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Finding a Disgusting Trade

Areon’s Journal

Kythorn 7, 1373, Silverymoon

I returned to the Bright Blade Brandished the next morning, having left the rest of the group to their revelry the night before. I am sure that they missed me, but I had no desire to drink at the tavern, and I felt a need to be away from everything. I wandered through the streets for a few hours, admiring the beauty of Silverymoon, and watching the people who were about.

Once I met up again with everyone, we shared a breakfast that Antonio had bought for all of us. While we were eating, I tried to listen to the conversations going on around me, but had trouble with it because of an argument that Tassar and Theona were having. After we had finished Theona insisted that we return to the Greycastle estate to collect the rest of our payment.

Lord Greycastle was more than happy to give us the payment he had promised, and Theona asked if he would want us to do any work as a security force, checking to make sure that no other undesirables moved into the mine. Greycastle did not seem very concerned, however. He did offer us a job, however guarding a small caravan going to Everlund. He offered us a total of two hundred gold pieces to do the job, one hundred of which was in advance. I know that he probably trusts us, especially with the efficiency (he thinks) that we cleared the mines with. But if he is offering half the payment in advance, I would think that there is something important in that caravan.

Antonio took responsibility for getting some provisions for us, while the rest of us returned to the tavern. Tassar and Deitricha took a table close to the bar for themselves, while Theona and I picked a table that was a good vantage point to the rest of the tavern. I know that I have to be around people if I have any hope of finding the Tiger, but it still unnerves me. I feel much more at home under the trees or out in the open than in a crowded room. Theona seems most comfortable in the city though, which make me wonder if she feels the same way about the outdoors as I feel about the indoors.

We listened to the conversations going on around us, and though I was only listening for rumors about a certain statuette, I am sure she was listing for something else to explore. She told me that she had heard about people disappearing down by the docks, and asked me if I wanted to check it out. I of course was ready to find just about any excuse to move about, so we waited for Antonio to return.

Theona caught Antonio as he was passing by and told him about her find, and he agreed to go check it out with us. When she went to talk to the (heavily inebriated) Tassar and Deitricha, she found that they had wandered off together.

We decided that we would go without them then, and we decide to meet after Antonio had finished his shopping. I wandered the streets for a bit again, this time by the light of day. The city bears much resemblance to a forest, though the huge numbers of houses and buildings built among the trees belies that illusion. I long to head north again, to the land where everything is untouched by civilization, but I know that I will not until my missions here are over.

We met again at dusk and headed to the docks. We did not see anything out of the ordinary at first, but then Theona spotted a suspicious figure ducking into the sewers, carrying something human shaped. I immediately gave chase, blowing my signal whistle so the town guard would know something was up. Antonio gave Theona his lantern and waited above ground, knowing that his magical powers were not a potent within the city.

I tried my best to track within the sewers, but they do not hold tracks like the ground under the sun, and the extreme closeness of the tunnel did nothing to help me concentrate. I began to wonder if it was such a wise decision, chasing the kidnapper, but I continued on, hoping that we could find something.

We saw a blur of motion and headed to follow it, but Theona felt like something was behind her. She spun and the ghoul behind her only managed to get her side, rather than her back. She fired her crossbow, nearly putting the bolt the full way through the creature, and I put it down with a solid hit from my sword. I then used a wand I had purchased in case there was no cleric with us, or if she was incapable of helping us, to heal Theona.

Antonio then caught up to us with four other guards. One got a description of what we were chasing and the other three stayed with us to help in any way they could. I tried to find the signs of passing that our quarry had surely left, but had no luck. Theona found some blood on the wall and started to head down the tunnel, but almost immediately stopped and examined the wall. After a few seconds, she found a hidden catch and the wall opened.

It opened to a staircase which led to a small room filled with Crate and barrels. There was a door opposite us, and after Theona checked it for traps, we kicked it in. Almost as if there had been a trap connected to the door on the other side, an arrow flew from across the room, narrowly missing us. Theona returned the shot, dropping the man. We fought with another thug, who had managed to stab Theona in the back, and a third, who had been opposite a set of bunk beds from us fled out through another door.

We would have given chase, but two guards had been badly wounded and needed treatment. We got them back to their headquarters, where a couple healers were stationed, and waited until there were a few more guards to spare to return and investigate.

When we did return we found that the storage room had been cleared, a sure sign of the little kidnapping group moving on. We called it a night and headed to get some rest.

The next morning we met up and Antonio told us what he had purchased for our trip. We also relayed the story of out late-night adventure to Deitricha and Tassar. Not long after Deitricha left, saying she needed to get some rest, adding a sheepish “at home” on as an afterthought. We agreed that we should get some rest, and we each went our different directions.

I traveled outside the city so I could be more comfortably alone. I found a tree that had branches that I could fashion some arrows from, and spent the day making a few. I could almost hear my father guiding me as I made them, though we both know that he has taught me enough that I could probably even make my own bow by now, though I think I will wait for a while before I try that venture.

I returned to the inn shortly before dusk, and made sure I was ready to head out tomorrow….

Posted by Tim on January 24, 2004, 23:56 | Areon’s Journal