101 – Karen continues debriefing, The trio enters Skarg

  She entered her bed room, leaving the door open behind her. She crossed the vaguely musty room to the double doors to the small private balcony, and opened these to their stops, feeling them latch open. Even for winter it was warm out, and the room needed the air if she was going to be staying in it. She lit the fire in the fireplace, feeling the air in the vents that were through out the house circulate warmer.

  Karen turned to her closet and divested herself of her equipment and costume. The equipment and harness onto her grandmother’s chest. The rest was draped onto a chair, to be dealt with later.  The cape went on a hanger.

  Karen's leather harness and girdle had a knife hung hilt down from the left suspender, a pair of interchangeable leather pouches from the front of the girdle, and her primary weapons at her hips from the sides of the girdle. There were points around the whole where she could attach other equipment at need. Shoulder pauldrons were attached to the suspenders, and rerebrace pads fastened to these, and had straps that went around her arms to prevent them from flapping about.

  A pair of hard leather vambraces covered her forearms, the left side had a sheathed stiletto on its inside, the right a broader cutting knife, the handles arranged where she could cross draw both at the same time. Karen then removed her elbow and knee pads, putting each piece on the chest as she removed it. Occasionally she wore hard leather grieves, but only when she was expecting a lot of trouble; otherwise she left these aside for mobility.

  Her trousers had a drawstring waist, with gussets at the lower leg, as well as a billows seam at the crotch. Lining the interior of the legs were several pouches and pockets for assorted weapons and tools accessible through slits in the trousers, in addition to the normal cargo pockets and hip pockets. The seat was triple reinforced, right through the bellows seam, as also the knees. If she needed to splint her legs, she carried enough stiff things in the trousers to act as splints.

  When she wore her long boots, these covered the lower gussets and up to just below her knees; if she wore short boots, as she did this night, these only came above her ankles.

  Her jacket was cut bulky around her torso, with a draw cord at the waist, and buttons on the wide double breast all the way up. The shoulders and upper arms were loose with gussets on the forearms. Fingerless leather gauntlets protected her hands and forearms. Several more pockets and sheaths were arrayed on the interior of the jacket. The inside is the equivalent of a load bearing vest, which attached to her trousers. She chose a cloth as durable as some tent fabrics.

  Next was an insulating layer against the cold. Compared to her specialized equipment, these linen long-johns were of the usual design and construction, dyed a dark gray.

  Karen wore a bodysuit as underwear. It was of leather for support and protection, and fabric to move and breathe. The leather segments protected her ribs, trunk, and groin. It had short sleeves with some leather on the shoulders on her arms and went to her knees with thigh and hip pads below. She wore this under her business suit, or most any suit, as she felt the circumstances would require.

  As the weather or social circumstance required, she wore a cape over top of all as needed. She also carried a slim backpack with her extra sundries, as needed. She carried many knives, but no tiger claws or leg climbers as she did not need them. Two blow tubes with needles, a garrote and several assorted lengths of cord, several vials and pouches of chemicals, all were in appropriate jacket or trouser pockets, as was some black makeup. Her first aid and sewing kits were among the contents of the pouches on her girdle. Winter gloves that fit over her gauntlets were kept though not yet in use. Assorted bits of money were in a pouch in her belt. Depending on the weather, Karen used a scarf or balaclava to cover her face.

  Her favorite weapons to use was a pair of sai’s, carried on either hip, though sometimes she carried a short sword across her back attached horizontal to the girdle. Professionally Karen usually killed with a knife, most often her stiletto. She was trained to use most anything, being taught the fundamentals of every weapon the guild could teach. She was not an archer, but she could use most any bow, and occasionally carried one with the quiver attached to her back. She could use pole-arm's, staves, swords, and blunt weapons. She was not an alchemist, but did know poisons, and antidotes, as well as many herbs and other pharmacological stuff. She could sew, and sneak, pick locks, and kill.

  As Karen undressed, she made a list to herself of maintenance issues; the harness would need to be oiled, the metal buckles and equipment cleaned and inspected for rust. The tunic and trousers would need washing. Last all the leather would need oiling, the individual pieces and the body suit. Her underwear went on the top of the pile. It was all still a slight bit damp. She put on fresh underwear from the bureau, and a nightgown from the closet.

  Karen closed the doors leaving one slightly open, and moved to her bed. Set into a dais, it was a good sized pit lined with black fur and a few blankets, and very soft. She sat in the middle of it, her legs folded and her hands on her knees, palms up. Karen then began to focus her attention down to just her breathing. As she did, her mind stilled from the excitement of the evening, and the chill of the river and season left her body.

  Karen woke up, warm and comfortable, wrapped in a favorite blanket. At some point she had stretched out and pulled the blanket over her. But she could not clearly remember when. The light in the room told her it was approaching midday. The morning breeze had cooled things nicely. Now it was beginning to warm.

  Karen returned to the sitting position from the previous night, and worked to bring her memory to clear recall. She then got up, got a lap desk, her journal, a stylus, and an ink well. She also picked up her waterproof case, which was in one of her girdle pouches, with the papers that she had copied from the official records. She sat back down, and wrote in the journal all that she had read and learned. This she followed with her conclusions. She closed the book, putting the papers in the book next to the entry. This took some time, and then she was ready to proceed with the day with a meal and a bath.

  As she tended to the activities of the day, her mind worked over what she had learned, and what she was going to do to accomplish her task. The first thing she needed to do was find the parents and the wizard. People as tall as the parents were figured to be would be easy to spot in a crowd, if you can find the right crowd.

  So, how to find the right crowd?

  Caspian and the Caplan’s traveled along a road toward Skarg. It had become increasingly busy as they moved from the rural to the suburban, and finally the urban.

  Caspian had done a good job in teleporting them into the area. They had landed near the disk at the Wizard’s villa, and then traveled through the woods in the area for a short part of the day, before finding the road, and getting proper directions to Skarg. The horses and mules were quite stirred up and skittish after being teleported. The change from summer to winter did not help, as the animals quickly chilled under their summer coats. It was all that could be done to lead them for a few hours, without the animals taking fright at every rock and root, or just standing and shivering

  After a few day’s travel, they now traveled southwest on a main highway approached the tax and duty station on the northeast  outskirts of the metropolis.

  Much discussion had passed on how to get into the city, without causing commotion about Steven’s size and Roxanne’s appearance. The decision was to simply put on the ubiquitous cloaks over their costumes, get a cart to ride in, and let Caspian do the talking. Rox and Steven had enough Traders Cant to pass as northern traders, by language. Their size on the other hand . . .

  At a passing farm, Caspian had acquired a cart, with a pair of draft ponies, trading the three horses and two mules. Caspian had carefully selected other boxes and bags of stuff from two markets along the way. Steven had asked about where Caspian got the money for this, to which Caspian gave a noncommittal answer.

  Steven and Rox now sat in the box of the wagon with the cargo, their gear wrapped up in some cargo bags. Caspian’s staff was under his feet on the driver’s bench. Cyrril was somewhere nearby. It was not quite cold enough to see their breath in the day, but it did cool down in the evening.

  Roxanne asked about the language, as she and Steven did not understand the local language. Caspian was non committal, mentioning that in a free moment, he would magic it into their heads for them. Steven though this would be amusing, to mark yet another permanent new language for the trip.

  Now Caspian pulled the cart to a stop as the gate keepers motioned him to. The keepers were quickly inspecting each wagon as they entered, and checking invoices as available. As Steven watched and listened he saw the gate keeper respond with some slight pause to Caspian’s accent, and use of what Steven gathered was a local trader’s dialect, instead of the local language. But the gate keeper dismissed it, as his two helpers looked quickly over the cart and the goods in it. Rox and Steven's gear bags were looked through, with their weapons ends hanging out of them, but little other fuss was made. Evidently things were acceptable. After a moment with a requisition, Caspian paid a sum, and was waved on.

  The ponies pulled them into the city, and toward a market area. Along the way, Steven and Rox pulled their personal gear bags out, and climbed out of the cart. They had arranged for the Caplan's to find a place to stay, and meet Caspian after he had sold his goods.

  Steven led out, with the crowd parting minimally as they moved through it. They surveyed the inns for part of the area, and selected one. Using the traders language from the north, they got two rooms, and went up to put their stuff away. After securing things, they went back out to find Caspian. Cyrril found them as they moved down the street, and shortly Caspian showed up. He reported that he had parked the cart, and stabled the ponies.

  Steven led them back to the inn, and showed Caspian the room they had got for him. It was not as fancy as what the elves provided, but it had a window and all else it needed in this climate and setting. Caspian, like the Caplan's had done previously, was able to divest himself of his travel gear and lighten his load.

  The trio went out and spent the remainder of the afternoon getting acclimated to the local neighborhood and learning the landmarks. The inn Steven had selected was connected to a corner tavern with a open-air café occupying the bulk its part of the corner, the main tavern to one side the inn to the other. The area looked to cater to travelers and traders.

102 – Skarg: Assets And Liabilities

The structures averaged three stories tall, with the first level being mostly stonework walls, and the second and above usually being wood frames with stucco walls, with shuttered windows. Some structures had stonework second levels, and some were as much as five levels to the roofs. Most roofs looked to be nearly flat, or having dormers and an attic taking advantage of the last bit of structure.

The main roads were wide enough to turn a harnessed team around at the intersections. The secondary roads would take the larger freight wagons two abreast with space to spare, and the alleys were mostly wide enough for the little single pony carts.

As for carts, there was more animal and cart traffic than anywhere the Caplan's had seen. Small goods carts with a single animal, medium sized flatbed wagons with a team in traces, large low slung freight wagons with two or more teams in yoke; and there were people-moving carts and carriages of every description and size. There were also a significant number of riders on single animals, and some leading strings of animals. The majority of animals were horses, but there were some cattle and other animals in evidence, including some that Steven would classify as related to llama's.

The road surfaces were cobbled with worn brick of some kind, and all sloped to the middle, with occasional metal grates. The sidewalks were wide enough for pedestrian traffic to pass without having to step in the animals exhaust before it got cleaned up.

As they got oriented the crowds of locals and traders began to make sense in their flow. Finally after seeing where the cart and ponies were being boarded, and passing two different markets that each had wagon trains in winter residence, they worked their way back to the inn, and dinner.

They took a table in the open air market and watched as the crowd went past, and the evening chill slowed the city a little. As they talked, Steven suggested that should they all get separated, the place to get back together was the tavern across the street.

Steven explained when Caspian challenged his reasoning.

“Well, for one it's inside, therefore warm. Also it reduces the visibility of people to outside observers. It's not where we are staying, so if there is someone following they will not immediately be led to the rest of our things. It looks to be as large as this one, including both the café and the tavern.”

Caspian listened, nodding. “That all makes sense. Also it had a visible sign that you can describe: a bird in a cauldron. And it is at the corner of a major and a secondary road.”

Rox interjected. “I'd call it a pot, but still . . .”

Caspian did not worry about this. “I guess we are agreed, then. If separated, meet back there for or by the next meal. If two meals are missed, then we will start looking for each other.”

That evening back in the Caplan's room, they looked over the three sets of trackers they now have. The set that Caspian made in the woods had expired while in Veradale. The set he had made there worked up until the day or so before leaving Shalaia. Near as Caspian could tell, they were still working, but being blocked, somehow. An elf Magic Master, not Master Iver, had made a set with hair from each child brought fresh from earth, but had said this set would not be ready for another day or so, to allow a week for the amulets to cure and the magic to set.

Roxanne looked at the sets. One rough made set having no mana about it, this being the set from the woods; one finer set having mana but not showing anything but a swirl, this being the set made in Veradale; one set that looked jewel crafted that showed a growing organization of mana, this set being from Shalaia. “So, what do we do?”

Steven answered first. “We can either wait and see, or go start asking around. I saw what I took to be a town crier hanging a bill like this on a message board. I can’t read it, but it looks like some kind of festivities notice.”

Steven handed the handbill to Caspian. It took Caspian a moment to decipher the hand writing and then the alphabet, but after several moments he read a notice for a citywide day of celebration being thrown by The King and Queen, in celebration of a vanquished enemy. Adjoining this would be a ball held in the palace. Those suitably dressed would be allowed entrance to the palace grounds, and to the ball and banquet there. Caspian read it over again to himself. Then looked at the Caplan’s.

“This is too convenient.” Caspian commented.

“Step into my web, said the spider to the fly.” Steven responded.

Caspian did not understand the specifics, but guessed that he did understand the generals. “Yeah. It’s too convenient. Or it may just be a coincidence. The only way to find out for sure is to attend. And we may overhear a few loose lips and learn the information we need.”

“How soon is it?” Rox asked.

Caspian looked the bill over again. “Three days.”

Rox though about this. “Well, the tailors are going to be busy, if this city is like Veradale or Hollywood, and aristocrats and celebrities are the same here as back home.”

Steven nodded. “New gowns.”

“And suits,” Rox added.

Caspian nodded, beginning to track across their train of thought, with his own. “So, do we go listen in the tailors and clothes sellers in the garment sections?”

Rox nodded. “Sure. And also see what the going fashions are and what we might do about it.”

Karen saw the bulletin, and grimaced. Since her sister died, Karen had eschewed going to any party. Those people she knew personally would undoubtedly bring up one of two subjects, both of which hurt to discuss; her sister, and her own lack of husband. As she had been socially inactive since the last spring, Karen did not have an in-season gown. So she could either wear one of last years, or go get a new one, and count it as expenses.

Karen did not doubt that this party might be a lure to try to attract the parents of the children who had been paraded through the streets a week or so prior. The uncertainty was whether they were in the area. On the other hand, it might be the King throwing a party to celebrate. It was doubtful the queen would be in attendance, as she had disappeared socially near twenty years ago, at the time of her change.

As Karen though about this, she wondered whether it was so uncertain that the ball was a trap. Magic users could make trackers tuned to individuals. That was part of why assassins did their best never to leave any traces. It was therefore possible that someone in the palace had one for the parents of the kids, and could therefore tell about where they were. Then it would be simple to draw then into vulnerability and kill or capture one, or both.

The more Karen thought about it, the more she felt she would have to go to the palace ball. So, in a new gown, or one from last season?

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 133

Second day in Skarg. Our trackers aren’t working right now, so we need to ask around, and risk capture or worse.

I found a handbill about a party being thrown by the local Royals. Scuttlebutt says it has many purposes. One may be that our kids were here in this city the day we teleported into this kingdom from Shalaia. So we may be closer to them now than we have been since the first week on planet.

Caspian says he has again magically given us the local language. Today I will put this to the test, as we find and get fitted for local formals.

Caspian had done his language spell again, for all of them, as he did not really know the local dialect. For targets he had used as many locals as the spell could find, up to a dozen, while they slept. Steven and Rox both found their dreams again in a new language half way through the night.

The next morning, they began exploring the city in earnest. Caspian readily admitted that he had never been here before, and did not know his way any better than the Caplan’s did. Like the other cities they had been through, the various districts demarcated themselves by devices hung from the door signs and a few street lamps. Another thing that was in greater evidence here than the northern cities was an taxi type of service among the carriages. Rox hired one to take them to the tailor’s district, and then they set out to explore.

They spotted what the local city guards looked like, being in chain mail and leather tunics, with metal helmets. They carried billy clubs. There seemed to be one every forth block or so, on patrol singly or in pairs. The higher ranked ones carried swords and rode horses. Several stood guard were the road passed through an internal city wall, bottlenecking traffic briefly as it went. The tall thick wall appeared to once have been an external wall, that the city had long since expanded beyond. The locals decorated it accordingly, and several holes had been cut in it for the roads and sidewalks that now passed through.

The city was not crowded, but it was well populated, with plenty of people going about their business. The carts and carriages plied the roads, and pedestrians on the sidewalks. Steven felt the city looked like a variant design on some of the older pre-World War II Germanic and Swiss towns he had seen.

Rox wore the one gown she had brought with, with her girdle about her waist, one of her purses and knives on it, under her cloak. Steven had noticed that the men went about mostly armed, though with want looked at first glance to be costume swords. As a result he wore his girdle and sword under his cloak, but like Rox not his full travel kit. Caspian chose to go off on his own to ask around, and see what he could learn from any local magic users, but he found himself walking in the direction of the Caplan’s out of concern for their being in a strange and unfriendly place. He sent Cyrril out to look around for any local magic as he went.

Roxanne and Steven quickly found that their height worked both for and against them. They stood a head and a bit taller than virtually everyone, though looking over the men's unwashed hair was not very appealing. Most of the women wore bonnets, or some similar head covering. They could see each other easily enough. They walked together, she at his left. As they went, Rox looked in the windows of the various shops, and they listened as best they discretely could to the conversations around them. At the corners, they were propositioned by the street vendors, but like about two of three people just walked by.

What the Caplan’s did pick up from the conversation was that this was an unusual but not unheard of ball, as most Royal Balls were by invitation only. But at least one holiday a year was open to the public, with other occasional holiday balls open to the public. As well, much of the populous was not quite sure what this ball commemorated. They did happen to hear one society lady, a well fed woman who they guessed to be older than themselves, seamed to think it had to do with some military procession a week before. Another well fed woman disagreed and said it was about a new minister coming from a nearby kingdom, and bringing an eligible daughter with him to meet the locals; she was certainly going to have her son in attendance.

The Caplan’s moved on.

103 – Searching for Clothes and People

  Rox stopped at each dress shop that had a dummy in its window. Steven was surprised at all the plate glass windows with wooden multi-panel shutters he saw here. Veradale had an industry in stained and colored glass. The elves had smaller windows with glass block and a few glass pains in their mountain top city. Here in this city it seamed that glass was as plentiful and easy to acquire as at home, on Earth. As were the window washers. Rox marveled at the fabrics and gown designs. She soon was able to pick out the society ladies and gentlemen from the lowerclassmen by their dress. Pastels seamed to be the colors of the season. Where as the lower class was much more utilitarian, though still with their own style. It seamed that this city was on good economic standing, and wealthy enough to indulge in cloth.

  Rox decided to approach her gown design as she did a car. What did the customer want, and what available parts could be acquired and reconditioned as opposed to purchased new? She did not want to purchase a dress, but wondered about maybe trying an illusion. But she would need a convincing under lay to attach the illusion to. Her Elf gowns were mostly where she could not easily retrieve them, and she did not want to buy a new one. She had the elf skirt she was wearing, but its cut, fit and color would scream ‘I’m an outsider’ louder than if she tried to wear her jeans and t-shirt. She had one of the smocks from the palace in Veradale. It would be good for underwear for the illusion she was considering. She would need Caspian’s input.

  For his part, Steven also realized that nothing he had would be useful for looking formal. So he stopped a man who looked like a runner for someone, and asked where someone from outside the city might be able to borrow a suit.

  After spending the morning wandering through eight blocks of stores and shops, mostly rag-mongers, with a good assortment of tailors and seamstresses, they stopped at a corner café for lunch. Steven was mildly surprised that they had not been accosted by any street thieves, but then neither was wearing much of apparent value, that could be easily lifted. Also at Rox’s instigation, she and Caspian had put a few protective spells on their things. The elves had made the pouches secure in themselves. Steven wondered if the spells were actually spells or placebos.

  As they ate, Cyrril came and landed on their table, took a meat roll from the plate they were eating from, and left. Shortly after, Caspian came striding up, staff clicking on the cobbled walk, munching on the roll Cyrril had taken, and sat down to join them.

  “How has your morning been?” Caspian spoke to them in the language from up north, as he finished the roll.

  Roxanne had her mouth clear first. “Instructive. I have found plenty of ideas for a gown. But I want to talk more about that in private.”

  Steven took up the conversation as Roxanne dipped a meat roll into the dipping sauce and then took a bite.

  “I have found two places we could borrow suits. I will have to go back and be fitted immediately if that is going to happen, though. I thought you were going to try to see some of your fellow spell-casters. Did they have anything to say?”

  Another plate of meet rolls and a cup of water was put down for Caspian. Then the waiter went away. Caspian pulled a meat roll apart and dipped it in what Steven would call salsa, but it was too bland for his liking and tasted like cucumbers.

  “Well, yes and no. I found two magic users. One was an old man gone senile, cared for by his grandson’s family. The other was more help. She had more to say about the local situation and monarchs than about anything that really concerns us. Most of the local magic community has gone to ground over the last years, or is living in the outskirt towns as house retainers. She thinks this has led to the necromancers causing trouble by improperly influencing the local youth. The Queen is not well though of among the magic users, and it is to get clear of her that they have left. I got the impression that there is a larger story there, but no further idea what.”

  Rox impatiently turned the conversation to her concern. “What about the ball, why is it happening? Did she know?”

  Caspian finished his bit and answered. “I have heard several versions. The most common pieces are that a week ago there was some kind of military parade to and from the palace and this ball is in commemoration of it. The other pieces involve diplomatic and social happenings that don’t seem to agree in any two stories.”

  Steven nodded. “That agrees with what we have heard. On the parade and the others. The handbill did mention a vanquished enemy.”

  Roxanne finished eating, got up, and wandered away leaving Caspian and Steven to pay, and then go to a tailor and get fitted for borrowed suits. Caspian quietly groused about being fitted the whole time. Steven found Caspian’s discomfort amusing, considering how often he had been discomforted in this adventure.

  That evening, back in their rooms, Rox tried to do some illusions showing what she had seen earlier. Caspian saved her some time, by producing his glass marble and then touching it to the hem of her dress, he then cast a spell on and around it. Steven sat back to watch the show, remembering the last time he had seen that marble.

  Unlike that time, Caspian constrained the image, once it started, to a bit larger than a crate, and then either sped through it, or paused it as he and Rox talked. Soon they were understanding each other, and working to a common goal. They would have to create an illusory gown for Rox, as a borrowed one would take a week to fit, and a new one nearly as long.

  Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 135

  This is an interesting city. I understand it is a monarchy, and this is the capitol. Yet it seems as free and as restricted as many of the non USA cities I have been in. They evidently do not have printing presses, so graphic artists do a busy job of hand bills, yet they have books and scrolls of sufficient abundance that they can sell them to the public. They do a good business in window glass. Few people are armed, and most strangers evidently stop carrying shortly after arriving. The local guardsmen and constables appear to be in good favor.

  Yet I sense that there is some underlying malevolence. From what the elves drilled into us about the monarchs here, I wonder what it would take to instigate a revolution, whether by coup or uncivil uprising.

  The next two days found Steven with little to do beyond wander around. So he did, learning as much of the city as he could, tending to their horses in their rented stable, and generally staying out of Caspian and Roxanne’s way. For their part, Roxanne was doing her best to learn how to control the illusion spell that Caspian was doing his best to teach her. They based it on one Master Iver had briefly had Rox attempt. In this case, to maintain the spell, they needed two objects: one to carry the spell and one to be its focus, like a light source and a lens. Her drape that she had worn in Veradale was to carry the spell, and a cheep silver amulet that Caspian had picked up was to act as the focus. In the end she had an illusory gown that looked like it came from one of the local tailors, with a bit of elfin cut to it. The colors drew from the layers of the drape she wore, a light blue outer layering with white under. For some reason that she could not define, Rox felt to tie a length of cord to her short staff as a lanyard and keep it at hand, as a swagger stick.

  Caspian helped her invest her short staff with a few spells. She had several times demonstrated that it magically extended and broke apart, and on investigating, Caspian determined that it would not take or use any spells while it was in components. He figured that it was actually still one stick, but a small gate of some specific kind allowed the stick to be used as two pieces, and turned all other spells inactive when this one was. It also had the intrinsic property of the energized ends canceling out any spell they both came in contact with. During a quick impromptu drill Caspian put up a variety of static spells and Rox passed the energized staff ends through, and found that combat spells it defused or discharged. The domestic ones, it left alone.

  For investing the staff with spells, Rox kept to spells and ideas she was familiar with. Rox thought of one as a machine gun; basically a magic supply of darts. Another she thought of as a flashlight; this shone a beam inline with the staff from the end she had come to use as the top. At this point, Rox hoped she would not need any others, and that she could brute force her way out of any situation that these could not handle.

  Over the last days and nights Karen had been trawling through the markets looking for any adult half-elves in at least occasional company of magic users. She started near the district where she lived. Karen figured they most likely would come from the sea so she started with all the ports on the northwest river front of the Krogg River working north. Then she went south on the east side of the river front to where the rivers merged, and southeast up the north side of the Garmad River, then backtracked on the south side, past the Palace Island. By the time she finished with the west end of the south side of the Krogg River, where it left the city and ran down hill to the coast, she had not found anything. That had taken her two nights of hopping roof tops and scanning with her senses.

  Next she began working her way across the city in a right handed turn, starting in a northerly direction across the west markets on the north side of the west riverfront, she eventually turned east across the north districts, and around to the east highway markets.

  Karen had found a few half-elves, but only two who were not local. The locals who were half-elf most often were the children of rape from when a war-quest from the cave-dwelling Urnvtai elf communities near by got a burr under their saddle and went on a rampage. That had not happened in several years, but about a dozen years prior there had been a spate of that. These half-elves were all juveniles, so Karen dismissed them.

  Next she had found one older half-elf with a mage scouring the markets for musical instruments. They had been instructed to head a few days travel east into the mountains and the city there that specialized in musical instruments. They left Skarg, and had disappeared. Karen dismissed them.

  Then she had crossed back over the Krogg River and entered the northeast districts and started through their markets. This was where the main highway left Skarg and went north. Most of the markets here were of goods going or coming to the city, before the loads were broken down and distributed. She paid careful attention to the two caravans of traders in their grounds, but found nothing. Then she found a trace of a sleeping half-elf. Returning the next morning she found what she guessed was her targets; a tall half-elf female, not of the local short Urnvtai stock, traveling with a very large man, and a mage.

  After discretely following the half elf and her mate around, Karen learned that this was indeed her target. The magic user had a dragon as a familiar. Not completely unheard of, but dragons were not native to Tywacomb, so it meant that there was some off-planet going’s on somewhere in the background. Also that she could not just follow him around as the familiar would spot her easily.

  As she followed the half-elf and mate, Karen learned of their need for information, and that they were planning on going to the ball at the palace. This cemented Karen’s need to go to the ball. So she had to decide what to wear. Karen followed from a distance as the half-elf window shopped the local dress shops. Karen felt her own bit of aristocratic class bubble up, as she would not even consider having her drapes for her taverns done by these seamstresses and tailors.

  The next day Karen followed the large man around, as he seamed to wander aimlessly. She noticed that he walked like a predator on open ground, and appeared to be minimally armed. He had put his sword aside after wearing it for the first day, evidently after seeing that most of the city was orderly. She brushed past him as he stopped to look at a silver smith’s wears, and touched him, to psionically remember his ‘flavor’ and be more able to find him in the future. She had not been able to get this close to the half-elf, but figured that he was the father of the two kids, and the half-elf the mother. As she touched him, Karen learned she had guessed right, about ‘Steven.’

  Karen then left off and went home to deal with her own gown for the ball. She still had a day and a half, but that would barely be enough to get her chosen gown worked over.

104 – Welcome to The Party

  Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 137

  Going to this ball seamed  like a good idea at the time. Now, I wonder what we are expecting to happen.

  Caspian stood against the wall as the Caplan's sat on the bed. Steven had started the conversation. “What are we looking for?”

  Caspian answered. “Anyone talking about the reason for this ball. And where they were taken.”

  Rox's brief experiences with official happenings in Veradale were at the foremost of her concerns. “Remember, don't start the conversation about our kids, unless you can deflect any suspicion that may arise.”

  Steven brought the conversation back to his original concern.“So what's the plan?”

  Caspian had thought about this. “Spread out, find the important people, and discretely listen without attracting attention. I have not sensed any magical attention on us, but if they are using trackers like we have for your kids, then I wouldn't. I would presume that if they were aware of us, and considered us a threat, they would have moved against us by now.”

  Steven countered Caspian's initial idea. “Or we could listen for and to the chatterboxes and socialites. The problem then becomes distinguishing between the chatter and the facts.”

  As the conversation continued, Steven conceded to Caspian that authority figures were a good source, and Caspian conceded that the socialites were as well. Roxanne was mostly concerned with not attracting attention.

  That evening Caspian and the Caplan's set out from their hotel rooms with Roxanne on Steven’s arm. Under her cloak, Roxanne wore an illusory elfin looking dress attached to one of the smocks from Veradale, and taking its substance from it, with an amulet on a necklace around her neck driving the illusion. Her mane had returned to full growth thanks to some magic after having had it cut short on Earth, the sides being about a cubit long, tied in rope braids with costume gold bands at the bottoms; the middle stood up free of the hood of the cloak. Under the illusory skirt she had secured her staff into her belt by the lanyard she had wrapped around one end. Steven and Caspian wore suits of the local season’s flavor, with short coats, and pantaloons that cuffed and bloused mid-calf, and stockings and black buckled shoes below that. Both men had made it a point to shave and trim their beards carefully. Caspian had again changed the size  of his staff and stuck it into a pocket of his coat. All three were slightly chilled by the cool night versus the cut of their clothes.

  Cyrril was not in visible evidence, Caspian having instructed him to keep clear of the palace, after the little dragon had tried to get near on his own, and been scared off by something he could not clearly define to Caspian. In his spare time after, Caspian had simply remarked that there was a lot of old heavy magic about the palace fortress, most of it martial in feel. It should not interfere with their plans to go in an listen around.

  They caught one of the carriages that wandered the city as a taxi service. The leather and fabric top to the carriage had been deployed, but not the sides. Initially the three rode alone, but Caspian soon switched from his position in the passenger area to being on the bench with the driver as another couple was picked up.

  This was a local couple and initially tried to engage Steven and Rox in conversation. The woman wanted to talk about who did what since the last ball, the man about what business he might do with Steven. As soon as it was understood that Steven and Rox were from a long way away and just traveling through, the couple seemed to lapse into an uncomfortable silence, since  there was noting familiar to talk about.

  The carriage turned onto a main road heading south, and the whole way in, Steven and Rox had a good view past the driver and Caspian of the fortress/palace they were going to. The carriage joined a line traveling across the western most bridge over the Skarg River into the fortress. Other bridges could be seen crossing the river to the island, and from the city on the north to the city on the south. Also the river here was wide enough that there were shipping docks visible on both shores. The line of carriages went into a large court yard were it turned and lined up to some stairs. Here each carriage jockeyed into position, and the passengers  dismounted from the carriage. 

  The Caplan's deferred to the local couple to disembark first, then followed. Caspian got off the drivers bench easily, and adjusted his trousers slightly. The three then followed the flow of people. A squad of Palace Guards in polished breastplates over their fabric tunics and trousers stood with pikes at presentation as an honor guard lining the yard and a short formal staircase to a formal Palace Entrance. The Caplan's climbed the stairs and entered the palace.

  Karen wore a body hugging gown of very light tan. The gown generally allowed her full freedom of movement in the skirts and shoulders. She had ended up taking one of her three last-seasons gowns to a tailor and having it adjusted for this season, mostly in removing some of the trim, shortening the hem accommodating for the two less layers of petticoat, and slitting last season's puffy sleeves open from the wrist to the elbow with the cuff adjusted to still close at the wrist. Jeweled hairpins, large enough to be weapons, held her medium length brown hair off her neck. A small jeweled stiletto in its sheath hung as a necklace center pointing into her cleavage, in the wide collar. The rest of the necklace is a crescent style collar filling the open neck of her dress. She carried a small leather clutch hung on the sash of her gown.

  She rode to the palace in one of the many coaches that plied the city, with another couple from the block she lived on. These knew her as the unmarried and only surviving daughter of a prosperous merchant family. So Karen played this roll, talking up the wife on what was happening socially, and then turning to the husband and talking about his business, and their children. She was able to keep both chatting enough to avoid them asking her any substantive questions beyond her general condition.

  Within the palace was the usual Formal Hall. This had several stair cases and openings to the available wings of the buildings. There were paired guards with velvet ropes blocking access to the left hand wing entrances on all levels, a few of which were dark, and two that had curtains across them. Some people moved straight through the hall into a courtyard between the structures. The rest turned right/west and went into the wings there, whether by descending a flight, staying on this level and going along a hall, or by ascending to one of the three apparent levels above this one. Each floor was about three times the height from floor to ceiling as the average person here was tall. The walls were covered with assorted hangings trophy decorations, and paintings of various sizes. Some times the display was orderly and impressive. Others were just thrown up, almost literally.

  Aside from preventing passage into other parts of the structure, the guards were almost invisible, patrolling in pairs with swords at their belts, or standing watch with the pikes. As outside, these wore the polished breastplates over dress costumes. A few even paused to chat with the locals.

  Steven leaned to Rox as they walked. “This place reminds me of a mall, or The Pentagon.  Probably the latter, as I doubt the public is allowed into the office areas, without need.”

  Caspian interrupted. “How shall we proceed, and where would you like to set our assembly point?”

  Steven did a quick scan, speaking as he did. “Five apparent levels from here. No clear idea how deep any of them go for access into the structure, though it probably is not as deep as some suppose. There are probably but not definitely connecting stairways deeper in, but we have no idea if they connect to all the other levels. I would say that our rally point is that bench there.”

  Steven had turned and pointed to a bench beside a hallway on this level that was guarded by a pair of guards.

“It has a clear view of everything that is not directly above it. There are already others using it, so standing near it should not be much issue, mostly. And we all can find our way back here.”

  Rox nodded while people watching, studying  the crowd.

  Caspian looked at the bench, then turned to Steven. “Very well. Assuming we don't bump into each other sooner, meet there as soon after as possible after the tocsins sound one. I will start on the top, as that will allow me to clear my senses and get a better sense of the magics at work here, in order to deal with them the rest of the night.”

  Rox and Steven turned as Caspian went to the closest stairs and started climbing. The Caplan's strode into the hall on this level and followed the crowd wandering through it. Due to her novice skill with her magic senses, Rox barely perceived a buzzing at the back of her mind. Caspian needed to reset his senses, proverbially getting a breath of fresh air, or he was going to have a smashing headache before very long.

  Each of the levels, while arranged differently for their specifics, were generally arranged the same. The lower the level, the thicker the arches and pillars that demarcated the areas, but otherwise these lined up. There were large rooms with various buffet tables in array, several rooms appeared to be set for conversations with the furniture arranged in discrete arrangements. In one of these, Rox and Steven paused to listen to a man at the center of a spirited debate. There were three rooms on the east-west leg of the first floor with between four and a dozen musicians playing various forms of dance music as people did rounds and turns on the floors. The Caplan's passed a room that seemed to be just for sitting and drinking. This rooms outer doors were open to a balcony that looked north across the river. The bridge and its steady stream of carriages were easily visible. Looking up and down there were other like sized balconies almost at random on this section of wall. They passed one room on the inner side of the wing that had been taken over by the kitchen staff and was the local staging area for managing the buffets.

  At the end of the hall was a larger banquet room, with medium sized orchestra on the far left, a dance floor in the middle, a buffet to the right side of the room, and most of the wall open to a similarly large porch that occupied the western most tip of this part of the island. Looking up it was apparent that this next section of the structure was stepped back with each floor having variously sized balconies and porches that looked down to the one below.  The three floors above were accounted for, so also were the military battlements. Steven briefly wondered where the anti-ship artillery that would normally be deployed from this balcony was currently being kept.

  The hall inside turned south and the rooms repeated the same arrangements, with various social functions happening in each, and a few utility rooms here and there. They even passed one room with discrete booths and a few attendants at hand, that was well vented to the outside, with a large fragrant fire keeping the otherwise malodorous scent from disturbing anyone around it.

  A second large staircase was midway along the north-south running hallway. Here, Rox took leave of Steven and went to the next floor up. Steven continued to the end of the hall and found another balcony arrangement, this defending the south approach from the river. The hallway turned back east and ended up in another atrium with closed passages, and access to the inner yard that this structure section surrounded.

105 – Exploring The Party, Rox gets in a fight

  Steven went down to the first floor and continued his looking around. He soon found that the lower floor had no balconies that were not also docks, and that this floor in general was designated for the juveniles and teens that were not of sufficient discipline, or interested in joining the adults above.

  Roxanne wandered the second floor, pausing in one room to help herself to the buffet. She found herself making small talk with a few other locals, but most were apparently loath to approach her until she sat. Then she was set upon by a token few who took it upon themselves to interrogate and then properly introduce this elfin interloper.

  Rox did not have long to converse, before being taken from the third floor up to the forth floor and introduced around there. She was soon passed about a dance floor, and learning the local dance moves. As they went, she was able to learn little that was truly helpful.

  Caspian got to the top floor and strolled briskly down the hall, checking the rooms for a balcony, and then went out onto the first one he found, looking over the river. He paused and then seeing no one around he closed his eyes, and relaxed as best he could. Then he turned to his magic sense. The entire fortress was weighing heavily on him, but there was also a brooding malevolence pushing against his awareness. Caspian reset his senses, partially by remembering and concentrating on a ditty from his youth. Quickly it was as if a fog lifted, partially. The old magic that was virtually innate to the fortress was still there and dominating his magic senses, but it was now more bearable. The malevolence was also reduced to a peripheral level.

  Reinforced, Caspian turned and went back inside. As the bulk of the party had not yet reached this level in force, the room buffets were not yet stocked. But he found a staging table outside this levels kitchen annex and helped himself to the meat, fruit, bread, and other foods being prepared.

  Caspian then proceeded to explore the available area. This floor had more dancing rooms than the other floors below, with the bands still warming up. To his surprise, in one smaller sitting room Caspian found a few merchants that he knew from elsewhere, and was able to strike up conversation with them. To no surprise, they had no real understanding of the why's of this particular ball, and were availing themselves of the opportunity to socialize with some they might not otherwise have opportunity to, and perhaps arrange some new business. Finally Caspian excused himself and moved on, working his way down through the floors seeking for anyone worth listening to.

  Karen had her senses going sorting through the static and noise of the various minds to find 'Steven' and his wife. As well, she was partially shrouding herself from the other society matrons, who would no doubt try to bring Karen into their circles and hook her up with some man. Her clean range of pickup was the floor she was on, and either the one below or above; there were enough minds beginning to fill the rooms that to try to scan three floors at the same time was too much. So she moved quickly along the second floor first, with scant attention to the kids’ floor below and more attention to the merchants on the floor above.  Getting around the whole of the palace wing, Karen climbed up two levels and started back the way she had come. She thought she picked up Steven on the lower floor but was not paying enough attention to get a good reading, and was not going to break character by backtracking right now.

  This forth level had more diplomats and socialites to interact with, or avoid. The top level was developing a good mix of everyone, as the primary dance floors were on that level. Karen would have to scan that level on its own. Now she focused on everyone on this floor. She got partway around and got a solid reading on a non-local half-elf female. Karen entered the room and looked around. Sure enough there was the tall female with a white mowhawk that Karen had followed on the streets. She was on the dance floor being passed from partner to partner, as a reel was played. Karen took a glass of drink from passing tray for camouflage and sat at a side table to watch, and wait for an opportune moment.

  Roxanne worked along the buffet, taking a break from the dancing to have a bite to eat while considering how to make the talk go to the subject of the reason for the ball. She had kept up with her dance partners, and realized that most of the locals probably recognized her as a juvenile elf, and therefore maritally unattached. As she looked the fruit tray over, she realized that the fresh stuff was all melons, with a few other candied and preserved fruits from other seasons. This struck her as she was looking for the strawberries and blueberries to go with her melon.

  “Traveling through or settling?”

  Rox looked at the man next to her. He wore white over off-white robes, and tingled of magic. He was tall enough she could elbow his nose without raising her arm. His accenting was not quite local.

  “Passing through. We were conducting business and learned of the ball, and came to see.”

  “Oh, then you have some time?”

  “Not much. This has been entertaining, though we don't know quite what it is for.”

  “I sense magic about you. Do you cast?”

  Roxanne was feeling that something was wrong with this situation and she needed to get out of it. Behind her, the orchestra started a new dance number and the floor filled with moving bodies.

  “I have access to some casting. Why do you ask?”

  “I have long had curiosity about elves and their use of magic.”

  “Then perhaps you ought to visit one of our cities, rather than troll about for someone to bother.”

  With that Rox took her plate and stepped away from the buffet and toward a table, where a few ladies were sitting.

  A hand took hold of her arm, almost gently, and tried to turn Rox toward another empty table. The man asked “Will you join me for a bit more conversation?”

  Rox felt his hand wander over to her hip and rump.

  Across the room, Karen senses told her that this man did not have the best of intentions toward the half-elf. Then she saw him put his had to her rump. Karen stood up and started around the perimeter of the room to go intervene.

  Rox grabbed his wrist and pulled it away, squeezing the bones together. “Touch me again, and you loose the hand.”

  Before she let go, he tried to cast a spell. She felt a heavier magic pop and fizzle the spell of this man. Rox turned the rest of the way, smashing her stoneware plate into the man's startled face, and twisted her other hand away from his arm. The plate fell to the floor and clattered, but the room was noisy enough that the sound was unnoticed by most. She stepped away and back to put space between them. He followed, and lunged after her, grabbing her arm again. Rox felt him try to cast a spell again, and again his spell was crushed by a heavier spell.

  Karen peripherally felt the enchantments of the castle thrum, then settle a second time. Suddenly there were two guards with pole arms standing and visible at each of the two sets of doors to this room. Karen briefly wondered if they had been there all along, but somehow shrouded.

  ‘Grenade’ began echoing through Rox’s mind, as she tried to get him to let go. She brought her martial arts to bear, and knocked his hands off her, but he was quickly trying to get his hands on her somewhere, even the arms she was using to deflect him. He was also still trying to subdue her using a spell, as they grappled. She could not understand the words, but could sense the direction of the magic. It was not the same that had failed twice. This would try to affect her will.

  “Shields,” was all she got out as he finished.

  “Come with me.” His spell wrapped around hers and they sparked and spat, trying to drive each other to nothing.

  Roxanne was not waiting. She yanked on his wrist with one hand and punched him in his sternum with the other, through the magic between them. He fell to his knees stunned, letting go of her. His spell fizzed to nothing.

  Rox again tried to leave. He tripped her before she got from him. He then started clawing and crawling up her leg to stand while trying to physically restrain her. He pulled her over in the process. Later she would wonder why he did not try to magically restrain her, or teleport again with her. His hand got to her knee, when she kicked him again with her free leg. But he wrapped this up before she could pull away.

  Roxanne had enough of his groping her. “Shields.” Again her magic shields came on at full intensity, using the floor for a locus. “Grenade.”

  She focused her attention and idea on the base of his skull. ‘This is a dangerous way to practice magic,’ she had been told. ‘The idea you have had better be clear, or it could go awry.’ Roxanne had a clear idea. In moments his neck exploded, becoming so much vaporized tissue. His body stayed put, but went totally limp and fell over. His head came to a pulpy stop under the table next to them. Somewhere near by a woman shrieked in instant hysterics.

  Roxanne let her shields dissipate and pushed the body off her legs. Her ears rang, her thighs were numb from the concussion, but she was in one piece.

  She picked herself up, as she heard his voice.

  “That hurt. Very clever.”

  She turned as he stood up from reaching under the table and put his head to his neck, his neck still reintegrating itself, his head inflating back to shape as he held it in place. He then began to cast a new spell. Roxanne felt her hair start to stand on end and crackle.

  ‘Energy is energy’ and ‘Lightening rod’ flashed through her mind. As her opponent set up to cast a lightening bolt at her. Rox reached into her sash and through the illusion of the gown and grabbed her staff, activating the ends. She planted one end on the ground and tilted the staff toward her opponent. The bolt let loose as she got set. The thunder was deafening, and almost a physical force, knocking several people between and around them down. Her staff glowed white for a moment, but all the energy was directed into the floor. There was now a small burned spot where Rox had planted her staff, and she had some tingling in her hands. But she was still standing.

  Rox pulled the end of the staff off the ground, deactivated the length and pointed the staff at the wizard, letting loose with a barrage of magic darts, like a machine gun.

  She pinned him to the wall with this, then turned toward the doors again. He tried to grapple her from behind as she crossed the room to leave, but only got the butt end of her staff in his belly for his troubles. He collapsed on himself as she came back around with the other end, catching him just under his jaw. His neck gave an awful popping sound as his head whipped back, and he rolled onto his back, his body going limp again. His jaw was a mess, and this time he did not get back up. Evidently his spell was either exhausted, or only covered dismemberment and not internal damage.

  The fight had made a mess of this part of the room, right in front of the buffet. Once the guards had become aware of the fight, they had closed the doors they stood at and waited for it to finish. Likewise Karen had stood aside and pulled a few non attentive bystanders out of the way, and set up a spot of cover.

  Roxanne decided not to stick around for the cleaning bill as guards started to come at her. She moved for an exit, staff in hand when a brown haired woman in a light tan gown pulled Rox into a knot of people on the dance floor. “Come with me, if you want to get out. And put the staff away.”