From: aaron@space.ualberta.ca (Aaron Humphrey)

Characters involved: Alfvaen/Elstree/Lassiviren, Ornigan, Bronwen, the
  Kelsie, Mistletoe, Maleiu, Queriche


Elstree sat in the Dragon's Inn nursing a drink.  She probed into the amulet,
but Alfvaen was still asleep.  Good.  He'd been up far too late the night
before, what with the party at Karl's and then brooding over Delmara.  Her
heart went out to him, but sometimes she just felt like screaming at him,
"What did you think you were getting from a priestess of Aditi?  Commitment?" 
But that mirrored their own relationship too closely.  Her position at the
House of Silken Whips had kept the question from coming up too often, but it
was still lurking, waiting to strike.

But one of the advantages of the amulet was that one person could sleep while
the others stayed awake.  It felt good for her to be out in the open, as it
were, actually doing something instead of cooped up in the amulet watching.

<One gets used to it.> Lassiviren.

<I imagine you'd have had some time to think about it by now.> Elstree.

<Is that pity I detect in your thoughts?  I'd advise you to save it for those
more needful of it, priestess.>

<Oh, come now, Lassiviren.  Don't pretend you don't have feelings.  I'm sure
that you miss being active as much as any of us would.  Alfvaen monopolizes
the body, and neither of us trust you enough to let you run loose.  Whether
you've earned that lack of trust, I couldn't say.>

<Oh, I assure you I have.  I make no pretense about that.>

<Still...there's two of us and one of you.  We could let you out anytime, and
take over if you get out of hand.  Within limits, you could have a bit more
added freedom.>

<Whenever I'm useful to you, of course.>

<It isn't like you haven't had worse masters and mistresses before, though, is
it?  We'd all prefer to be free, but having a kind master is better than
having a rough one.>

<To your point of view, perhaps.>  Lassiviren radiated amusement.  <The drow
are raised differently.>  He paused.  <Still, I will remember what you have
said.>

<I'll mention it to Alfvaen.>  Elstree was satisfied.  This had been worrying
her for a long time.  That poor Lassiviren, cooped up for so long...

<Excuse me.  I believe that's the gentleman you're supposed to be watching.>

Elstree's head snapped up.  Lassiviren was right.  She still wasn't sure how,
when inside the amulet, you could see things the wearer of the amulet could
not.  But Ornigan was indeed coming down the stairs from the upper level.

And he was not alone.  Bronwen followed him down, yawning slightly.  "It's too
early to be up, Ornigan," she said.  "And it looks cold out there."

"My dear, this is by far the best part of the day.  I am always scandalized by
those who waste it senselessly."

"Yes, well, you're always scandalized by me anyway."  She turned and said,
"Kelsie, are you coming?"

"Yes, mistress."  A young girl, looking about twelve or thirteen, came to
Bronwen's side and they went down the stairs together.

Ornigan had a table already once they got downstairs.  "Where are those two
others?  It's not like Maleiu to stay in so late."

Bronwen blushed.  "Oh, you know.  They said they'd be down in a little bit."

Maleiu.  Elstree tried to search her memory.  She knew she'd heard that name
before.

<The big black fellow with the gash in his leg.> Lassiviren.

Yes, that was it.  If she was lucky, he wouldn't recognize her.  On the other
hand, if she skulked after them and >then< he recognized her, explanations
could get length.  Best to brazen it out.  She got up and went over to the
table.  "Excuse me--did you say 'Maleiu' just now?"

Ornigan turned to look at the blonde woman.  "Yes, I did.  I presume you're
one of his many acquaintances from his sojourn in this fine city.  Let's see. 
I don't see any obvious tattoos, so you're probably not Lady Azzar.  You don't
seem to be working here, so you're not Serene.  And we met Delmara last night,
who was the healer who worked on him.  Unless you're a man in disguise, I'm
afraid you have us at a loss."

"Elstree," she said.  "I'm the >other< healer who worked on him.  I guess you
could say that I used to be Delmara's ward, and now I work with her a lot. 
Delmara was here last night?  With whom?"

"She went upstairs with a fellow named Radan, a comrade of ours.  Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Elstree said.  "May I join you?  I had to get up early this
morning, and I'm just starting to get my appetite back."  Let them read into
that what they will.  "But now I'm starving.  I presume you're going to eat?"

"By all means, sit down."  Ornigan's curiosity was roused, as was his
suspicion.  Maleiu had not mentioned a second healer.  It was possible that
she was telling the truth, but if not, what was her motive?  Was she a spy for
Rivy, or someone like that?

Their breakfasts had just arrived when Maleiu and Mistletoe came downstairs. 
Maleiu looked enquiringly at Elstree, as if trying to place her face.  "Good
morning, all.  Miss..."

"Elstree," she said.  Lady hope he >does< remember me...

His face cleared.  "Ah, of course.  I'm afraid I didn't recognize you, or get
your name, but I remember your voice.  I was not entirely conscious while you
were working on me.  And Delmara was the only one there when I woke up."

"I helped with your friend Kron too, after that nasty whatever-it-was savaged
him."  She shuddered, not entirely falsely, at the memory.  "But I'm eating
breakfast right now, so I won't think too much on that.  I've met the others,
but you..."  She looked enquiringly at Mistletoe.

Mistletoe stepped forward and said, "Atrebla, at your service."

Bronwen giggled.  "We all call her Mistletoe, though."

Mistletoe mock-hissed at her friend.  "Hush.  I could have had her going for
hours.  Hi.  If you're one of the ones who saved Maleiu's life..."  She bent
down--not very far, because Elstree seated was almost as tall as Mistletoe
standing--and gave her a warm hug.  "May the Mother bless you."

"Thank you," Elstree said.  She certainly hoped that whatever suspicions the
Mage Guild had about Ornigan were unfounded, because she was starting to like
him and his friends.

It was about time to wake up Alfvaen.  She sent a prod into his sleeping
psyche.  <Wake up, dearest.  Time to start watching, so you can report to
Urcohea later.>

There was no verbal answer, only a heavy mental sigh.  She ignored that and
went back to the conversation.  She noticed that the girl, Kelsie, wasn't
eating.  "Aren't you hungry?" she said, her mothering instincts coming
forward.

That made her think of Little Rat, and she almost missed the girl's response. 
"I hate eating.  Do I have to, Bronwen?"

Bronwen sighed.  "I guess not."  At Elstree's raised eyebrows, she said,
"Kelsie isn't quite human."

When breakfast was finished, Ornigan said, "Well, it's time to get into our
business for the day."  He looked pointedly at Elstree.

Elstree ignored the hint.  "Well, I don't have anything better to do today."

Mistletoe grinned.  "Then come with us.  As I recall, we were just going to go
to the Cartographer's Guild for a while.  You see...well, Maleiu has a quest
to fulfill, and we need to check the route onward.  I'll tell you more about
it on the way.  I presume somebody here knows where the Cartographer's Guild
is?"

Maleiu shook his head, as did the others.  <Alfvaen?>

<I've never been there, but I think Moriarty may know.  Or Queriche.>

"I have a friend who can take us there," Elstree said.  "He should be in his
office about now."

<Moriarty will be in class, probably.  He does have >some< stuff he wants to
learn from the Guild...  But remember--if that's Maleiu, then he knows both
Queriche and Moriarty.  And I don't know how well.>

"His name is Queriche," she finished.

Maleiu's eyebrows went up, as did Ornigan's.  "Dark-skinned islander,
tattoos?" Maleiu asked.

"The same," Elstree said.  "He did say something about knowing you and your
comrades, when we went to heal you."

Maleiu nodded, remembering the message for Thk.  Littlefair had said that
Colin Silvertree was looking for the lizard-man, and Maleiu made a note to
pass on the message to Colin next time he saw him.

"Well?  What are we waiting for?" Ornigan said.  "Let's get going.  Lead on,
fair maiden."  And the group trooped off into the wintry day.

****

"Demons of the North!" Ornigan swore.  "Are you sure we're not lost?"

"Only a few more blocks now," Elstree said cheerfully.  She had been chatting
with Mistletoe, whose curiosity about the city was insatiable.  "This coming
up is Cor Caroli Lane, and the office is just in a little alley off the way."
Many of the people along the street smiled and nodded at her as she passed. 
"I come here a lot, and...well, a lot of people have trouble finding the
place, so they're paid to direct customers."

"What kind of an 'office' is it, then?" Ornigan said, curious.

"Some kind of investigation--I've never been quite sure.  Here's the
alley--wait right here, because there's a couple of flights of stairs, and I'm
sure you don't all want to climb them.  I'll get Queriche and be right back."

She hoped none of them looked too closely, and noticed there was only one
flight, albeit a long one.  Hopefully they weren't too suspicious of her, by
now.  At the top of the stairs, she opened the inner door and said, "Queriche,
get your butt down here.  You know where the Cartographer's Guild is?"

Queriche shrugged.  "I think I been there once.  You sure you want me to
come?  You know Moriarty doesn't like the office to be empty."

"This is business, Q," she said.  "C'mon.  We'll lock it up.  I've got people
waiting downstairs, and one of them is the one we're watching.  Now hurry up!"

She dashed back down the stairs.  "He'll just be a minute or so."

Mistletoe was slightly puzzled.  She had heard snatches of the conversation in
the office with her elven hearing, and especially the phrase, "the one we're
watching" and "business".  Suddenly she wondered whether Elstree's association
with this "investigation" business may be a bit less casual than she had led
them to believe.  And who would they be watching, from their group?  Obviously
Maleiu, who had been there the longest.  But why?

Then Queriche came downstairs.  He grinned at seeing Maleiu.  In the islander
patois, he said, "Is be good see you, mon.  How's it hangin'?"

Maleiu grinned back.  "My babe come back, and I got a full belly.  How can it
be better?"

"Too right, mon.  How's the lizard king?"

Maleiu's grin faltered.  "He gone got lost, mon.  Deep in the Center.  Some
say Colin-dude, he lookin' for him, but I no heard nothin'."

"Well," Queriche said, reverting to Common, "let's get movin'.  I >think< I
remember where this place is..."

[To be continued...]

-- 
---Alfvaen(1881 Books, 1055 Albums, And Counting)