107 – Clean up, Room 412

The guards moved people away from the ruined buffet, and the body next to it. They quickly worked with the staff to clean things up, and cover the body. The two guards by the doors that had been exited through were relieved of duty, and the one that had been kicked helped the one with a knife in his leg out of the room. The guests mulled around as a platoon of guards stood in a picket across the room, and at each door. The guard officers quickly asked questions of the guests, and then dismissed them to other rooms, where the ball was still going on undisturbed. Several versions of the events were circulating before the ball ended.

Then The King and a Guard Captain entered. They looked things over. The guardsman that had been collecting the stories reported all that he had learned. Further that runners had been sent to warn the city constables on either side of the river to be on the look out.

The King knelt and pulled back the table cloth and looked the body over. The jaw was shattered, as was part of the face, and the head lolled at the wrong angle to still be properly connected to the spine. Also the neck looked bruised all the way around from other damage that The King would not guess at.

“The face and head are from a blunt weapon. Not magic.” He put the cloth back over the body, and he verbally summarized what he had been told. “He tried to get a young adult elf to leave with him? This response doesn’t fit. An elf would just knife him, and leave him in a corner. Not brawl. It was a female, and ran out that way?”

“Yes, sire. From there she went into a storage room and over the balcony and escaped into the river.”

“That is sensible. If she tried to teleport she would have found that she couldn’t.”

“Sire, some of the witnesses, and the door guards report that there was another woman that helped the elf. They left together.”

“If there is a description, circulate it among the guards and constables. Otherwise, keep things quiet. Get this body out of here, and sent home.” The King turned, leaving the Guard Captain to take charge. He was met at the door by the Viceroy.

“I am told there was some excitement, Sire. Anything to worry about?” The Viceroy was ever helpful to The King, though sometimes The King wondered that the real motive was.

“Probably not. A wizard tried to solicit something from a female elf, and got in a brawl. Odd that the elf used a blunt weapon, though. She then fled, and ended up diving into the river.”

“And her companions she came with, if any?”

“I still do not have all the details.”

“Well then Sire, if they have left, than I see no reason not to continue with the festivities.”

“Is the Marquise still here?”

“Third floor, second banquet room, last I was told.”

“Thank you. See that the Lady BarDona is introduced to the representative from Pelieloq, and that they have somewhere quiet to talk.”

“Yes, Sire.”

The King turned and sighed as he moved toward the stairs down to the third floor. He much preferred force of arms to diplomacy. But this Marquise was from the teamsters. Trying to use force with them would simply sign the cities death warrant. On the other hand, fear and security were as useful in negotiations as on the battlefield.

Caspian felt the magic of the fight subside as he climbed the stairs. He regretted allowing the Caplan’s to move about separately, but there was not much other choice. As it was, Steven had kept a low profile. Rox had circulated, looking like a foreign elf, or close enough that most of the locals would not suspect different. When the magic fight had started, every magic user around could not help but notice. The enchantments of the fortress surged to active and blanked all other sense beyond a general using of magic. But Caspian had located the direction and was going that way. As he got to the stairs the dampening enchantments of the fortress were diminishing back to ambient giving Caspian a sense that the fight was done.

At the top of this staircase, a company of guards came double timing through, in the direction he was going. Along with the other ladies and gentlemen in the hall, Caspian was obliged to stand aside as they went through. Caspian moved circumspectly in the guards wake. A soft boom of doors closing echoed down the halls, followed by the quick staccato of banging against a door. Caspian rounded the corner, to see the company of guards pile through a set of double doors. As he went past, two guards puffed importantly, giving the nonverbal glare to move along, and not be interested

Caspian went to the end of the hall and the balcony it terminated on. He looked over the side, back the way he had come. There were balconies for the several rooms, and they all overhung the larger balcony below. Several party goers were in minor fits down there, looking up at the vacant balcony above them in irritation. A few others were looking over the balcony and trying to look out on the river. But it was too dark to see very far. Caspian huffed in minor irritation, and then proceeded to dally around the balcony, making and listening to the idle conversation. He found it as exciting and informative and watching fruit dry out.

After doing the round of the balcony, Caspian went back inside, looking for Steven. He was found two levels down in another wing, chatting amiably with a few merchants about local events, while sitting at a table sipping drinks and nibbling on some scones and assorted fruit and nut pastes.

Caspian approached as the men started laughing about something. “Steven, there you are. Things have happened, and it is time we leave.”

Steven looked up at Caspian, smiling and having the first good time he had had without Rox since Caspian had met him. “Sure. Caspian, this is Marklel, he is a textiles merchant, and Taban, a metals and ore merchant, and Gillen, a teamster. Gentlemen, this is Caspian, my current traveling companion. Evidently it is time to travel. If you will excuse me.”

Steven got up, and for the first time, these men saw how tall Steven really was. As he followed Caspian out, he finished his drink, and put the empty glass on a tray as it went by.

Once in the hallway, Steven pulled Caspian to his side, and kept striding. “Where is Rox?”

Caspian did not slow, save to match Steven’s pace. “I think she just went for a swim. There was a fight near where she was. A local mage is dead, and a female elf is reported to have done it then fled the fortress by jumping in the river.”

Steven sobered. “What’s the plan?”

Caspian headed for the front doors. “Leave, and go look for her. Find somewhere discrete and see what spells I can use to try to find her.”

Steven looked around, thinking the same basic direction. “And if she is still in the castle?”

Caspian stopped for a moment. “If she is, Cyrril will have to let us know. I just swept through that floor and did not see her anywhere. You know how well the both of you stand out.”

Steven followed Caspian out, pausing long enough to look at the appointed gathering bench. Rox was not near it. They got a coach across the bridge to the north shore, and then west, down stream, along the river. They searched until fatigue required them to go back to their rooms for sleep. In that time, they saw several patrols of constable’s sweep down the avenue that ran along the river front, as well as the lights of similar patrols on the other bank. They also saw two patrols of Palace Guards follow with the Constables then turn up the main streets that ran from the river front. Caspian took them aside into a suitably shadowed alley and then up onto a roof. There he used his tracker to cast around for her, and found that Rox was somewhere to their south across the river.

“We will have to find her in the morning.” Caspian said this as he turned to get down and head for their lodgings.

Steven looked across the river, and over at the fortress. The night felt like a bit of a bust. He had learned that two young kids had been paraded through the city and then back out, prisoners of The Guard, but had not yet found more. Now Rox was separated again. At least this time she was close.

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 138

“Let’s break up the party. You go that way I’ll go this way” Sure this always works. Well at least Rox is still in the city, and we have a prearranged meeting point. So long as she can walk.

The next morning, Roxanne woke to the smell of breakfast being cooked somewhere. She sat up, and looked around the room, confirming all that had happened the night before. She pulled the robe on, and went to the door. She was about to grasp the knob when she remembered the warning not to. Roxanne looked closely at the knob, and saw a small needle sticking out of the round knob, right where she would put her palm. A second needle was on the other side of the knob, for her fingers. Roxanne looked the door over a moment, then found the latch on the edge, and pulled it open, checking first for anything that might prick. She went down the hall and stairs back to where she remembered the kitchen.

The brown haired woman, Karen, wearing a skirt and blouse, sat at the table eating some toast and eggs with some fruit aside. Another woman shorter and younger in age was cooking at the wood stove. The younger woman had medium length black hair, another of the local skirt-and-blouse-with-a-vest costumes, an athletic build, and was more than head and shoulders shorter than Rox. She stood with the relaxed stance of total self-assuredness. She turned to look at Roxanne.

“How would you like your eggs?”

Roxanne looked quickly at Karen’s plate. The eggs were scrambled, with some stuff added to them. She motioned toward the plate. “Like that will do.”

Rox sat down, in a chair that felt slightly too small. Her knees almost bumping the table. She looked around in curiosity, but there was nothing outstanding about the kitchen or dining area. Utensils arrayed in order, a cabinet with dishes in it, shelves and counters as expected in any kitchen. A large cast iron wood stove with a water tank attached to it sat against an inner wall, with a hood over it, the flue ran across the room toward an outer wall. Rox was a little surprised to see the sink had in-door plumbing. It was a hand pump, but there it was next to the water tank.

She was given a silver plate with silver utensils to eat with and a glass mug to drink from. The toast was just right. The eggs had some diced vegetables and spicing in them. They were also delicious. The fruit was fresh. She was only offered water to drink.

When she finished her food Karen spoke.

“So, we need to get you back with your party. Any ideas where to go look for them?”

“One or two.” Rox continued enjoying her food.

“Do you think you can get there from here?” Karen was used to evasive conversations, but did not really enjoy them when honesty was better.

“With a bit of walking.”

“Roxanne, you need to trust me. I can help you get around this city, and back with your traveling companions. Or you can fumble about, and probably get caught by the guards.”

“You think I am that incapable?”

“No. I think you are on unfamiliar ground, and all but completely out of your own element.”

Roxanne had to concede the point, but it did nothing to make her feel better. “You are right about all that, Karen. And I am a bit too obvious to just go sneaking around. What do you recommend?”

The younger woman brought a pitcher of water over and set it down, with her own plate of food and setting. She then sat at the table to the other side of Karen from Rox.

“Well, you are taller than anybody local. So we make you as unremarkable as we can in every other way. Mainly in getting you a cloak that covers you to your feet, with a deep hood. Then you keep yourself cloaked in darkness.” Karen started into a fresh mug of water she had poured while speaking.

“While we go, Roxanne, I can also tell you some of what I know about why your kids are here.”

This comment by Karen made Rox stop and look at her.