuck.

Seems like the people I know are smack bang in the middle of all this drama, and very few of them seem to have any decent roles.

When asked where he'd last been seen, the answer came back vauge enough. Something or someplace called 'Death Fire's Forge.' And isn't that a lovely little sounding name? Every place we go to seems to entail general unpleasentness somehow. Mostly, anyway.

I glanced at my compaions, and someone asked 'where', but there was no reply, and suddanly Hesnel was reminding us that we'd made just a little bit of a commotion and gaurds were probably rapidly coming.

I had about enough of the gaurds of Almoric for one evening, thanks all the fucking same.

It was time to go.

Hesnel melted back into the shadows, with his lackies, and I snagged Ann and Alaric. Meyonne and Thorin were already headed away from the mess, wisely. We made our way back to the ship in silence; the only speaking was rapid gestureing between Ann and I, totally voiceless conversation. You'd be surprised, I think, at how complex our little hand signals to each other can get; hell, I was surprised. I woke up knowing my name.

That's all.

There are a ton of people who know me I don't know, and things about myself I discover. Like being married, and 'dead'.


Oh, and guess what, apperantly you know this entire language composed of hand signals and guestures that only a small portion of people besides you understand.

Oh, yeah, and you can read this language to the south of here, because apperantly, you're from there.

And did I mention the group of mind-pinging not-dwarves that live in a huge underground city you apperantly frequented?

Oh, and your daddy just happens to be a necromancer and people are certianly frightened whenever his name comes up. Just to let you know, your dad might be Evil Incarnate. Have a nice day!

.....of course, what teenager wouldn't think their dad is evil incarnate?

Ah, the teenage drama.

Meanwhile, getting back to the point.

When we got back on board- past a group of solom, watchful soilders- I was immediatly attacked by Conchetta, not to my displeasure. I felt something inside me lighten as she squealed and ran over, catching her easily and looping an arm over her shoulders. I murmured to her to calm down, grinning- her exuberance was impossible not to return. She made me feel like a big sister, even though I had no idea if she was older or younger then me; she looked within a few years of my age either way, but acted much younger. So, by default, I was big sister.

We had to stay for the night-no ships, apperantly, were allowed to leave at night, a situation I would find myself becoming steadily more used to. But I'm jumping ahead. For now, we bidded our time and waited for morning. Some of us slept. Some of us couldn't. I, for one, woke absurdly early in the morning. Normally, I'm a lazy bitch, and when my life doesn't depend on waking at dawn I tend to sleep like a log until my body is good and ready to get up.

I barely slept at all, and woke only an hour or so after the sun was up. Damn it. I dragged myself into cloths and on deck, feeling gritty, crotchity, grumpy and generally bitchy. I wasn't the only one up; most of the crew was running around, of course, and Ann and Meyone stood at the railing, silent together. They don't really seem to need to speak. Conchetta's babbling brook of a voice reached me, and it sand-papered off some of my bad mood. I smiled sleepily and wandered off to find her. She'd probably be with Noman.

Lord, as if we don't have enough problems. There are so many personal love dramas in our little group it's getting to be a little rediculas. And I am the worst of it all. Except for maybe Mr. And Mrs. Obliviouse at the railing.

.....damn it, Meyone, do something to her! I want to see one mussed, slightly stunned, and well-kissed (ehehe, yeah, we'll go with 'kissed') elf!

A few minutes later, though, there was a murmur through the crew, and Ann was flashing to me that something very large was flapping right our way. Snarling, I got the other's attention and we headed that way.

Ugh, it's too early for this.

Before anyone did much of anything, a huge black raven swooped down on our ship- and when I saw huge, I mean it, like freakin' rideable- and dropped off a sack. Then without so much as a by your leave, it took off again.

Blink. Blink.

Long pause. Stare.

No one moved- I think we all kind of expected it to blow up, or rip open and spill out a stupid number of lycans. There was a note pinned on the side, though, and as far as I could tell, it didn't read haha suckers.

It did, though, read something nearly as bad. Lycanthropy.

Aw well just damn it all to hell, then.

Then the sack started to make noise.

Everyone kind of went stiff as a crew member cut Farn out; he was bound, though, with a what looked like a gold-and-white, otherwise normal, rope, and someone hadn't done a half-assed job of it. Distantly, I heard Ann telling someone to get Alaric, and then she looked at me. She was pale, and yeah, yep, that was fear in her eyes. I smiled slightly, trying to reassure her. She and I had our lycanthropy removed, Alaric would be able to do it for Farn.

I hoped. My hands went instintivly for my weapons, tight on the hilts. The look Farn was giving us wasn't at all affectionate, and I was fully prepared to stick the poor, stupid fucker like a pig if I so much as thought he was going to hurt anyone on this ship. One wrong move, one wrong twitch, and this threat would be gone.

I felt sorry for Farn. It was horrible, what had happened to him. I remembered my own curse; remembered the terror of being so out of control, of being entirely at someone else's bidding. The sick rolling of my stomach the day Ann and I had slaughtered an innocent family.

Pity aside, a threat is a threat.

I didn't take my eyes off him, not even when Conchetta and Alaric came back. I snagged the note and handed it to Alaric, who drawled about perhaps wanting Farn cured?

I gave him a disbeliving glance, even as black humor invaded my anger. I couldn't help but snicker. "We kind of need him." I replied, letting my voice stay light. It wasn't as hard as it had seemed.

Alaric met my eyes and of course agreed to try. Never once did my hands leave the hilts of my daggers.

Not once.

But it was obviouse when the humanity began to return to him; you could see it not only in his eyes, but in the way he seemed to shrink. It was as if there had been some aura making him look big and powerful, and the more Alaric worked at him the more it fadded away. Like rock being worn down over time. He slumped a little more and a little more, and as he did I felt my grip on my weapons loosening. To my surprise, I felt tired, too, as if I'd just run a marathon. I glanced at Ann, who was staring at the pair intently and didn't so much as glance over.

Then, Alaric stepped back, unwinding the rope and gathering it. My hands had fallen back to my sides by then, but they didn't go for my hilts again. I felt my fingers give an invoulentary twitch, fist loosely, but that was it. It was painfully obviouse Farn was no threat at that moment. He slumped forward and had to be caught by crew members; I heard him ask for food. His voice, normally a powerful and demanding hauty tone, was now barely any better then a croaking frog. He was speaking so low I nearly couldn't hear him, voice cracking and breaking in a million places like he'd gone back to being a teenager with his voice changing.

Then he said a word that was just totally out of my leauge.

Oracalcium.

"Ora-what now?" The words were out before I could call them back. That happens, a lot, with me.

No one designed to reply; like I said. Happens a lot with me.

Instead, we headed down to get some food into Farn and the rest of us, too. Now that the crisis had passed, my stomach was chewing at itself, and I knew I couldn't be the only one that was hungry. Farn was moving like an old man, slow and huddled over, and Ann kept sending me Looks that were both significent and full of concern. I returned them, but what did she expect me to do, right then? There was nothing to do. Comforting words would be hollow. We needed him stronger, and we needed answers. The rest would come.

Farn told us what he'd learned during his kidnapping. Razzen Delcova had been missing for a week, and the men were worried about the supplies of their 'blood'; the werebear had mentioned blood. Apperantly, this deity called Ilasureta, or 'The Cleansing Flame', was a popular subject. No one was very sure why.

We fell silent after that, everyone's eyes on plates or floor. None of wanted to breech the next topic; out of everyone here, only Ann and I were really qualified to understand what had happened to Farn. And we had very differant perceptions of it, we did.

I had just opened my mouth to speak, when it was Ann's voice, not mine, that broke the silence. She asked Farn what he'd been turned into, when he turned. He told us it was a were-tiger, like the one that Meyone and I'd gone up against. Probably the same damn one. Apperantly, he'd only bit Farn in a fit of temper tantrum. He'd gotten all pissed off about something and, like any true bully, taken it out on the weakest member of the party, the only one incapible of defending himself.

Farn also said he'd killed, in that form. Told us the weretiger had thrown a prisoner in with Farn, and our diplomate had heard a woman's voice whisper to him to feed. I think he said she'd said, you're mine now, or one of us now, or something to that effect, something creepy and bloodthirsty.

The topic was swiftly changed, then, almost too swiftly, to where we meant to go next. It was almsot decided to go straight to the Kotem, so that we didn't loose our chance. They were nomadic; they traveled often and were very hard to track. But we didn't know what to ask or do once we'd found them; kind of stupid to go there with no plan.

So, much to Noman's disgust, we decided to reverse course and head back for Molholander. It was the next obviouse place to find clues of where to go.

It was the only place we knew of, to find clues of where to go.

We dismissed ourselves, one by one. I followed Ann and Alaric, Meyonne and Farn up on deck. Ann caught my eye as I came out, her head jerking slightly towards Farn. There was something stormy and brooding in her gaze, and I felt bile rise to the back of my throat.

My Farn's curse was lifted, but from the look she was giving me, he was certianly not all better.

My firast instinct was to move forward, but Ann cut me off sharply.

"No!" She snapped. "I might be infected."

I snarled, a surge of frustrated helplessness swarming me.

"I thought this Delcova shit was done!" I heard myself snap. Ann just watched me with that irritating calm she manages at times like this, that calm that makes me feel about five years old.


The area affected wasn't huge, but it was large enough, and I was careful to avoid it was we waited for the others. Meyonne reappered at last, followed by a random elf and Alaric. Bleary eyed through he was, he sobered up swiftly, and cast a spell on Ann after having her wash clean. He claimed the spell would remove all curses and illnesses.

I guess it worked, or well enough.

He also took care of the small mound of flesh and blood; we could see the result of that one. When he finished chanting, the mound looked like normal flesh again, not inflamed, angry flesh.

Well, as normal as a pile of human remains can look. We scoured the deck and everything touched. When it was certian all was safe, Alaric burned and we dumped the remains.

And the whole time, Jasper watched us. Ann brought my attention to that little fact with a subtle motion, and it got Alaric and Meyonne's attention, as well. I come forward, smirking and leaning on the railing.

"You lookin' for something?" I asked, in no mood to play games.

He wanted to know what happened, and suddanly there was Alaric, beside me, grinning that manic grin.

"Nothing a little cleansing flame couldn't handle." He said.

Fucking pyro.

Jasper wanted to know if they should be concerned, and Alaric merly repeated himself.

Jasper looked nervouse and backed away. Wisely, if you take a moment to consider it.

Then Alaric glanced at me. "He might know something more." He said, and scuttled off. Ann began to mutter instantly, and I just shrugged, following the cleric.


Alaric got Jasper's attention, and asked if he knew the man who'd come aboard the ship. Jasper's grin was a shit-eating as they came.

"I do." He said, and when Alaric reached into his purse, Jasper held out a hand and flipped his board over. It read, 'To keep everything you told me a secret-100g'

"He paied his fee." Jasper said, and I felt my teeth grind. Alaric looked dissapointed, and Jasper grinned again. "But...." He drawled, and turned the sign once more.

'To have me break my word and tell you everything- 1,000g'

My jaw hit the ground.

Alaric grinned.

Ann, behind me, said only one word.

"No."


Jasper told us we could try other questions, and trying to keep the peace, I suggested we do that. I reached into my purse, withdrawing a single, very special coin. I handed it to Jasper, who instantly flinched back.

He told me he wouldn't take Almoric coin. I grinned my most innocent grin and told him it was all I had.

"I saw where you got that." He snapped, and my grin turned guilty. Indeed, it was the dead man's money.

Hey, it'd been Alaric's idea. Don't look at me that way.

We got a few answrs frm Jasper, but mostly hit dead ends; through we did get that the man had arrived on a Citadel ship. The shi[s activies weren't looked upon well here, and there'd been clergy on the ship; and that no one cold give a proper description of the thing.

Wonderful the Citadel was involved somehow. That made things needlessly complicated.

We thanked Jasper, and headed back to our own ship. We were all in brooding silence, until Alaric at last glanced at us. He asked if we needed anything else. We said no, at least now, and he nodded. He informed us, with that, that he was going to bed. He wanted waking when everyone else came back, and with that, took his big, hung over self back below. We explained, as best as we could, to Meyonne what had happened in the Citadel, but this wasn't the same. Similar, but- differant, too.

But Ann and I both imagined that the same bloodline was behind it.

I could tell Ann was frustrated and angry; her entire body screamed it. She was stiff and tense, her arms crossed, unable to stay still. I, though, was neither, anymore. I was just- resigned. We'd known that nothing was over, should have known we'd see blacklash from the Delcovas, after everything they'd done.

This was just one more hurtle to be overcome, if we could.


I left Ann to her brooding, heading below myself to cool down and just rest. Someone got me when Farn came back; he told us he was going to clean up and wait for the others. Conchetta came back next, and Ann told her to do the same.

Then Noman. I was flying below before he even got to the ship, ready to gather the others. However, I was informed that Noman wanted to talk to us; Alaric, Meyonne, Ann, myself- alone before we got everyone else together. There was an edge to his eyes and voice I did not like, and Ann sent the other hirelings out of the room none too gently. She didn't like the way Noman was behaving, either, then. We settled around the table once they'd dispersed, and then Noman began, eyes flashing with anger. He told us that if we expected to keep him on, he wanted a pay raise, and enchanted items. He also wanted a weapon.

I felt rather then saw the danger enter Ann. Noman was treading very thin ice with her, and if he knew what was best for him he would shut up. Very few people can speak like that to Ann and get away with it. Noman is not one of them. He hadn't earned that, yet. Little fool was still only a hired hand.

I spoke before Ann could rip him a new asshole, though I was pretty annoyed myself. You want something from me, you ask, you don't fucking tell me, not when I hired you and we're miles from your home and I can dump your happy little ass right here and fucking forget about paying you at all.

I took a breath, and simply asked why that would all be nessicary, reminding him that we had an agreement.

And he told me that he hadn't agreed to go up against deities. His words pretty much shut us right the fuck up, because what do you say to that?

Especally when it's true?

"What do you mean?" I asked, feining innocence, struggling to keep my voice even. Noman informed us that he wanted us to agree to the terms first. I looked at Alaric and Ann, knowing how easily Toby's ilk could get involved; we just hadn't expected it. Alaric said, softly, that it was our gold, meaning Ann's and mine. His too, now, I wanted to say; he was, is, a part of us, now.

I pulled in a deep breath, and flashed quick hand signals back and forth with Ann. She didn't want to loose Noman, feeling he would be useful, and he did need appropriate gear. I left the final choice up to her, and she agreed to his terms.

Fine with me; but damn if my hackles weren't up at his tone and attitude.

Still, I continued to do the talking, and then Noman explained himself. Covan'd arrived sixteen days ago, and left three days ago, as we'd been told, to go to volcanic activity where the Stygyn Preistess was meant to live. She's this six armed woma who has a snake's body, and supposedly is from the 'Great War', and eats enchanted items. Only old ones, though. Supposedly, her little minions can smell magic. Enchantments.

Supposedly, Covan had purchases at was supposedly plagued. Five men had died in their prime, aged prematurely, after Coven took off. The place they'd died was belived, now, to be cursed. I looked at Ann and Meyonne, who were clearly sharing my thought- after the South, we were in no grand hurry to deal with more curses.

Alaric, between us, was silent and considering, as he always is. Quiet fell.

Well, go on, diplomat, be dipolmatic! Snapped a little voice in my head, and I forced a smile and thanked Noman, telling him we'd get to work on his needed things straight off. He smiled back, though it lacked real warmth, and suddanly Ann spoke up. She told him he'd get the armor that night. I glanced at her, as did our Cleric, our brows raised. Ann told Noman to bring in Conchetta and Farn. Noman nodded and left. I asked her how she planned to get this armor, and Ann told me she had leather armor she couldn't wear. She'd just give it to him; it'd save us money.

I hope that was just Ann using good commen sense and not Alaric's misery-ness rubbing off on her.

Speak of the man, he was laughing, softly, at her words.

The others came back in then, and Farn started us off. He told us Almoric had been without a ruler for one hundered some odd years, because the tribes couldn't agree on one. There is a task said to be made by dragons, the same thing Mr. Axe was going for, to crown oneself leader, but you must first pass seventeen-seventeen-challanges. The people's deitey was called Kordash, who stood for power and mental sharpness; this horrible, dry desert had once been beautiful, huge forests, too. Caladishar was another being worshiped here- the Huntress. The Tigress. He told us about the differant traits of each tribe; the Norran, a people who were of the great Forge Smith, the Stygyn with their preistess, the Archists, who were magical, a great deal considered shaman, and the Kotem, who intregied me, with a Bardic mindset and lifestyle. They were the most nomadic of the tribes. There were also two more unnamed deities; two more deities known only as he who brings the storms, and she who brings the winds.

Farn excused himself, and Conchetta slipped onto a bench alone, head down. Stammering, stuttering, she informed us that she'd gotten no information. She looked so embaressed, so ashamed, that I assured her it was alright. She didn't take my assurances, and when I was about to go on, Ann's hard voice from my right said, 'Then you will try harder tomarrow'.

I flinched. Oh, Ann, it must be so wonderful to be without flaw. Conchetta stammered a bit more, then promised that she would before fleeing.

"Ann, I told you to be nice!" I snarled. She was just a kid, fiarly unexperianced and skittish.

Ann just gave me a look, then fell into discussing plans of action. He called our hirlings back in, and found that Noman wanted to take Conchetta when we told him we were interesed in finding the Kotom. We agreed he could, and sent Farn to find out about local tribal customes. Again, they got gold for what they must do. Then we settled in to eat, deciding that the rest of us would look into the five dead men. The hard part, right?

In the morning, we headed out to do just that.

Within a few minutes we found ourselves where we needed to be, at a burned house at the end of a very narrow allyway. There were sentienls gaurding the bridges to it, watching us like gaurddogs. And at the burned and smoldering home, a figure knelt before a candle, a great axe that could cleave me in two without effot was laying carelessly in the dirt beside him. A beautiful weapon, but meant for someone big. Very big.

Turned out that he was.

He was muttering prayers as we drew near, and sounded like he'd been at it for a pretty good time; for as long as the candle was burning, it seemed. And the candle had a good way left to burn yet.

We didn't have that kind of time.

The figure did not look up as we drew up, but his hand drifted to his weapon, lazy and laconic. That's the most dangerouse kind of move, that is; like a big cat lazily showing you his teeth. He's not smiling at you, that's for damn sure.



We all paused, and then Ann's hands in the small of my back, shoving me forward. I twisted around and pushed her, instead, and she dodged me with even more skill then I possesed and pushed me up once more. Grinning despite myself at our childish game of you first, I stepped forward- then reached out to snag Ann's wrist. She snarled a curse, then asked the figure to excuse us, please.

He stopped and looked up. He was huge, larger then Meyonne, bigger then nearly anyone I'd ever seen. He even dwarved Talron and Alaric, and they're not small, either of them. He was powerful, all rippling muscle and sun worn, browned skin. His eyes, though, were not stupid; we weren't looking at a musclebound lunkhead. Intellegence and curiosity, personality and a firey temper sparked in his eyes, which were brown, like his weather tousled hair. No cruelty, though, and no melevolence. His hand not on the weapon's hilt rested on his knees, and in front of his lay material, sandish colored.

"We were wondering what happened here." Ann went on softly, and his gaze instantly dulled. He looked away from us. Ann told him she didn't mean dissrepect, and that we were looking for the tailor's shop.

He told us, in that raw, broken voice, that we'd found it. It was a very deep voice, gruff. we asked him what happened, and he said only what he'd been told. When asked if he knew one of the men, he informed us one had been his uncle. Ann smiled, and introduced herself; proper name, too. He told us his name was Thorin, and explained that this had happened early morning time. All the men who'd died had been a part of a clothcraft guild. They'd been commisioned to make something for a specific group of men, and they'd all specialized in one thing in the process. They'd made the worst mistake of their lives when they'd said yes.

Barely days later, they'd all been dead.

His uncle, Thorin went on, had also sold them an emblem he'd won gambling in Molholender days ago. We asked him where he'd been for this, and found he'd been outside, fighting dark elves.

We all stopped, glancing at each other. So, he disliked drow, hu? That gave him points in my book. He'd been fighting them for over four years. The contempt, the pride, the anger, the disgust in his voice; it allrang very clear.

Then Ann asked him if he was the only one mourning the dead men. He was; he was also the only one to not belive they had been cursed. No one else would try and offer his uncle's spirit rest, so he'd come to do it himself.

My heart sank a little. Poor big guy; loosing family was hard enough, but this on top of it? and with no one else even mourning with him?

I resisted the inane urdge to pat his head.

Then Ann spoke once more. She told him we didn't belive his uncle was, either, or any of the others.....they'd been killed to-

and that's as far as she got. He roared a What!? And leapt up in one smooth bound, like any good preditor. He hovered over us all, towering even above Meyonne- and suddanly, Ann was diving behind Meyonne like a frightened mouse.

I sent her a surprised glance, then turned my attenion back on the man before us. He was storming like an angry bull, but in those expressive eyes I could see more the anger; there was hurt, and confusion, sorrow and frustration there, too. Yes, he was big and intimidating. Yes, he could squish me like a tick, if he'd wanted to.

But he didn't want to. Like anyone who'd lost a loved one, he only wanted revenge. Closure. Answers. Peace.

I began to speak. I let my words stay even and slow, soft and steady, like one would talk to a feral dog. My words were empty plaitudes, sincere but ultimatly meaningless; it wasn't what I was saying that mattered. I needed Ann to calm down, and I needed Thorin to focuse. And it was working; the more I spoke, choosing my words carefully and keeping my tone even, the more he calmed.

Once I fucked up, causing him to blow his lid again; Ann once more ducked, squeaking, behind Meyonne. I forced myself to stay calm, forced myself to see the human hurting in his eyes rather then the rage and really, really large axe he held.

Beside me, I noted, Alaric was calm, too, unaffected by the raging beast. He stayed steady at my shoulder, ready should anything happen but unflinching. I took comfort in that, in his solid pressance. I explained to him that we didn't know his uncle's killers or where to find them, no, please stop shouting, big, big barbian, but we're tracking them. Please stop scaring the elf now, we need her.

When I looked over, even Meyonne was tense and backed away from us a step or two, Ann pressed into his back and shaking like a leaf. Why were they so scared of him? He had no desire to hurt us; not unless we gave him a reason.

He accepted my words and started to calm, describing the emblem sold by his uncle. He didn't know much, besides the size and the draconic writing around the edges. Alaric and I thanked him, and he began his prayers once more, easing back down. He moved away, leaving him to it. Meyonne had scooted Ann around in front of him, and stayed pressed right to her back, like an alpha wolf guiding a mate away from threat or danger. He seemed really fucking spooked out, and so did she.

I feel even with them, unable to help teasing. "You're not scared of him, are you, Anja?" I asks, and to my surprise, it was Meyonne who spoke, telling me that man could intemidate stone.

I shrugged, and went on about walking forward. He was just a man who could physically hurt you. There's nothing all that scary about that. Physical damage is just that; you can fight back or run, you can avoid it, it's upfront and clear. If someone wants to slap you, the worst that will happen is you get slapped.

Thorin didn't scare me. People like Ann's daddy, people like Kaedwyn Monsay, they frighten me.

The sentries still watched us as we came back, and when we got to the end, Ann halted abruptly. Meyonne nearly ran her over. He said her name questiongly, and the rest of us stopped, too. She asked why we hadn't examined the remains, and the idiot moment hit me so strongly I nearly whapped myself in the forehead. Alaric said he couldn't talk to any dead, there were none left to speak with; but Ann said that's not what she meant. I asked what, and she said the lycan may have left evidence.

Once again, idiot moment.

It was decided Alaric would go in first, then Ann. Then we headed back.

Thorin watched us come back, and had no problem with us inspecting the house; though he did tell us if we stepped past the ash we'd be considered pretty much invisible to everyone in town. Or if they did speask to us, it would only be to rip us off.

Look at how much we care.

Alaric vanished into the house, then came out perhaps ten minutes later, semi-victoriouse. He said there was one area with a magical aura, nothing more. Thorin wanted to know what that meant, and Alaric explained something with magic was inside the house. He asked if Thorin knew of anything in the house that was? Thorin didn't. He didn, though, know where the dragon item was kept, and told us. Surprised surprise, that was the magic item. Apperantly, the uncle didn't know that. He demanded to know if that was why his uncle was killed, and the only answer we could give sounded weak, even to myself. We just don't know now. Alaric asked when the man had gotten it, and was told about two years ago. Alaric said that wasn't right, didn't quiet match up.

Ann's turn.

She informed us she was planning on searching the house, in case anything was left behind. As she went in, I heard her mutter about no one liking her much anyway, and I had to shake my head. Silly elf, she never made much of an attempt, did she? But that's alright, the people who mattered liked her just fine. Thorin, to my surprise, asked Ann if she said that because she was an elf. She paused in surprised, then smirked.

"Call it a problem in translation." She said, and vanished inside.

A good stretch of time later, the pair, Alaric and Ann, came out again. They told us what they'd found inside; glass shards that had taken years off Ann's life just by touching them (heh, and I already tease her about being old!) and the magical residue of the dragon peice.

Thorin asked what this meant, and Alaric told him it meant this had been planned out. Murder. He told us there was a man in the city who might help; Thorin called him 'Heshnel'. He spit it like you would a nasty tasting something you'd bitten into. He told us this Hesnel was a trained alchemist, and finding him quietly would be best.

We thanked him once more and said farewell. So did Thorin, asking us that if we found his uncle's killers to let him know. We agreed, and as we headed off, Ann suddanly spoke from behind us.

To my great surprise and pleasure, she asked Thorin if he would like to travel with us. He stopped his chanting yet again and regarded us for a bit. Then he nodded as Ann spoke to him in quiet, low tones, before pushing upright. We waited, and after a long moment, he pinched out the candle and rose.

Agreeing to come with us.

I felt myself grinning and heard Alaric chuckle to my left. "Where to?" He asked.


We decided that Ann and I were to split up to look for our newfound lead. Alaric and Thorin were coming with me, and we'd go near the tents of food and drink. Meyonn and Ann headed back towards the gambling area. We'd meet back at the airship before nightfall.

I found a private corner, when I could, and glamoured my armor, for the second time in it's life, too look rather like a loose woman's outfit. My breasts, what little of them there were, were fairly revealed, and my legs- what little of them there were- flashed through a slit in my skirt, a hint of bare flesh every other movment. I began to pass myself off as a woman looking to be rid of my husband. I got the gaurd's attention, but I also got the attention of the men I needed. Alaric and Thorin had abandoned me to look at shiney weapons, and I felt that if I pushed getting one of them, I'd loose my chance. So I took a deep breath and followed this man, alone.

He took me to a huge building, in an ally, where he tapped out a code on the door and let me in. There was a bodygaurd inside the hall, a cocky, arrogent man who kept one hand behind his back, and when at last I got him to back off,I met Heshnel himself.

Oddly, I found myself liking the man. Well, not liking ,exactly, bt there was something to Heshnel that made it impossible to hate him. Not honor, that's not the right word, but.....something. He wanted five thousand gold for information or my daggers as collateral, and I refused to give him both. So he said he'd let me walk out.

Which he did let me do. His goon tried to stop me, though, and got the upper hand on me. I screamed like a banshee, and to my surprise, Alaric and Thorin came bursting in to my rescue.

When we returned to the ship, I began to explain what had happened after Ann told us that she and Meyonne hadn't seen hide or hair of Heshnel- well no shit, friends. I wonder why that is.

I expalined what had happened, and none too happily, either. I felt grumpy and irritable, like I had failed- someone. Not myself exactly, and not the others, but- I felt like we could have done something I hadn't. Like I should have pushed things I didn't.

About halfway through my tail, another man approched the ship saying that he'd a note for us. A note that said, very simply, that Farn had been taken.

Kidnapped.

And they wanted a thousand gold to get him back.

Son of a bitch.

noAnd scolded very throughly we were. Of course, it was about half as much trouble as I expected we would be in. We got the general 'why would you disobey' and 'what did you think you were doing' speech, but our defenses were solid and steadfast. We were told we were to be fined, and we were lucky that was all. We didn't see Wereboy the rest of the way to the keep, and frankly, I was a little curiouse as to where he'd gotten off to- what had been done with him. But it wasn't my place to ask. We made the journey without incident and were brought to Helix Mandrel, who informed us that we probably had good reason for doing what we'd done. He said he didn't like it, but we weren't going to be fined.

This rather noticably irritated Kaedwyn.

We asked if we might talk to him in private and, with some grudging reluncatance, were granted an audienace with him. From this point, we explained to him about Toby, and the importance of what we were attempting to do. But rather then get answers, we got sent on a rescue mission. We were to go and find a man named Delmont Coven, who had been a spy for the citadel, infiltrating the were who had gone East (?) and apperantly had something to do with the 'feast' we'd heard our own group of Were prattling on about. We got a sketched image and an idea of where the man might be, some general rules of where we were headed (what to and not to do)and an idea of what he'd been doing there. We were also told to say 'Toby', if he needed to be sure that we were allies.

So it was back to Befrengard for us, once more, to prepare.

Um, that was, after I requested a message sent to Talron. What? We were in the Citadel, anyway, and I couldn't get in there and see him.....

.....and even if it was stupid, and I was just some dumb little kid with a crush, I wanted him to know I was, you know, I duno. Thinking about him and stuff, I guess. I mean, completly embaressing and childish, and I'm sure he had more important things to do; but still.

Fuck it, I miss him, if we're getting right on down to it.

Also, before we left the Citadel, we picked up a few people, too; we meant to get one hireling to go with us on this trip, someone who knew something about where we headed. But when we got the adress of where to go- from our pecular tall man and his Mogli-it wasn't anything like what we expected. They told us an adress that went to a tiny little run down building in a run down part of the Citadel, and there we were pounced on like fresh meat.

Which, I guess, in a way made sense.

We told the woman who obviously was in charge what we were looking for, and she vanished for a while, just to come back with, as I said, three people. Two seemed young, not much older then myself, and one older. There names were Conchetta, Noman, and Fairn. Conchetta I fell in love with just instantly; she was intellegent but excitable, taking everything with a wide-eyed excitment and innocence that charmed me.

Noman was knowledgeable in areas that she was not, not to mention much calmer. He seemed tolerant of her, and respectful towards us.

Two candidates, two hits. Ann and I glanced at each other. (Alaric was off trying to earn some money. I've no idea what he was doing, but from his grumpy attitude after it couldn't have been pleasent. Of course, I'm also learning that Alaric just generally seems to have grumpy as his default mood.

The last man was Fairn, and I disliked him instantly. Something about him just shot my hackles to the sky. He was a diplomat like I could only dream of being, a man who was intellegent and smooth talking. He did not fight, he did not get his hands dirty. He came across as slimy and untrustworthy.

Still, he knew his shit, and brother, could we use someone like him.

We informed the woman running this busieness that we'd like to hire all three of them, which caused some unnessicary melodrama- and one very near heart attack, I think, as if no one ever expected such a thing to occur. After we handled one foot in the mouth incident by Ann, and an obviouse lie regarding his loyalty by Farn, we got our three hirlings and went to fetch Alaric.

We loaded back up on the ship, all of us, and moved out to Befrengaurd. I'm afraid I got my facts wrong with my last entry; now is when we ran into the bell, the dead body, etc, etc. Now is when we picked up the werespy and ran into the swamp incident.

I got confused before, I guess.

The end result is the same; we dropped off those that needed to be dropped off, got our butts scolded, picked up any comers, and headed to complete our mission a day or so later. (Conchetta was charmingly thrilled at the idea of boarding a ship swarming with elves; I could only smile indulgantly. She was like a child; so enthusiastic and eager to please. Ann muttered about 'what does she think I am' in a vaugly grumpy, amused way at my shoulder, prompting me to tell her to be nice. One elf is very differant from a group of elves, particuarly on an airship.)


We had lunch, and our hirlings gave us a small amount of the information we'd been after; the land we headed towards, it's people, races, ways, weather, anything. It wasn't a pleasent land....though I can honestly say now that I've been to the South I've been to worse. The weather here, though, was erractic and unpredictable, and the land so unwelcoming that one did not travel by foot, from what I gathered, if you could help it.

I suppose I'm getting used to elvish (or Ann-ish) humor, because her joke about everyone knowing how to swim in the event of a flash flood made only myself and Alaric snort with amusment. Conchetta, bless her heart, looked adorably confused and corrected her. Ann told her it was a joke, and Alaric met my eyes. I giggled and he flopped back on the wall, smirking.

"Elves." I intoned, as I usually do- and this time, his deep, gruff voice joined in. I only grinned, pleased. Looks like I have a partner in crime.

Conchetta got all embaressed, like the cutie she is, causing more amusment. But the nthe mood sobered as we got down to business. We told them about Delmont Covan, about his undercover mission with the Were, to stop or find out more about this 'feast'.

Instanta-panic.

All of our hirelings looked uncomfortable and alarmed, though it was Conchetta who spoke first. She thought we wanted to hunt the werewolves. Ann ungently corrected her ( yet again, a hissed 'be nice, Ann!' that went ignored.)

She went on as we passed around the scroll with Delmont's likeness on it, and we began to plot and discuss.

We were also told, in the course of this conversation, about a band of pirates that ran rampent in the skies around the areas we were headed to.

Of course there are pirates. What good story would be complete without them?

We were told that fighting would be- well, um, frankly, suicidal. Avoid them or run away, those were the best choices.

But Ann and I-we glanced at each other, both thinking similar, bleak thoughts.

We knew a barbarian who, not all that recently, had come into a rather large sum of money. He was looking for his brother, and he would, quiet likely, stop at little to get him back.

Darren.

I'd only met him once, and I don't think I'd ever met Jax,his brother. But when I'd seen Darren, he'd been a big, warm man, who'd greeted Ann like a brother. Barbian type yes, but also seemingly as gentle as a kitten.

Of course, loosing one's brother thanks to a certian wizard's foolishness is enough to turn anyone around. And the brothers were devoted to each other, from what Ann tells me; or at least, he was devoted to Jax.

Still.

We head onwards to a town called Almoric, the last known location of our querry, and then a town nearby called Molholander. We were then going to try and follow leads from that point, find out more about what might make a good 'feast' for Were here. We went thrugh and counted out a few animals, before landing on Mastadon. A huge animal- rather disturbingly huge, if you ask me, horses are fricken' big enough- with tusks big enough to gut you without them realizing they'd even done it. Powerful son of a bitch, too, and it took three people minimum to guide and rise this thing.

But how the fuck would they transport this behemoth?

I had the feeling this would not be as simple as we'd hoped. Of course, as I like to say, nothing ever is. But there had been the minisule hope.....dashed the moment the discrption of this thing hit my ears.

We split up after that, all of us retreating to prepare or brood in silent, considering thought. Ann hung about on deck, Alaric vanished below, Conchetta wandered off to plan, and I saw the others ocassionally. I stayed up top, too; it was too pretty to hang around down below. I've been on the ship before, but before that, as far as I know at least, I've never flown anywhere before. No matter how many times I've gotten to ride in the airship, I can't get over how pretty everything is from way up, and how oddly freeing it is to be above the world.

Strangly enough, my thoughts were more on the pirate situation then anything else. I was actually hoping to see this ship, just on the weird, odd off chance that it would be our boy. That he'd come here and start taking down other airships concerned me. He didn't seem the type. It would mean something very wrong.

It made me curiouse.

We didn't see it, though, and that evening we got to the border. Everyone came up, then, to watch as we crossed this.....this huge crevas in the eath, like a really big line had been drawn to seperate us from them. There was a town right on the edge, and another inside the gaping wound, oddly enough. There was a bridge, and giant monoliths, rising feet into the air. They were carved as people, and I wondered who they were intended to be. (Or if I wanted to know, because really, usually finding the answer to these questions meant getting in deep water.) But they were carved with hands out in front of them, like they were blocking something. Or maybe warning something away.

Yeah, you try going through what we have. You'd start thinking dark thoughts like that, too.



And then, the green, viberant land we'd been soaring over changed. On the other side, it was stripped. It looked like the other side of the crevass had been baked for too long. It got hot and it got hot fast as we approched, even as we went up, up, into the sky as high as we could go. There was just.....nothing there. It was an eery sight, and it made the land look flatter and bigger then I'd ever seen. We were all oddly somber as we crossed, looking at the massive expanse of nothingness. Had this land always been like this? Who would want to live here?

And motherfuck, it was hot.

Still, it was soon enough time for bed, so to bed we went, in a hot night, in our hot ship.

And woke up, hot.

In a hot morning.

I was going to get tired of this real fast.

Noman offered everyone cool clothing meant for this environment, but I am both stubborn and stupidly attached to my armor, which I glamoured to make look like the cooler clothing everyone else wore. Simply to avoid notice.....changing it to look right didn't help the heat any.

Altering my armour caught Noman's attention, for certian. But I assured him, for the moment, it was nothing he needed to know about. Nothing that would involve him. For the love of all that is good, I hoped I wasn't lying.

I got my mind off the heat by watching Meyonne try to adjust to something more then a freakin' loincloth, which was just about all he ever went in. It was adorable, and I could barely resist teasing.

We spent the morning peacefully, uneventfully.

Until a ship was spotted in the distance.

Ann, the Captian, and Farn confired for a bit while the rest of us kept a distance and watched, cautiouse and ready. Then Ann signaled me and I nabbed Alaric, who got Noman and Conchetta. We were all stiff and ready for a fight, like a pack of dogs confronting a stranger in their territory. It was only a few minutes before the ship came close; Gnomish, from what I was told, and with a white flag up. We all realxed, just a bit.

It was an odd, awkward little huddle; easily eight of us, there. Meyone and I, Ann, Alaric, Noman, Farn, Conchetta, the captian, a few others.....but those eight more up front, protective and alert. The ship was bigger then ours, and armed. It had unfamiler markings on it, but Ann seemed to know them- she was smiling slightly.

Then the Captian appered on deck, another Gnome behind him. He spoke Gnomish, straight off, and Farn translted for those of us who couldn't understand; then he switched from Gnomish to Common, and things got much easier. Plesentries, at first; then a warning when he found where we wanted to go, about the same pirate we'd heard of before. He called himself the Obsidian Axe, and apperantly Mr. Axe was so bad that Almoric and one other had hired five warships like this one to keep an eye out for him.

My stomach sank, and I met Ann's eyes. Sometimes, we don't even need our fondly dubbed 'rogue speak'. Sometimes, we just understand each other. And the thought between us was pretty obviouse. Taking a breath, already knowing the answer, I asked why we needed to be so careful of Mr. Axe.

Because no one who's seen him had lived. Not one, not one had gotten away. Destory the ship, kill the crew or make them slaves.

Darren? Big, gentle Darren couldn't be doing this. Could he? The man who had so warmly greeted us, whohad lifted Ann in a hug so violent she'd cleared the ground?

What have we done?

Alaric snapped that we wouldn't be taken without a fight, but Ann and I met gazes again, quietly. We knew. This was not a warship.....this ship is meant for speed. Speed alone. It could outrun lots of things. If we met something we couldn't, likely chances we got fucked.

The little Gnome went on; Mr. Axe was apperantly trying to get control of the four differant tribes here and not entirely failing; he had to go through these incredibly hard trials and he was getting them done, if slowly. Steadily. The tribes weren't happy about this-apperantly because Mr. Axe was an outsider, and they didn't like that he was trying to gain control over 'em- and that's why they'd hired the Gnomes.

And then they left.

We split up again, all but the 'main force' of us; Ann, Alaric, myself, Meyone. We gathered in a loose circle near the railing, watching the ship dissaper, slowly. I felt Ann's eyes on me, waiting for me to ask the question. So ask it I did, even though I knew the answer.

"D'you really think-"

She asked me what else I thought eighty thousand gold might buy.

Oh, yeah. He has that, by the way. Darren, I mean, has eighty thousand gold.

Ours.

That prompted me to fume about killing rages and then add how he'd seemed so nice. I knew completly well being nice had nothing to do with it, and Ann knew I did. The look she gave me told me so. You're not stupid so stop acting like it, that look said. She told me that he'd do anything for his brother, that Jax was very close to him. He was devoted to that man.

And we'd gotten him kidnapped. Probably worse then dead or wishing he was dead, by now.

Okay, so, to be more proper, Lim fucking Dul had gotten him kidnapped, but then I ain't pointing fingers, right?


Alaric perked an ear and an eyebrow at our conversation, wanting to know if we knew Mr. Axe personally. Ann said no, we knew who he might be. I quipped, just to be difficult, that he'd stolen from us. Ann archedly told me she looked on it as an investment.

Only a snort came back at that. I wouldn't dignify it with anything else.

Investment.

Then Alaric wanted to know if maybe we could get his help, if it was who we thought it was. I felt both Ann and I stiffen and glance at each other; our thoughts weren't in sync, but very similar. I was worried that we'd be prooven wrong- we'd get to Mr. Axe's ship and find it wasn't Darren but someone else. Someone viciouse and quite willing to kill us and destory Ann's beautiful ship.

Ann, from what she said after a beat or two of silence, was more worried that it was who we assumed. She said she didn't belive anything could stop him, if it was Darren searching for his brother. She wasn't sure, even, if her friendship with him meant anything to him anymore.

She looked very sad when she said that, and I went back to peering over the railing, and tried to change the subject. Talking about friends lost isn't easy. I worked; I managed to steer the conversation away from Mr. Axe and Darren, and soon Ann rejoined the talk.

We got below decks a bit later to deal with our hirlings; sending Farn out for information on the belifes and customes of the four tribes, Noman to ask about the people we were after and local tribes. Conchetta was to see what all else she could find out on Mr. Axe. Then Ann gave them coin when they held out begging hands, and was going to leave us to go above.

But then we were all told to come up. Another ship, according to the translation, had been spotted. A darwven warship, to be exact.

We all glanced at each other, and then Alaric's manic laughter reached my ears, making me grin. He crowed about fire cleansing their souls, to let them come, and I laughed despite myself. Oh, he was going to be fun, I could tell already. I could see why Talron had befriended him the more time I spent around him, that was for certian-sure. He was the absolute, perfect opposite of my Talron, and yet in others ways very much like him. I wondered how much trouble those two could find, if you gave them a chance to do it.

Ann gave him a slightly alarmed glance- like she had any right to act spooked by our fire-happy cleric, she's as crazy as he is- and said 'no' rather sharply. Still smirking, I moved up beside her anyway in quiet support and to wait for her decision. Here, Ann is in charge, even of us.

And then it came. We could all see this massive thing, this airship that made ours look tiny and delicate by comparison. Mr. Axe's self-chosen name was printed very clearly on the side, and I felt some little part of me curl into a ball and begin to whimper.

Another part of me leapt with excitment. My heart raced, my hands fisted on the hilts of my daggers. Ann was speaking to the captian, and suddanly we accelerated. I had to let my hand drift from my side to grip the railing with the suddan speed, and I watched Ann watch Mr. Axe's ship grow smaller in the distance. We were low, under him, and apperantly hadn't been seen; or if we had been, for whatever reason, he'd ignored us.

Now the whimpering part of me came to the fore, and I felt my heart race with something other the excitment; fear. If we'd been caught-

my hands were shaking with the combination of my emotions. I was shaking with it, all over. I felt Ann watching me again, and when I turned I saw the uncertainty in her face. I knew it was my job to make that vanish, so I asked the question that hung in the air.

"D'you think- we should have tried? To talk to them, I mean."

And sure enough, the tension vanished and so did the uncertainty. She told me that would have only one result and she wasn't going to think about it.

I decided I'd rather not, either. I gave her a nod, and we watched the sky silently until Almoric came into veiw.

It was not a pretty city. Dark, rough, with this ultimatly unfinished look to it, as if someone had started building it and gotten bored partway through. It was a dark and shadowy place, though I admit; I think part of the reason why it looked so ominus and frightening was that it was unfamiler. Our uncertianty of what was to come, our lack of knowledge on the city and it's people, the fact of what we were here for, the weight of what we had to do; it all combined to make Almoric look more intimidating then I think it normally might.

We glided into the dock near some other ships- all Gnomish, I think, because they looked like the one we'd met- and the Captian, and Farn went to deal with the dockmaster. Conchetta and Ann were off to one side, talking softly. Meyonne was only a few steps behind, Ann's always loyal companion. I was flanked by Alaric, a quiet and deadly shadow at my back that I was only just now getting used to having.It made me self conciouse, having him there; I wanted to proove to him that I was capible and competent. Not just some stupid little whelp with a crush, but someone worthy of a man like Talron.

Even if I am just some stupid little whelp with a crush.

At the same time, it was nice, having his bulk at my back.

Farn and the Captian came back to us, seemingly irritated at something; but again, I couldn't understand their conversation. I waited paitently with the others until they were done speaking, both clearly aggitated now; and then our hirelings took their leave. They slipped off the ship with a promise to be back here, all together, at a certian time. As I watched them slip off, I found myself biting my lip, fingers dancing over the cool metal of the ring at my neck. Nervouse habit.

Hopefully, those three would be careful and smart. Us, I didn't worry about; we could protect ourselves.

That bunch, though- I wasn't so sure about.

The rest of us stepped onto earth a few moments later, and no sooner had we touched it then did we notice a strange little man leaning on a wall. He wore a large sign around his neck, and as we read it, we glanced at each other in amused amazment. Ann looked exapserated and had that look on her face that always, always meant she was thinking 'humans', even if she didn't say it; Alaric was grinning in a stupid, slightly disbeliving manner, Meyone looked blank and considering as always, and I just knew I was grinning, trying very hard not to giggle. The sign read: Information, one gold- People, three gold-Places, five gold, Illegal Actitives-One billion gold. It wasn't spelled out, of course, and that made it all the funnier, to see that suddan influx of zeros.

And now Alaric was marching right on up to him. I glanced at Ann, who glanced at me, and we both looked at Meyone. Then we all ran after him. The man watched us come calmly, giving us a pleasent smile, and greeted us. He was a talkitive man who used his entire body to speak; interesting to watch, interesting to listen to. He talked very rapidly. He was something of a comidian, too; when he introduced himself, he pretended to be sneaky about the illegal part of his services. I wondered if the price, the sneakyness, or the entire thing was the show. For all we knew, he'd simply made a huge joke out of it and knew nothing in that aspect.

For all we knew, that was incorrect.

He asked us if he could help, and Alaric, to my surprise, was the one who nodded and spoke up. Normally, he's a pretty quiet one. He asked about the group of trackers we were looking for, and handed over the gold peice this man wanted.

He told us yes, they'd come through seventeen days ago, and left three days ago. I swore softly, frustrated; three days behind at least. It would have been far too easy, if they'd still been here by some twist of luck.

Ann, amused and impaitent, stated that they were probably in Molholendar by now, that we should go. She turned away, and it was a kind of an invisible group shrug before we followed. Then we heard him call out that we were wrong; they hadn't gone there.

Oh, fuck. I knew this was going to be more complecated then it needed to be.

We all stopped, turning, and Alaric headed back. Another handing over of gold, and he asked where they'd gone. He said they'd been headed there, but diverted, went further East, to the mountians. He suggested it was to track the mastodons, but sounded like that bit was a guess. He introduced himself, to my surprise, as Jasper. I hadn't expected him to give a name. He introduced ourselves, exchanged pleasntries, and then Alaric went on about asking more questions and handing over more money. Ann stood nearby, arms folded, looking irritated- but when I met her eyes she smiled and rolled her own. I grinned back at her and then turned my attention back to the questions at hand, listening, paying careful attention. At last he was done, we were out of questions, and I relized that Ann had been paying no more attention then a kitten with a ball of string. I whistled at her, motioning. We are going, I told her, grining, to the gaming area in this city. Time to relax, earn back some coin, enjoy, have a little fun for once without worrying about life or death.

I was very aware I was grinning like a maniac, but sue me, I was looking forward to this. Every day we worry. We worry about everything from the Taint to the Keep, from Damien and my past to Sparrow and Ann's mission here. We have a massive weight on our shoulders and a shadow lingering at our backs. Rarely do we ever get to enjoy ourselves. And in case anyone's forgetting it, I'm only friggin' nineteen years old. I would like to act like it, once in a while.

I wanted to play!

Alaric was just as eager to go to this gaming area as I was, though for differant reasons, mostly; and to my surprise, Meyone looked like he enjoyed the idea, too. Everyone looked thrilled at the chance except for a certian elf. Ann looked like someone had just told her she was to go face the Great Red Worm alone armed with nothing more then a wet noodle.

That confused me, but I refused- refused-to let her bring me down from my excited mood. I was practically vibrating, and the other two seemed tolerantly amused. Ann fummbled for some excuse, any excuse, but Alaric had already found out from Jasper where to go, and we headed in that direction. I fell back near Ann, and hissed at her to loosen up. There was nothing on the line here but a few bruises and some lost gold.

She didn't reply, just gave me a withering look. Fine then, be that way.

We found the entrance after a bit of wandering, and found it was five gold to get in. Alaric paied for he and I, and Ann for herself and Meyone. We were swamped by the sound of cheering and yelling, jeers and laughter all around. People swarmed us, and the mood was downright contagiouse. There were more people in one small area then I'd ever seen, and I won't lie; the sheer amount of humanity made me a bit nervouse, I'm small, I crush easily. And I'm not a big one on strangers touching me.

No one seemed to much care that Ann was an elf, so caught up in their fun and excitment were they; they really just didn't seem to care. That helped me relax, a little, that easy acceptance, but we stayed rather tightly together anyway, the group of us. We went left, to the 'safe' games, where you might get hurt but probably not badly. (The risky games, to the right, were a bit too daunting. We'd come here to earn money and have fun.....we already spent too much time worrying about being dead, we didn't need to play at it, too.)

These were games of skill and mastery. There was everything you could imagine, from tests of strength to endurance, in varying differant levels for each. The ringmasters for each worked the crowd into a betting, cheering frenzy, skilled at their jobs and clearly enjoying themselves.

It was all so basic and light hearted. Just games. Just fun.

For once.


I was the first to actually participate in something; a maze, basic and beginner at first. I had to weave and tumble my way past blunt, spinning objects that came swinging down at my head. If they weren't meant to kill me they did a good job of faking it. I was teased for being a woman and couldn't help but glow a little as Alaric placed a bet on me and I slipped through the easiest of the mazes without much effort at all.

I was instantly ushered to a harder one, listening to the cat calls and groans of loosers, and the whistles and cheers of winners above and around me. The ringmaster was grinning, teasing me once more in his stylizied way, and I agreed to try again on a harder version.

Alaric put down a bet, I put down my wager- and to my surprise, Meyon's soft voice behind me stated that he had no coin. I glanced at him, smiling lopsidedly, oddly flattered that he'd bet on me. Alaric laughed throatily and told him he'd cover it. He handed Meyone some gold, and he placed it down on me. Determined not to let the pair down, I went through this harder maze. I nearly got clonked on the head a few times, but I made it through, and the people around me went bat shit.

I tried the hardest one, too- twice, in fact. I got halfway through both times before a particuarly big whap to the skull knocked me silly, and I had to back out.

I was invited to come back, of course; the ringmaster seemed impressed, but likely only wanted the chance to earn more coin. I didn't much care; I was very tempted to do just that. Hell, splitting fucking headache or not, that had been fun.

Ann still looked like a rabbit in the middle of a fox den, and no amount of teasing could lighten her up. So, fuck the teasing, then; let's throw her in the deep end and see if she swims. I kept my eyes open, and then saw it- the perfect test for her.

"You should do one!" I crowed, nabbing her elbow and starting to drag a spluttering, protesting elf towards a certian area of the games behind me, Meyone and Alaric just behind us. I hesitated for a moment before the dagger throwing, but then saw the booth she needed to try. The point was to shoot an arrow through a set of rings, all the way through. And for bonus, you had to try and ring the little bell at the end.

And I do mean 'little'.

Another ringmaster came up as I steered her over, and she instantly flitted her eyes around, looking much like a startled deer. She began to refuse, and I tightened my grip on her.

"Come on," I whined (I'm very good at that), bouncing a little. "Have fun for once, geeze!" And once again to my utter surprise, Alaric joined in my teasing. Ann jerked free of me and started to retreat, hand to head, but I caught her again and put her right in front of the easiest of the ring-shooting booth. But before she could shoot, the ringmaster steered her to the intermediate area, saying one of her skills wasn' to use the beginer area. There were a dozen rings in this harder one, but I wasn't worried. I had seen Ann shoot before. The woman could practically pin a fly to a tree; she didn't seem to realize how good she was. This would hardly even be a challange for her. Even hitting the little bell would only be delightfully challanaging, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind she'd do it, at least once. She was given two shots, and missed with the first. Instantly she was ready to stop, to back off, groaning that he couldn't do it. I was a bristle of irriation try to peak through my good mood, but forced it down. "Oh, whatever!" I laughed, and urdged her to at least try once more. Everyone fucks up now and again- I was still dizzy from clanging my skull around inside that hard level tumbling trick. I had failed, and was still laughing and having fun! That was the point- and everyone would fail, once or twice. But with her skills, she was bound to get it.

I had placed a bet on her, as did Alaric, and Meyon (big shocker there, kids, wink nudge wink) and we had done it for a reason. Confidence.

She tried again- and missed again. She sighed, all depressed now, sulking in her loss. And she still looked panicked. I moved to stop her-

-when Meyone's big paw landed on her shoulder and he encuraged her to try once more, in a low, gentle voice. I smiled softly to myself, hand over my mouth to keep from cooing and ruining to moment. He spoke to her softly, telling her he knew she could do it, and Ann just stood there, staring into his eyes and looking confused and electrified.

I know the feeling. I get it everytime Talron speaks to me like that.

The ringmaster was the one to ruin the moment, yelling out for one more try; five gold for two shots. We bet on her again- and were rewarded, when she fired, with the soft 'DING' of the bell at the end. I whooped, as we gathered our money. Ann announced she was done, though I tried to get her to take her last shot; and when I looked at Meyone, his eyes were on Ann alone, and he was smiling.

The ringmaster was calling for more comers, announcing that if Ann could hit it, surely other cxould....I let the noise fade to the back of my mind and ran to catch up to Alaric, who was a few steps in front of us. We began to talk and laugh, and I felt the heaviness on my shoulders easing. Right now I was not the youngest in a group of somber travelers on a mission; I was the youngest in a group of friends having fun. Alaric wanted to find a drinking contest or some type of magic contest, and Ann was sulking in the back, prompting more teasing.

And then we stopped. Meyone was looking, throughfully, at the fighting arena in front of us. There was something wistful in his expression, and I grinned. I tended to forget he wasn't that old, either (um, I don't think so, anyway, as he's not really human) and probably wanted to have some fun, too. And sure enough, he announced that he thought he was going to try.

Ann paled and looked rather nausius as Meyone went to the ringmaster to ask for details, and then he was in line for next.

I blushed violently as Meyone considered himself, then suddanly stripped right out of his new cloths, causing Alaric to laugh in approval at his choice and I suppose, laugh also at his suddan stripping. I looked away, but was unable to help grinning. Sheesh.

He looked about for a place to lay the cloths, and Ann heaved a world-weary sigh before extending her arms like a paitent parent. A disturbing comparison, considering what I think she'd like to be. Hehe. He watched her for just a moment, then they smiled at each other-hers weak- and gave the cloths over. I couldn't resist teasing- "What's wrong, Ann, afraid he's going to get hurt?"

She was trying to keep her face blank, I could tell, and looked mildly surprised that I'd noticed anyway. Oh, please, she was doing a horrible job, and I'd been around her too long to be fooled, anyway.

She only told me she felt this was 'barbaric', and I only laughed. I went back to watching the arena as bets began getting placed. Alaric and I placed bets, and Ann got tired enough of my poking to place one, herself.

A big man got into the ring with Meyone, and then the two came togther, slowly, carefully at first, two big competetors eyeing one another, sizing up. Meyone was bigger, stronger. That did not make his competition a small man, as Meyone is, let's face it, just plan big.

Still, Meyone took him down in minutes. And Meyone wanted another go. The crowd was going wild and I added my voice to it, whistling and screaming encuragement.

If looks could kill, Ann would have me dead ten times over.

The man that came in next was big; bigger then Meyone, easy, and just as powerful looking. This time, the fight lasted a good while, each man matched smoothly, countering strength for strength, skill for skill. And Meyone was tired.

But he was also very skilled, we'd seen that in Fera. I hooted and shouted encuragement, willing Ann to understand that there was no real danger here, that Meyone would be just fine, if perhaps a bit bruised and sore. I could hear Alaric, too , roaring beside me, and hearing him gave ne free rein to keep it up. I felt less silly.

I just happened to look over to my left, keeping half an eye on Ann through this whole mess- and she was wiping at her face. My smile fell away, and I felt exerliation and happyness flow from me. It left behind a quickly becoming all too familer hollow tiredness, an age on top of my years, a tired sadness, a weight. A very, very heavy weight.

Because good forbid that I be allowed to just have fun once in a while. Maybe that's selfish, but damn it, I'm tired of feeling tired. It seems we're so rarely happy.

And now, when we supposed to be enjoying ourselves, and having fun- supposed to be relaxing, just being friends doing nothing important for once, earning a bit of gold and having a bit of fun-

-now, here, in the middle of the screaming, cheering throng, Ann was crying freely. And the real bitch kitty of it was, it was partly my fault. I shouldn't have made fun of her, forced her into this. I shoulda' listened to her, shoulda' at least gone with her to do something else. I shoulda' seen how upset she was. I shoulda' cared enough to actually listen to her. But I hadn't, and now she was crying.

Damn it! Sonofawhoremotherfuckingdamnit!

"Ann?" I said, my voice so small now, suddanly lost in the crowd. "Hey, Ann, you okay?"

Stupid question. But I didn't even get the patent elven stupid human glare. She just took a deep breath, and suddanly her voice rang out.

"Finish it!"

It was as if, through the crowd of people, through every other screaming voice, he'd heard her, like a dog hearing a familer whistle.

Within minutes, Meyonne was the winner of his match.

He came down to us, after winning sna such were taken care of, gathering his cloths. We all congradulated him, and I was pleased to notice that Ann looked fine once more. Well, not fine, but she wasn't in tears anymore. Now she just looked grumpy again. I released a breath as Alaric clumsy racked into me, and then his hand was on my shoulder and Meyonne was smiling and looking pleased and proud, beaming more brightly then I had ever seen and clearly happy, and it was okay again.

The weight went away, a little.

Meyonne told us that that'd been insightful, and he still had much to learn, then dressed. He was still smiling, a quiet, content little thing.

That was what I'd been hoping to get, by coming here. Fuck how much gold we could get or not get; I'd just wanted to see us smiling and laughing, teasing and encouraging each other.

It made me feel good again.

I was ready to leave, after what I'd seen Ann doing, but it wasn't fair to Alaric to insist we leave when everyone but he had gotten to do something; so when he suggested a game of chance, I figured, what the hell? A dice game couldn't even upset Ann that much, right?


The game we found was easy enough, deceptivly so. Place a bet, then each palyer rolled five dice. Highest matching sets numerically won it, and if you got certian numbers you got a special prize, too. There was a tie breaker, if one happened.

We played a few rounds, each winning and loosing a fair amount of gold. It came down to Ann, the game master, and me in the end; then I was out, and finally, Ann.

But that wasn't the end of our day. Oh, no. The funny part was still to come.

First off, I tried my luck on my own event once more. Lost again, though I damn near made it this time; the second to last wheel clonked me too hard to keep going.

Then Alaric lit up.

He'd found a drinking game.

He was like a little boy; his excitment at the thought of getting shit faced drunk made me laugh aloud. Even Ann looked amused, now.

He was the fourth out of six men to drop out, nearly winning the thing. When he came back down to us, he was clearly a happy little cleric, smiling mellowly and leaning his entire fucking weight right on yours truely.

Why me? Meyonne's bigger!

At least he's a happy drunk.

Huffing and growling under my burden, I was in no mood to say 'no' when Ann asked if, now, we could return to the ship?

Alaric slurred something drunkenly, and I started to giggle helplessly.

"I think we need to get him back." I said, grinning a little.

Ah, there it is. The 'stupid human' look.

I only grinned again.

We got past Jasper once more, and he greeted Ann by name; proper name. Anja. She startled, as did I, and we both rounded on him, dangerously.

Well, as dangerously as one can while holding upright a heavy, drunken cleric.

Ann approched him, and Meyonne stopped just beyond her. Alaric and I stood a few paces back.I heard Ann ask for his name, and get directed to the sign he held. She tossed him the gold, and his reply drifted, clearly, to me.

"I asked the gaurd over there. You're the one who's name's on the airship."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. I think Ann has developed a mental link with me, though, because her look was pure venom.

Now I did laugh. She stormed past us all back onto the ship, Meyonne steps behind her. I took Alaric and guided him on board, too. Time for nappy for the cleric. Meyonne took him from me to get him to their cabin. I was pretty worn down, now, and my cloths were fucking burning up, so I went looking for water.

A few hours past in peace. Meyonne came back up, eventually, and lounged near me. I took up a seat in a hammock, and we just sat and talked for a bit, discussing our options and the day. There was a time, a few weeks ago only, when I'd never thought Meyonne and I would be able to just sit and talk, to enjoy one another's company. But there was nothing strained or awkward about it; somewhere over the months, we'd come to think of each other as friends. Albiet volitile friends with very differant opinions on many things.

But then, that was all of us.

We both fell silent when the Captian approched Ann talking to her in low, urgent tones.

Meyonne stood, and I stiffened, rising slowly next to him. Ann motioned me to watch, and then approched the man. She asked him what he wanted to speak about, and he told her his name was Samuel, and he had information about Delmont Covan. His voice was strained, and he was nervouse, fidgity as if ill, sweating, twitching. I felt dred rising in my belly.

Something is not right. Something is so very wrong.

The weight? Yeah, it was back.

Ann invitied him aboard to speak. He stepped up, and then shook Ann's hand. He told her he didn't have much time, could only do this once. Then he took a deep, deep breath.

"Del-"

You know how, when you drop a tightly sealed container, sometimes, it will burst? Contents fly every which way, many breaking if they're fragile. The container is ruined. You're covered in it, and stand there looking and feeling like a fool?

That's what happened, 'cept for it happened to a person.

Boom.

Ann barely had time to scream out a move! Before chunks of Samuel came raining down on the deck. I felt my stomach lurch and convulse, hearing my own hard retch in my ears. The smell of blood and something else, something foul, filled the air and coated my tongue. I managed not to retch again.

This is, just to let you know, the second time Ann and I have had a person blow up on us. And I ain't talking no hissy fit, neither, I mean litterally blow up. The first time had been during the Delcova incident. I watched Ann try to twist away, but she wasn't fast enough, and blood speckled her flesh. I had managed to dance back out of the way, this time.

Silence, but for the dripping of blood somewhere and the wet sound of random flesh hitting the deck from where they'd landed. Then Ann was moving, deamanding Alaric be woken up, for no one to touch a thing.

Ann met my eyes then, and I could only stare, wide- eyed and helpless.

Here we go again.