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Holmes: Isadora still has a sense for the city as she looks down, and notes the men in the long cloaks entering the building. Hiding weapons, no doubt.
Holmes: The last one looks up at the balcony...odd that...
Isadora: Isadora, who's used to paying attention to her sense of when something's wrong, will draw her rapier and stand by the door, waiting in position to grab someone coming in.
Holmes: The door bursts open, and the men try to enter.
Holmes: Isadora tries to get one at the end of her rapier, but these are well trained swordsmen themselves, and have their weapons out as they enter. She ends up backpedaling into a corner, the four men surrounding her, but not closing. Yet.
Holmes: Undigo comes into the room just at that moment.
Isadora: "Be with you in a moment," Isadora calls to Undigo as she feints at one of the four to keep him back.
Undigo: In an attempt to assess the situation, Undigo barges in with 'extra-fake-drunkenness'. Brap. Slam. "My dear...BURP...well, hello!"
Isadora: "Drinks in the corner. Please help--erk--yourself," she continues, interrupted by a quick dodge under a cut that rips the painting behind her.
Undigo: "You didn't tell me to expect...friends..." with a scabrous wink, he _saunters_ over to the corner, and toys with a decanter as if to say "Well, what's it worth to you?"
Undigo: all the while, his lazy eye darts from assailant to assailant, judging their competence.
Isadora: "Ah, so I'm to believe they're a surprise to you?" This time, Isadora takes a shallow cut on her arm before fending off the attack.
Holmes: One of the men turns his blade to Undigo and says, "What are you doing here?"
Undigo: "Merudian mentioned that you cutpurses might need a hand with this one." Pause, pointed look at Isadora. "That must smart"
Holmes: The one who seems to be the leader steps back and gestures at Isadora, "Well, if youi're here to help...then help..."
Isadora: "Yes, do," Isadora says with her teeth showing in a smile. "We're having a darling time, and there's always room for more."
Isadora: She actually seems to mean it--as if lengthening the already bad odds wouldn't bother her much.
Undigo: "Well, for starters, you slack-assed excuses for donkey's piss should keep your tips up. Like this." His rapier flashes from nowhere, pointed at Isadora. And when she constantly counters with Capa-ferra, then the choice is obvious, yes?" He maneuvers himself for a quick exit, with or without Isadora.
Undigo: Lazy eye foreshadowing his next stroke, Undigo lays into the footpads. "You'd better be worth it lady."
Isadora: "Trust me," Isadora says, joining him against the thugs. "I never forget a favor owed."
Okhfels: Okhfels enters, spear in one hand and rapier in the other, the chain around his neck dancing as if the ants that make it up were alive.
Isadora: "Oh, you're home early, dear," Isadora says, stepping back from a body. "How was the ritual?"
Okhfels: "I think it went well," Okhfels understates.
Holmes: A passerby in the now darkened street notes a commotion coming from the balcony above. Then he has to dive to the side to avoid the falling body that hits the pavement beside him. He scuttles off in a hurry, a look of amazement on his face.
Holmes: Up in the room, the other men lie dead or dying in pools of growing blood.
Okhfels: Okhfels looks out onto the street to see if anyone is running to report.
Isadora wipes her sword on a dead man's shirt, then smiles at Undigo. "I'm starting to like you more already."
Undigo: Clearing his throat, "You do realize that it was Merudian behind that, right?"
Okhfels: "Looks that way to me."
Undigo: "There's no *looks* pretty boy. Except the one he shot me down in the hoop-de-lah downstairs." Spits a tooth out.
Isadora makes a small choking noise at hearing someone call Okhfels "pretty boy," and covers it by pouring herself a drink.
Okhfels: Okhfels scowls and looks in the mirror for a moment, then shakes his head as if to clear out the distraction. "It's not like we can just go kick his ass for it," Okhfels says. He cleans his spearpoint off on the cloak of one of the fallen assailants.
Okhfels: "Isadora... how much damage would we do to Merudian, if I took leadership of the Red Rapiers away from him?"
Isadora: "Um..." Isadora looks momentarily baffled, then smiles, then looks confused again. "I think you might permanently damage the social order of Kaitaine if you did that. It's a wonderful idea."
Okhfels: "I think I might just do that..."
Okhfels: "Is there someone we can call to get rid of the bodies?
Isadora shoots Undigo a "sorry you helped yet?" look and a smile, holding up the bottle in case he wants another drink.
Undigo: "I know a guy. When do you expect company? Speed will cost you."
Holmes: From what Okhfels saw regarding the body in the street, he knows it won't be too long...
Isadora: "Why don't you have your man take care of the fellow in the steet, and I'll arrange for the ones in here?" Isadora says to Undigo.
Okhfels: Okhfels sends a questioning look, but it shifts quickly to understanding. Either he's reading her mind or he's thinking alike... just a little slow.
Undigo: "Listen misssy. He's not 'my man' and I'm not yours. Spit polish here seems to be filling those shoes just fine. I'll deal with the corpse, sure. But here are the terms: you will not stop at some pointless "social ruining" of that rat-bastard. Nothing less than head on a pike."
Isadora: "For you to be my man, I'd have to think you were worth paying, a fact of which I'm still unconvinced. And if you think your 'terms' could swing Merudian's fate one inch towards either life or death, you clearly have no idea who you're talking to." Isadora's tone is flat.
Okhfels: "Gotta start by mining the walls."
Undigo: "Well, then, please feel free to go pick that pile of putrescence up yourself. I'll be heading back to the shindig. The drinks are better there." He doesn't leave too quickly, leaving Isadora an opening.
Okhfels: Okhfels gives Isadora a look that says, "He'd be useful."
Isadora shoots Okhfels a "but he was challenging me!" look, then relents with a nod and calls to Undigo, "Hold on. Have a drink--I owe you that, at least. I assure you that I will pursue Merudian to his end, so our interests align at least that far."
Okhfels: "Besides... what better first step at taking him down, than stripping him of his friends? You don't want him to die an honored, beloved martyr, do you?"
Undigo: "Couldn't care less. Sounds like a delay to me. Whatever." Pause "Save the drink -- you can buy me something decent when the job is done."
Isadora: "Gods, and people say aristocrats are fussy about how things are done. What makes you so angry with the Rapiers?"
Okhfels: Okhfels nods. He knows, but lets Undigo say it.
Undigo: "Lady, we don't know each other nearly well enough to unload my deepest and darkest." The lazy eye walks up and down her, leering unapologetically. "Let's save that for the second date."
Okhfels: Okhfels snorts.
Isadora: "You know what? To hell with it," Isadora says. To Undigo: "You want Merudian dead quickly?" To Okhfels: "You want to lead the Red Rapiers?" She nods. "Let's go do it, then."
Holmes: Okhfels having gone off to take care of the body in the street, Isadora and Undigo are working with the man Undigo says can take care of the bodies. As he leaves out the back exit with the last one, they turn back to the main inn room where they note a sergeant of the guard entering along with a holy defender of the city.

Holmes: Tez has heard of this village, north of Ardania. The people here, Shay all, seem suspicious of the group as they enter. But, apparently, they know Lana.
Tez rubs her elbow, above the bandage, nervously, while smiling and attempting to look like she belongs. She stays near Lana, a step or two behind. So maybe she looks like she belongs to her, if not here.
Lana smiles and waves to various people as she moves through town to one of her safe houses. She makes it clear with the way she moves that these people are with her, and that they're okay.
Teodric: Teodric adopts his friendly smile, the one he uses when walking into a hostile negotiation. His eyes scan the crowd marking any faces that seem to be on the wrong side of suspicious.
Lana leads the way up to a small house and unlocks the door, 'I don't know how long we can stay here, but we'll probably have at least a couple of days...'
Holmes: The village is as rustic (that's the nicest word she can think of), as she'd heard. Most Ardanians wouldn't deign to step foot in such a place. Surrounded by the swamps on three sides, the village itself has a very damp feel to it.
Tez sniffs the lovely swamp smell, and tries not to breathe through her nose anymore. "It's lovely." she says.
Holmes: Lana notes that both Tez and even Teodric seem to note the same thing she does, which has her feeling a sense of alarm. The people are waiting to see what happens when they go into the building. There's somebody inside waiting.
Lana pauses for a second.
Lana: She looks over the group, none of them are going to be very useful in a fight. She sighs and unwraps one of her swords, but doesn't draw it. Maybe whoever is waiting is friendly. She's about due for some good luck.
Tez looks down at Lana's sword, and rests her hand on her own (borrowed) blade.
Teodric: Teodric gives the ladies some space. If this comes to blows, then he knows he'll only be in the way.
Holmes: Tez senses that whoever is in the building waiting for them, that it's not going to be good for them.
Tez touches Lana's arm, and asks quietly, "Are you sure we should go in there?"
Lana gives Tez a long look, 'Not really, but there's some gear in there that we'll need if we have to take off. I don't know that we can afford not to go in and get it.'
Tez: "What are the rules on self defense in this town?"
Tez doesn't add the corollory 'for escaped slaves' out loud, although she is thinking it intently in Lana's direction
Lana frowns in thought, then unwraps her other sword and shrugs. She gives the group one last look, 'Don't worry, kid, I'll make sure it's not a problem if it comes up.' And she opens the door.
Tez draws her sword, and holds it down against her leg, so it's not obvious she's armed, and peers beyond the threshold suspiciously
Holmes: Inside Lana sees an unwelcome site. Chaltazon, the huge warlord of a group of local brigands, sits inside on a hastily erected throne made by putting a chair on a low table. Around him are several of his henchmen. He looks up as the door opens. "You must be Lana."
Tez keeps her eyes on the thugs, though she spares a single moment to glance over at Lana with a "you know them?" sort of look.
Lana rolls her eyes and sighs, 'Yes, Chaltazon, I'm Lana. What do you want?'
Holmes: "I've been given instructions by some very powerful people, that you are to be removed from the immediate locale, by any means neccessary," Chaltazon is surprisingly well spoken given his appearance.
Tez deems it best to keep her mouth shut at this point, and merely goes for the 'confused but ready to kick ass' look.
Holmes: His armor is elaborate, with a strange marking device of some sort coming up from behind it looking like a colorful bird tail.
Lana blinks, 'That's... that's not something I hear very often. Who wants me to leave, and do they want me to go somewhere?'
Holmes: "Away," he says. "Now, I could simply kill you. But that would be messy. Some of my men could get hurt, what with you with that pig sticker there. So, how about a deal?"
Lana quirks an eyebrow, 'I'm listening...'
Holmes: "You leave, promise never to return, and we don't kill you," he says. "Pretty nice deal, eh? Oh, but we keep the woman. Not the Ardanian, the other one."
Holmes: He points at Nula.
Lana snorts, 'That's based on the assumption that you can kill me. But seriously, what is it that you're giving me? Like, perhaps a name? Who is it that wants me gone?'
Tez blinks, and finds herself oddly jealous and angry at that.
Teodric: Teodric straightens "Lana, perhaps you should introduce us."
Lana: 'Oh, right, sorry. Teodric, diplomat of Green Lake, be known to Chaltazon. He's a local, um, businessman I suppose.'
Teodric: "The pleasant atmosphere has already been fouled with threats, but never the less it's a pleasure to meet you."
Holmes: The warlord bows slightly to Teodric. He turns to Lana, "Of course we can kill you, don't be silly and waste our time with posturing. I am giving you a good bargain. I would be a fool to tell you the name of my employer. You might slay him. And then I would be in trouble. You must see my position."
Holmes: His head tilts slightly to one side as if to ask if Lana does see his point.
Lana shakes her head slightly, 'Chaltazon, I'm afraid you're suffering from a terribly misapprehension. I can kill every man in this room without breaking a sweat. I'd prefer not to have to, it would be messy, but I could do it.'
Lana looks to Tez, to see if she's ready if something happens, and then at Teodric to see if he's ready to take Nula and run.
Tez nods slightly at Lana, and she wipes the sweat from her palm and returns it to the hilt of her sword
Teodric: Teodric catches the look and motions his hand subtly in acknowledgement as he continues to distract the men. "Perhaps we can work out a different deal."
Holmes: A bit later, after some negotiation by Teodric, Chaltazon, apparently taking Lana at least somewhat seriously, has agreed to accept some money (all Lana has stashed away for bribes and such) in exchange for the name of his employer.
Holmes: "I am employed by none other than the Lord of Ardania," says the warlord.
Holmes: He counts his money to be sure it's what he was promised.
Holmes: "Now, if you'll make yourself scarce, then our deal will be complete."
Tez nudges Lana "what about the supplies and things?"
Lana nods, 'I just need to collect a few things before we go,' she quickly grabs the travel gear she's got stashed and heads back to the front door, 'Oh, and Chaltazon, you really did make the right choice. I really would have regretted having to kill you.'
Teodric: Teodric mumbles under his breath "I really need to teach her to keep the verbal barbs to herself in delicate situations."
Tez smirks slightly, and follows without saying a word.
Tez: "I could really have used a shower," she laments once they are out of earshot.
Lana shoots her a grin, 'Oh, don't worry, I've got another safe house on the other side of town. I figured we'd stop by there before we leave.' She raises an eyebrow at Tez, 'I need one too.'
Tez scratches herself. "You have NO idea."
Holmes: As they go down the lane, Lana casually notes Chaltazon watching their progress, having emerged from the other building.
Tez: "Also, you might want to work on that 'safe' part." she grins.
Teodric: Teodric glances at Chaltazon nervously "Lana, does he have anyone following us? It's what I would do if I were him."
Lana gives Teodric a 'I've got it under control' grin, 'Okay, on the count of three we all make a run down this alley, there's a back entrance halfway down. We should be able to get in before he can catch up. One, two, three!'
Tez draws on her well-oiled run-the-fuck-away skills, and dashes down the alley!
Teodric: Teodric does his best to keep up and help Nula along.
Lana slams through the door, 'Okay, we should make this quick. No point in pissing Chaltazon off. He's not really a bad guy, and it _would_ be a shame to kill him.
Lana: 'So let's get cleaned up and head out.'
Tez: "I dunno.. he seems like a bad guy to me." she shrugs. "Then again, who am I to judge? Heh."
Teodric: "A bad man would have just killed us, and all the money in the world wouldn't make a difference."
Tez chuckles, "There's more'n one kind of bad. Him killing us would have only gotten him trouble, and he wouldn't have had the extra money. What's worth more? A few dead bodies, or extra cash, when you can tell your boss that you got rid of em anyway?"
Lana, having cleaned up in record time, comes out towelling her hair, 'Chaltazon is a businessman of sorts. He's not just a criminal, though you shouldn't get me wrong, he is a criminal.'
Teodric: Teodric shakes his head "It would seem that the Lord of Ardania doesn't care if he angers Green Lake, so I doubt Lana's death would have been bad for Chaltazon. Killing her may have been though."
Tez heads into the shower after Lana, gleefully. "You don't happen to have an extra set of clothes do you? Prison garb isn't exactly comfy."
Lana looks her up and down as she heads in, 'I'll see if I can find something that'll fit you.'
Holmes: Lana knows that in a backwater like this, it's very unlikely that word of her death would ever reach Green Lake. They'd be considered lost.
Tez: "Thanks!" she disappears into the steamy room. "I owe you one. Another one." Coming out freshly washed and dressed in clothes that are slightly too short, but better than the ones she had before, several minutes later, the tall Ardanian slumps in a chair, biting her lip and scowling. "So. Who are you, really, Nula? That the Lord of Ardania is after you?" she rubs her lucky coin, muttering, 'and not me."

Holmes: All the following day nobody had come for the mirror. The shift had come in and out of the forge. The thought crosses both Agnes' and I Lung's minds that perhaps they won't come for quite a while.
Holmes: And then there is a noise...
Agnes holds up a hand gesturing toward the noise that everyone else probably heard.
I Lung hides wary of both the seemingly euphoric Agnes and the new comer.
Holmes: The door to the mirror room opens, and a voice can be heard saying, "...but we may have to move it, I'm afraid. Somebody may talk, and then they'll come for it."
Holmes: The man who emerges into the room is fat, yet also strong looking. That despite his middle agedness.
Holmes: He wears the robe of a local worker, and is followed by three other men similarly dressed.
Agnes: Deciding to wait and see who has come -- what what they intend, Agnes stays hidden behind the molding cupboard she's used for cover.
Agnes: Trying to identify the leader, Agnes peers into his mind looking for knowledge of the silver ward.
Holmes: The other men show deference to the first. One of them says, "I don't mean to question, but if we move it...where can it be placed?
Holmes: The leader closes his eyes, and says a phrase in his head in the ancient dialect of the original dwellers of this city from four millenia ago. The ward ceases to glow for a moment, and he passes to the mirror. Agnes thinks she can repeat the phrase if she has to.
Holmes: "We may have to keep it at one of our homes temporarily until a new hiding place can be found," he says as he approaches. "I admit I can't think of a good place right now..."
Agnes: Rooting the ancient word in her memory, Agnes again reaches into the man's mind -- trying to erase that word from his memory.
I Lung slides further back into his nook, using the shadows cast by the intervening statue in the dim light to hide from Agnes and the "workers"
Holmes: As the man stares into the mirror, he seems to see something. He turns, looking about, saying, "Someone uses magic against us! There, in that cupboard!"
Holmes: He points, and the other men rush toward Agnes' hiding place.
Agnes: Having little time to react, all Agnes can do is draw her curved white blade, ready to slash across the face of whomever first find her.
Holmes: The men recoil, pulling long daggers from their cloaks as she emerges.
I Lung: Before he can even think, I Lung leaps from the shadows to protect his new companion!
Agnes: Agnes has long used her size and beauty to deceive opponents. Her smile beams out at the men, trying to throw them off guard just before she drops to a crouch and stabs upward into the crotch of the big guy on the right.
I Lung sees the deadly sword stroke almost before it happens and throws the other thug in the way of the blow
Holmes: Both thugs get injured somewhat, but Agnes' otherwise potentially lethal blow becomes two injuries instead.
Agnes stands, kinfe in hand, appraising the situation and giving a curious glance to her reptilian companion. "You may flee if you wish to live."
I Lung: "I said I'd help and I am helping, no?"
I Lung: "And, if I can help it, no one will be dying tonight..."
Holmes: The men all recoil back before the assault of both Agnes and I Lung. For the moment, they are unwilling to press the attack.
Agnes: "Go. You're lucky for the chance to leave unharmed."
I Lung moves to block the exit, "No one is leaving until this gets sorted out"
Agnes wears her exasperation like a Hawaiian shirt. "What are you talking about? Do you want me to kill them or not? For the love of Pete!"
I Lung: "No one has to die to get the info you need do they?"
Agnes: "Right...that's why I was letting them flee."
Agnes: "But now you're blocking the door."
I Lung: "Oh, do you have what you need?"
Agnes: "And soon, they're going to think we don't know what we're doing and they're going to think they should attack even though it's suicide."
Agnes: "Yeah, I'm good."
Agnes: This prattle is cover. Agnes can keep it up without paying much attention. Her real action for the past few seconds has been to reach into the minds of the mirror-goons and send them away.
I Lung: With that realization, I Lung begins the Whirlwind Kata. No foe would remain standing against his onslaught.
Holmes: The men, spurred on by Agnes' mental command, start to move, and become easy targets for I Lung's fluid movements. The lizardman flies through the air with a supernatural ability, and all the cultists fall in a quick succession of maneuvers involving various limbs and his tail.
Holmes: He drops to the ground after all of the bodies drop incapacitated.
Agnes smiles and nods. "Wow."
I Lung: "Well, now we can get out of here without being detected..."
Agnes: Recalling the ancient word, Agnes speaks it in her head and reaches through the barrier to grab the mirror and be off with it.
I Lung: "Did you do something to them? They did not seem to move naturally?
Agnes: "Oh, I was dismissing them and then you...did that thing. That's all."
I Lung: "Very good, you did well. Let's sneak out of here before we get mor visitors, OK?"
Agnes: "Right, I have what I came for, let's."
Agnes heads down the hall and up the stairs.
Agnes: In the still of the evening, Agnes sets the mirror into a wooden crate filled with straw that's on the stack of crates near the forge. "This is perfect, it'll keep it safe for travel."
I Lung: "OK, let's get out of here before they awaken. I am sorry you have to leave the one place you feel comfortable, but we can return again some day..."
Agnes: "Oh, sure...I can come back whenever I want. Don't sweat it. You know, you're a strange creature. Who are you attached to here in town?
I Lung: "Attached? I seek to sever all attachments..."
Agnes: As they walk away from the forge district, the conversation continues. "No, I mean who do you know in Green Lake? Why are you here?"
I Lung: "To spread the word of enlightenment, would you like to know more?"
Agnes: "Uh, maybe another time...I think I'd have a hard time concentrating just now." Agnes' smile is genuine even when her words are not.
I Lung: "And why are you here?"
Agnes: "Oh, my parents lived here a long time ago and this is my first time getting out from under them. I'm running some errands and checking things out. It's a neat place."
Agnes heads back to the stable where Kitten is living with her new box under her arm.
Holmes: Agnes is taking care of kitten, when Serrin comes in. "Rahkleth told me I could find you here."
Agnes doesn't look up. "What's up?
Agnes cleans the matted straw from the folds around Kitten's talons.
Holmes: "I...", for once the suave elf ambassador seems to be a loss for words. "I wanted to thank you for the other night...for saving my wife."
Agnes: Now she looks up to the much taller elf, grinning broadly. "It was nothing. I'm just glad that I was able to help. I would have done anything to save her. ...She's quite remarkable."
Holmes: "She is," says Serrin uncontrollably, getting a far off look suddenly. He realizes what he's doing and says, "Sorry...but you understand that I can't help but love her. Everybody does. It's an affliction."
Agnes: "A curse and a blessing then? At least you get to be with her."
Holmes: "Yes...but," he says, a longing look in his eyes as he stares at Agnes. "But it doesn't mean I can't love another, too..."
Agnes comes close to Serrin and hugs him. "I have to take a short trip. Let's talk when I get back?"
Holmes: He's so predisposed towards her that he's easy to read. And Agnes can find no deception in him...he really has fallen for Agnes.

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