Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Two

[Adam]

"Given the overwhelming level of force on display, Herr..." Benn arches his eyes, suggesting for the fellow to give his name, "I'm afraid you offer us little choice. Unfortunately, Herr Sancerre has been far more generous than your patron, and I am somewhat particular about doing business with people I don't know. Perhaps you'd care to give us his name?"

The yellow-toothed man laughs, an ugly sound, and says,


''Haha! His name? No. I'm not stupid, you damned clerk. Give us the items now, and there won't be trouble. You'll be paid. As for your employer and his deep pockets...well, I don't care to keep mine waiting, that's all.''

Something like fear flickers across the man's ugly face when he mentions his unnamed boss.

Benn's eyebrow quirks at being called a clerk, but he remains calm all the same. "Then your boss may be in for some disappointment, mein freund. The items are not here. I know where they are hidden, but they are not mine to dispose of. If you're interested in purchasing them, I can speak to my employer." His eyes narrow. "However, as terribly imposing as you and your compatriots are, my friends and I have faced worse in our time here. You would be best to see yourselves to the door, before my friend here," he shoots a glance towards the imposing knight, "finds your tone insulting."

[ewancummins]

''Oh , that's how it is then. I see.''


The man rises slowly from his seat, backs up, then turns around and walks away. He and his party leave through the front door.

[steveflam]

The dwarf is satisfied with Marie's answer. "All right. Let's wait a bit, then I'll leave 'n' come back this evening. I'll come in through the window, okay? 'N' I'll have friends with me. E'en if this Van Deeks ain' with ya, fin' out who he's with an' where." Norzak refrains from mentioning that he knows Jon. He is pretty sure the lad will be easy enough to find if he greases Louis' hand. He smiles at Marie.

They have little chit chat for fifteen minutes and he leaves Marie to her things. He walks down the stairs and finding Louis, asks him "Oi. That red haired lad that was in afore me, I'd like ta have a word with 'im. Might have a job fer tha lad ye see." Norzak slips the man a few silver coins.

[ewancummins]

[Norzak, at the Lorelei]

He walks down the stairs and finding Louis, asks him "Oi. That red haired lad that was in afore me, I'd like ta have a word with 'im. Might have a job fer tha lad ye see." Norzak slips the man a few silver coins.

Louis pockets the silver coins.


''The lad? Ah, he's busy with Rosalind. You'll have to wait. Maybe you ought to leave a message with me, m'sieur. I'll see he gets it.''

[Adam]

Bennedict waits for the men to leave, before fishing out some coin and slapping it down onto the table top.

"Come on, we have to get back to the office. Now."

[steveflam]

[Norzak, at the Lorelei]

He walks down the stairs and finding Louis, asks him "Oi. That red haired lad that was in afore me, I'd like ta have a word with 'im. Might have a job fer tha lad ye see." Norzak slips the man a few silver coins.

Louis pockets the silver coins.


''The lad? Ah, he's busy with Rosalind. You'll have to wait. Maybe you ought to leave a message with me, m'sieur. I'll see he gets it.''

Norzak eyes Louis with a raised eyebrow on his lone eye, the other he had recovered with the patch. "I's thank ye kindly, bub. But bein' a bizzness man yeself, I's thinkin' ye trust noone. An as I allas' say, trust noone. Ye cain' truss' me on that! So I ask ye kindly one more time, I'd like to speak with tha boy, it won' take but a second, unnerstood?" The dwarf isn't smiling anymore and his one good eye looks hard at Louis.

[ewancummins]

Bennedict waits for the men to leave, before fishing out some coin and slapping it down onto the table top.

"Come on, we have to get back to the office. Now."

As Benn gets ready to leave, he hears the clatter of hooves oustide the Goats- it sounds as if a small party of horsemen are riding away at a gallop!

[JMaytr]

Jonathan looks down at Rosalind with a look of curiosity. That was what the adults always whispered about with red faces and sly glances? He was unimpressed. This, intimacy, was nothing compared to the hunt. Of battling a Night Thing with nothing but his dagger and wits. I'm still a boy in many ways, Jonathan reminded himself, perhaps when I am older, more of a man, perhaps then I will have a taste for the more more fleshly pursuits. Still in enchanted by the woman's hair, he turned from her and left the room, knowing he'd be back.

Moving down the stairs to the main room, Jonathan looked about for Norzak, guiltily avoiding the eyes of the other men without knowing why.

Finding the dwarf, Jonathan moves quickly towards him, almost forgetting their plan of stealth. At the last moment he remembers, and continues moving past Norzak towards the washroom.

[ewancummins]

[Norzak, at the Lorelei]

So I ask ye kindly one more time, I'd like to speak with tha boy, it won' take but a second, unnerstood?" The dwarf isn't smiling anymore and his one good eye looks hard at Louis.

Louis shakes his head warily.


''No, I'm sorry, but I cannot barge in on a guest while he's with one of the girls. House Policy. M'sieur Van Diecks would be very upset if I broke the rules, you see..''

[ewancummins]

Louis looks at something past Norzak, then says-

''Well....give me another five silver and I'll help you. Keep it quiet , though.''

[steveflam]

Norzak slips him five more silver and seeing as Louis looks past him, he asks him "Awright. Whuter ye lookin' at? An' whos' Van ... er Vin...Vun Deeks? He tha owner 'o' this fine establishment?"

[ewancummins]

Norzak slips him five more silver and seeing as Louis looks past him, he asks him "Awright. Whuter ye lookin' at? An' whos' Van ... er Vin...Vun Deeks? He tha owner 'o' this fine establishment?"

Louis smiles broadly as he stuffs the additional coins in his jacket.

''Van Diecks- he's the Patron, the big man. All this belongs to him, yes.

Oh and, you'll find your red haired boy in the washroom. It's right over there.''

Louis points at a battered wooden door in the wall a little distance behind Norzak.

[steveflam]

Norzak looks at the said door. The he walks over and without even knocking, opens it and enters. "Hey bub, ye done yet?" He looks at Jon, and whatever the lad is doing he says with a wink after the door is closed "I've a job fer ye, if'n ye want" and he points his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of where Louis would be and wiggles his eyebrows. "Finish up 'n' join me at this address later." Norzak hands Jon a piece of paper with the office's address on it.

As he heads back to the office, Norzak takes a roundabout way, checking if anyone is following him.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

As Benn speaks, Dorgio suppress a grin of respect at the "clerk's" nerve. When the thugs turn and leave, he drops his attempt at a poker face, and glares at their backs. "Oh well, you'd have been upset if I'd set them alight."

The priest unbuckles his crossbow and tosses it and a bundle of quarrels to Benn when they walk out of the tavern. Then they hear the hoofbeats. "Let's get moving, either of you see horses?"

[ewancummins]

[outside the Sign of the Two Goats]



There are no horses to be seen. Nothing but quiet streets and a blue sky streaked by thin wispy clouds.

Benn, Cirdan, and Dorgio rush back towards the party's office....