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Holmes: Isadora comes out of the tent for her morning exercises, and there is Sebastian, somehow already up, and looking proper.
Isadora resolves to find out how he does that, someday. "Ah, Sebastian. Lovely morning." She sounds a little dubious.
Sebastian smiles his typical pseudo-smile, "Yes, it is indeed a lovely morning. I have some items that may be of interest to you..."
Sebastian: "Do you have a few moments to discuss them?"
Isadora: "Of course." Maybe if she gets out of the tent a few minutes earlier tomorrow, she can get in her morning run before responsibility hits...
Isadora waves back toward the tent, holding the flap open for him.
Sebastian gives Isadora a respectful nod as he moves into the tent and waits for her to sit.
Isadora sprawls into a chair as usual, looking at him expectantly. "This doesn't involve that little tiff with Fazeris, does it?"
Sebastian: "Perhaps, my Lady, perhaps. I am beginning to suspect that he is here at someone else's behest."
Isadora's eyes narrow a bit. "Go on."
Sebastian: "What reason did he give you for being here?"
Isadora: "Only accompanying my sister. I meant to press him further, but we ended up crossing swords instead."
Sebastian: "Yes, well, a discussion with your sister indicates that he is the one who brought her here. So while it is true he is escorting her, it was his idea..."
Isadora blinks and nods. "So either our lake is the next favored vacation spot, or he wants something out here. And you think there's someone else behind him?"
Sebastian: "Well, I do not know him that well, but he does not strike me as a big political player. So my guess is that he is here for someone else..."
Isadora thinks for a moment, frowning. "He... has his ambitions. But I don't know what he'd get from coming out here--I didn't think he was involved in the drug trade. Is there any more you can learn from here?"
Sebastian: "I belive so... but it will take some time. Perhaps as much as a few weeks. Alternatively you could have him tortured. And if it makes you feel any better I'm not sure he's here for the drugs..."
Isadora: "Tortured?" She looks shocked. "If he were a commoner, maybe. But he's a friend. I just don't trust him. I can wait."
Sebastian: "Very well, should I raise the priority on this issue?"
Isadora: "Oh, hell. What would it displace? The goblins? I'm more worried about them."
Sebastian: "Very well, my Lady." Sebastian gives another smile, "Besides I believe that our friends from Sherezak may be preparing to start some trouble... I believe we should get them into the wood as soon as possible."
Holmes: There's a bit of a commotion coming from outside.
Isadora: "Any evidence that they're starting trouble, or are you just being suspicious?" she asks, rising and moving to peer out of the tent flap.
Holmes: Outside Isadora sees Okhfels approaching carrying...a tent with people in it?
Sebastian gives an ironic smile "I am never suspicious, my Lady. I have some information that indicates that they will be doing something that would be... frowned upon... by many of the locals..."

Holmes: Okhfels wakes up on a pile of sacks in the back of the Forge tent. At least it's warm in there - the nights can get quite cold.
Holmes: The smith is snoring away on a cot not too far away.
Okhfels rolls over, moaning softly, drawing one of the hide blankets over his head.
Okhfels: N Nnnnnnnn ?
Holmes: Outside the tent, Okhfels hears some voices. First a low-pitched one. "Is it safe to talk here?"
Holmes: Then a gruff voice, "Yeah, I can hear the smith snoring."
Holmes: "Did you see anything out in the swamp last night?"
Okhfels: (Do I hear snoring?)
Okhfels only takes a few seconds to figure out what's going on.
Okhfels: He freezes, his scouting instincts taking over.
Holmes: The low-pitched voice continues, "Well, I saw those lights out on the lake again amongst the reeds. But it's damn treacherous out there. I wasn't about to follow."
Holmes: "Blast, we're not getting anywhere," responds the Gruff voice. "We may have to recruit some help."
Holmes: "Get Riku, and meet me by my tent."
Okhfels acts quickly, bulling past the pain in his head.
Okhfels stands up abruptly and quickly takes stock of the situation.
Okhfels: How close are these guys?
Holmes: The voices are just outside the tent.
Okhfels takes hold of the main tentpole, heaves it up, and uses the tent like a giant butterfly net, to drop it on the conspirators.
Okhfels knows he'll get a little tangled up in the tent too, but he's prepared fo rit.
Okhfels: There's a pair of surprised squawks.
Okhfels: The collapsed tent oscillates and palpitates
Okhfels: "Ha! Got you!"
Okhfels: A couple of muffled thumps
Okhfels: And a great rent appears in the tent.
Okhfels emerges with one of the two men under each arm.
Okhfels: "Let's go for a little walk, shall we?"

Okhfels: (Okhfels emerges with one of the two men under each arm.)
Isadora: "I suppose I don't want the full story," she says to Sebastian, looking very distracted. Throwing the flap fully open, she faces Okhfels and his burden with hands on hips. "What the devil is going on?"
Okhfels: "I caught these two talking sneaky outside my tent. You want 'em?"
Okhfels: "Talking about going to the swamp at night."
Holmes: Adept Salast, under one arm, protests, "I was not sneaking! What in the blue blazes are you talking about?"
Holmes: "I demand that you let me go!"
Okhfels: "I'll let you go when bosslady says I let you go."
Isadora coughs as she recognizes Salast. "That's, ah... thank you, Okhfels. Release them."
Holmes: The other man is one of the soldiers in the camp named Avarnast.
Sebastian murmurs under his breath, "Ah, so that explains it..."
Okhfels sets the two down gently.
Holmes: Salast gets up, and starts to brush his robe back into position, his face purple. "I've never in my entire life..."
Isadora: "Salast, a good morning to you as well. Would you care to join Sebastian and I inside, or perhaps on my morning run?"
Okhfels crosses his arms in front of his chest. This isn't going how he expects.
Sebastian glances pointedly at Salast's boots, "I must ask, who do you have clean your boots my good man? He does an excellent job."
Isadora flashes a smile to Okhfels. She owes him, for embarassing Salast if nothing else.
Okhfels smiles back, relieved.
Holmes: Salast says, "My boots, what...?"
Holmes: Salast reaches into his robe, and pulls out a wand, and points it at Okhfels. He addresses Isadora, "Who is this barbarian, and why shouldn't I turn him into a toad!"
Holmes: The wand is a sturdy affair, made of wood, that has a small silver ball on the end. The effect of the poorly shaved wizard with the pretty wand is somewhat comical.
Okhfels immediately drops into a combat crouch. If the wand so much as twitches...
Isadora: "Why, that's my dear friend Okhfels. You two haven't met? He's a little... touchy sometimes, but becoming more valuable to me by the moment."
Okhfels moves remarkably quick for such a big guy.
Okhfels: "I'm not keen on threats."
Isadora: "Come on!" Isadora barks. "If you people start fighting before I've even had my breakfast, I swear to Kuor I'll file the paperwork for killing you all. Enough of this."
Okhfels steps back a little, but waits for the little wizard to put away his wand.
Holmes: Salast grudgingly puts the wand back in his robe. "This place is really starting to get to me," he says to Isadora.
Okhfels relaxes.
Okhfels: "Everything under control now, lady?"
Holmes: "Now, if you're ladyship pleases, I have important...uh...business to attend to," he looks ready to leave.
Isadora: "You'd be a saint if it didn't," she says to Salast. "But was there something you needed to talk to me about, that woke Okhfels?" She nods to Okhfels--things are as under control as they ever get.
Okhfels nods back, and turns to go.
Holmes: "I was just talking to Avarnast about his patrol last night," he says. "Nothing to comment on, really. We didn't mean to wake anyone. Had no idea he was even in the tent."
Okhfels turns back.
Okhfels: "So what did you need Reekoo for?"
Holmes: "Riku?" Salast responds. "Oh, yes, we were going to meet Riku at my tent to have some breakfast."
Okhfels scowls.
Okhfels eyes Salast suspiciously, but doesn't say anything. He scratches his head and shrugs.
Holmes: "So, if we could get to that breakfast?" Salast makes an expression of waiting for the word that he's free to go.
Okhfels doesn't leave quite yet, though.
Isadora: "Wonderful to see you taking after your duties so early in the morning, Salast. You're an inspiration to us all." Isadora shoots a look at Sebastian--if he doesn't look like he's about to pounce, she'll wave off Salast.
Sebastian: "So... about those boots. Last time I saw them they were terribly muddy... I really would love to know who you got to clean them, i think my own boots could use a good polishing."
Sebastian: "Oh, and how did you manage to get them so muddy in the first place?"
Sebastian: Salast snaps, in his eagerness to just get away, "I was out in the swamp the other night to-- That is to say, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Holmes: He turns and starts to head away, hoping that nobody heard him.
Sebastian gives Isadora a "jump on him!" look.
Isadora: "You sound confused. Maybe you should come in and take a seat until your head clears. I'm sure that... Riku, did you say? will understand you being late for breakfast."
Holmes: Salast turns slowly as if pained, then adopts a big smile, "Why, of course your ladyship. Perhaps you have some comestibles in your tent?"
Isadora: "For you, always my finest." She stands aside and holds the flap open for him, smiling widely.
Okhfels eyes Avarnast.
Okhfels tries to evaluate how tough he'd be in a fight...
Isadora had completely forgotten the other person graced with Okhfels' grip this morning. "You can go," she says to Avarnast. If Okhfels roughs him up, well, that's none of her business.
Holmes: Salast enters the tent. Avarnast takes up a post outside. He's definitely the soldier type, but doesn't seem too menacing to Okhfels.
Okhfels takes up a spot opposite Avarnast.
Okhfels: That is, across the way, facing him.
Okhfels: His posture and demeanor say, "I'm watching you."
Holmes: Avarnast shifts uncomfortably under the big man's gaze
Isadora pours Salast something to drink--she'll wait to get him food until Sebastian has started questioning him.
Sebastian: "So Salast... perhaps it is time for you to tell us what is really going on out here... I'm sure you'd rather tell us willingly..."
Holmes: "Rather than what?" he straightens up.
Holmes: "I'll remind you that I am Lord Marvar's personally selected advisor here," he says with some pride.
Sebastian: "Yes, that is precisely what I'm wanting you to tell us about..."
Sebastian: "It is becoming clear that there is more here than the plants to draw Lord Marvar's interest, and it is becoming more clear every day."
Isadora lets Sebstian do the talking, for now, and looks like she knows exactly what he's talking about.
Holmes: "What are you getting at, Man from Sel-kai?" he responds defiantly. "You are supposed to merely monitor progress here, are you not?"
Holmes: "What gives you the right to pry into our matters?"
Sebastian: "Monitor yes, but in order to accurately monitor progress I must know what is progressing. I'm sure that things will be much easier on you if you tell me what's going on. I would hate to think that the Rhianni might hear that you've been lying to someone in authority." Sebastian nods, indicating Isadora.
Isadora: "That'd be awful. There's no reasoning with them about these things, you know."
Holmes: "Why don't you ask the Rhiani how the gathering is going? I was out in the swamp, hunting down new sources of the plant, actually. Using magic, you know? I don't see how this has anything to do with the overall progress." Salast is getting a tad angry.
Sebastian: "Master Salast, you know that it is my job to find things out. I assure you that my methods will make things a bit more public than if you simply told us what's going on. However, if you insist, I guess I will do things the hard way."
Isadora nods, waiting for Salast's response to see if more pressure is needed.
Holmes: "Fine, but Marvars isn't going to like it. You sure you want me to contiune?" he says threateningly.
Sebastian gives looks at Salast with absolutley no expression.
Isadora: "Marvars is a long way away. Let me worry about how he likes it."
Holmes: Salast gives an expression that says, "It's your funeral."
Holmes: "Well
Holmes: "The herbs we're looking for, while real, aren't very profitable," he says admittingly.
Holmes: "The operation isn't making money. Nor does it intend to make money, actually. At least not from the flowers," he continues.
Isadora's hand tightens a little around her wine glass, but she says nothing yet.
Holmes: "Actually you all are here just to support me," he continues.
Holmes: "And now that Sebastain here knows this, we're going to have to prevent him from reporting to his superiors," he says, looking askance at Sebastian. "Aren't we."
Holmes: "I mean, it wouldn't do for our wealthy Sel-Kai backers to pull the plug, would it?" he says.
Holmes: "Marvars would be...uh...very displeased?" he says asking if that sounds about right.
Sebastian smiles coldly, "Yes, that could get messy couldn't it..." He looks to Isadora, "What do you think, my Lady? I could get this back home and make it look like his own incompetence, and as if you knew nothing about it..."
Isadora: "One moment," she says to Sebastian, looking hard at Salast. "Support you to do WHAT?"
Isadora: "And Marvars is already displeased with me, you should know, so don't bother mentioning that again."
Holmes: "Yes, Marvars chose you well. You pretty much have to do what I say, or risk him really messing your life up when you get back to Kaitaine. No?" Salast smiles.
Holmes: "What am I doing here?"
Holmes: "I'm not sure we should tell Sebastian that."
Holmes: "If we do, then we can't just detain him."
Isadora's eyes flash, but she doesn't answer Salast's threat directly. She just says, mildly, "Sebastian is a grown man. He can decide whether to stay or not."
Holmes: "I think that's a big mistake at this point...ladyship," says Salast.
Sebastian: "I trust my Lady's judgement. I shall leave you to discuss this and you may tell me what you think I need to know. Okhfels is just outside however, so if he gives you any trouble just give the big man a call."
Isadora: "See?" Isadora says to Salast, nodding at Sebastian's departure. "A little trust goes a long way. Tell me the whole story, Salast, and there's still a chance for you and I to trust each other."
Holmes: "I don't think you understand. He's going to report to the Ulizi's, and then this little party is all over. Hopefully they only take the money away, and don't send assassins," he says a tad histrionically.
Isadora: "Calm down. First of all, if you don't think you've already done enough to draw attention to yourself, you haven't been paying attention today. So you need to tell me what's going on, so I can give him an answer that will satisfy his backers. Second, Sebastian has his own hopes and aspirations, I'm sure, so don't assume that he'll report everything to the Ulizis."
Holmes: "But..."
Holmes: Then it seems to sink in.
Holmes: "Ahh, ladyship, you are more than you seem."
Isadora: "So glad you noticed," she says tartly. "I'm rude, not stupid."
Holmes: "Fine, tell him that there is treasure at the bottom of the lake that we're retrieving. It's close enough to the truth, in any case," he chews a hangnail, thinking.
Isadora: "You skipped a step. You were supposed to tell me what's happening, and THEN I filter it for him."
Holmes: "The treasure is more than anyone suspects, however," he continues.
Isadora waits for him to finish.
Holmes: "I'm getting to that. It's a long story," he says.
Holmes: "I was here a year ago."
Holmes: "I'd read something in a book, about ancient events at the ruins here. The point here is that there's a temple at the bottom of the lake. And I think that I can raise it up. So that we can retrieve the powerful - no, that's an understatement - the massively potent magic that resides there," he contiues.
Holmes: "It calls to me, even now. I find it hard to understand that not everyone can hear it, but my senses are attuned to things that most are not."
Holmes: "If we return with this power...Marvars will make us rich and powerful beyond reckoning," he finishes.
Holmes: He waits expectantly for Isadora to reply.
Isadora considers trying to reason with Salast, to point out the obvious problem--if Marvars gets the treasure, why should he care about the lake exiles? But he lied to her. So she nods to Salast, and says, "I've got to think about this. But I'm not going to make any hasty decisions, so banish your fears of Sel-Kai assassins."
Isadora rises and strides to the tent flap. "You can go--I've troubled you long enough. Thank you for your belated confidence."
Holmes: Salast looks at her skeptically, and leaves.

Okhfels rocks forwards and backwards on his feet... heels, toes, heels, toes. "Salast didn't look too happy to go in there."
Holmes: Avarnast looks somewhat disdainfully at Okhfels, but the look is tinged with fear.
Okhfels: "Looked like he swallowed sannis root."
Holmes: "What's it to you, anyway," says the soldier perturbed.
Okhfels: "Doesn't seem right."
Holmes: "What doesn't seem right?"
Okhfels: "That a loyal friend of the lady shouldn't want to go and have a friendly chat."
Holmes: "Salast is a great man. He shouldn't have to bow to her whenever she feels the whim to question him," says Avarnast.
Okhfels: "She's in charge here, right?"
Holmes: "She's Marvar's commander, yes, but he sent Salast to advise the operation. Not to be some toady," he says, getting more and more disgusted.
Okhfels: "I'm sure she's just asking for his advice."
Holmes: "How do you figure in all of this, anyhow? Just where did you come from? How is any of this your business?" says Avarnast, getting a bit testy now.
Okhfels: "Me? I'm a mercenary. Got separated from my troop in a big fight up in the mountains. If found you guys, and looks like I'm signed up. Bosslady needs protection sometimes."
Holmes: "That's what we're here for," he looks somewhat disgusted at having potentially been replaced.
Okhfels: "You didn't do so good a job when that fancy guy had a blade at her neck yesterday afternoon."
Holmes: "I heard about that. It was a duel, right? She'd have called for us if she'd really needed us," he responds. Then not too confidently, "She ended up fine, didn't she?"
Okhfels: "Duel?" Okhfels shrugs. "I don't know about that. All I know is I came around the corner, and she was in trouble. So I stopped him. Yeah... she ended up fine."
Okhfels: "So did the fancy guy, too."
Holmes: "Well then," he says, trying to be conclusive, but sounding very unsure.
Okhfels relaxes his posture, moves his arms around to clasp his hands behind him. "Tough spot."
Holmes: "How's that?" says Avarnast, off guard.
Okhfels: "You. Tough spot. Always is, when your boss is in trouble with the big boss."
Okhfels: "That's why I always try to hitch up with whoever's at the top."
Holmes: "Oh, Salast? He's not my boss. Well, he's a superior, but Isadora is my boss," he clarifies.
Okhfels gives an "Oh, really?" look.
Holmes: To which he gets a "Well, yeah" look.
Holmes: In return
Okhfels: "Good. Then you'll be alright if Salast has ... a problem." He flashes his smile.
Okhfels: "I'm just working for the boss. It's no good, talking sneaky in camp. No good for morale. Everybody's got to be behind the boss. Right?"
Holmes: "Uh, yeah, I guess."
Okhfels: "You guess?"
Okhfels pokes around inside his head. He doesn't have the chops to be an officer.. but maybe he has the chops to be, like a sergeant?
Okhfels steps in a little closer.
Okhfels: "Or maybe a soldier's gotta have it straight in his head, who he's behind... no guesses."
Holmes: "Hmmm," says the soldier.
Okhfels: "So soldier... Are you behind Isadora?"
Holmes: "Uh, of course I'm behind her," he says unconvincingly. "She's the lady of the camp, after all."
Okhfels: "Good." Okhfels moves to stand next to the tent flap, like he's guarding the tent... along WITH Avarnast, rather than opposed to him.
Sebastian steps out of the tent giving a small bow to the occupants.
Okhfels gives Sebastian a nod.
Sebastian stands by quietly
Isadora comes to the opening a few minutes later, throwing it open and taking a deep breath of the morning air. "Well, that silliness is over. I'm ready for my run. Sebastian, care to join me?"
Sebastian smiles, this one touches his eyes. "I shall try, my Lady... I hope you will understand if I am unable to keep up with you."

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