The warm fall breeze swept through Prontera and into the Malacca guild house. Abenander Sutorin stood at the terrace waving at everybody who glanced up the terrace. The breeze touched his face and he savored the refreshing feeling it gave.
There was a knock on the door and a servant cheerfully entered the study. "Good morning guild master. Master Sonon has arrived. "
"Let him enter, Mikhael," replied Abenander turning and smiling at the servant cheerfully.
The servant smiled back and bowed leaving the room. In a few seconds an assassin entered, his mask was pulled below his chin exposing his smile
"Our guild smiles too much," said Abenander jokingly, and not noticing that even he was still smiling.
"I don't see any problem with that," said Sonon, throwing a bottle of wine across the room. Abenander caught it by the neck effortlessly then popped open the cork.
"I guess you're right," he said pouring a glass for each of them.
"So, what's the reason you had me called here?" asked Sonon receiving the glass across the table. Abenander didn't answer immediately, He swirled the wine in his glass a couple or so times before he spoke.
"I'm not sure if I'm even supposed to be asking you this, Sonon" said Abenander the smile sinking to a frown. "What do you know about our new guild mate, Jared Shaw?"
"Pretty much everything everybody else knows, He's been with us for about two months now and so far he's been doing really well. Our intelligence network says he's a very reliable source of information. The other bards are in awe of his skills, he seems to be getting along with everyone even more so for Persha." Sonon drank from his glass after his report on Jared.
"So you're saying he's perfect?" asked Abenander apprehensively
"I guess that word works, depending on what you mean by perfect. Though, as a guild mate that word would sum up everything about him." Answered Sonon beginning to get confused at why Abenander had called him here.
"Would you say a little bit too perfect?" asked Abenander even more apprehensively than his last question.
Sonon laid his glass on the table and drew his head nearer to Abenander, "Let's get to the point Abenander, and don't circle me around with questions. Something about Jared is bothering you, tell me what it is."
Abenander kept silent for a while, occasionally opening his mouth to say something, but then pursing it back tighter than before. It was a minute of silence before Sonon stood up and headed for the door. "Abenander if you can't tell me anything other than that, I don't think I can help you." He opened the door and prepared to leave but Abenander called after him to stop.
"I can't shake the feeling something sinister is about him." He paused trying to look for the right words to say, " Is there anything about him that isn't normal? Any thing he does that nobody knows about?"
Sonon closed the door and spoke "Four times," began Sonon "Four times, he has left the guild house without telling anybody. Our eyes and ears around the city have reported to have seen him in the streets but then we loose track of him in the deeper parts of town." Sonon stopped at this and waited for Abenander to say something.
"Anything else?" asked Abenander.
"No," replied Sonon.
"Sonon, follow him. Find out where he goes, don't be seen." Sonon nodded his head and exited the room.
Jared Shaw, thought Sonon. Every veteran member in the guild had always hoped for someone to love Persha, Abenander and Lucia the most. When this bard had appeared everybody was thrilled. Abenander was right to choose the word perfect for him. Sonon had to agree, but now too perfect kept echoing in his head. There was something about Jared Shaw that nobody could see and he was going to find out.