Certain major characters are not mine, though Elondra is mine, among many others. Language and other stuff warning, just to be safe...

--- x x ---

Neverwinter, the Sunken Flagon ---

--- Casavir

I had been grateful when Eldride was undergoing her examinations and Sand's lessons seemed to be reducing in importance, even if not in intensity. Elondra and Bishop had both settled for the most part into their studying, unlike a month ago. They should continue, even if I was absent.

That meant that I could take the time to seek guidance. Once I was sure my student would have appropriate instruction, I decided it was time to speak to my lady and Bishop about my hopes and plans in the morning.

I was surprised to feel a cold nose in my back again, and that certainly woke me from my near sleep. My lady had been nearly dozing in my arms, and she yelped at the same time. Sitting up, I detected no evil, and she lit the room for me to see.

What I saw were two wolves, and I could hear Karnwyr was amused. The obvious implication was that the second was Bishop. They looked much the same, and somehow it was no surprise that he picked a wolf form to try.

Neither of them reacted to the light, and Elondra was looking at both of them carefully.

So this was a challenge, and I waited to see what would happen next. I was surprised to see a sphere of darkness appear around the one wolf. Karnwyr howled some laughter in my head, and jumped up to wait beside me as it became an odd kind of sparring between the two of them.

I saw a second shadow of my lady moving independently, but it was not the cold evil of an undead. Bishop changed form at least twice more, as I believe I heard a bat before he finally wrapped around Elondra as a large snake.

She asked me, "You think that's all? I don't think I could get him off right now without hurting him."

"That certainly doesn't seem called for," I agreed. "Are you having any trouble breathing?"

"No, he's not that tight. Actually, he seems a bit too cool, a bit cooler than the air," she added, looking guilty. "He must have gotten chilled, like I did when I found Estalynde."

"Then he should be fine in the morning," I noted. "Do you think you will be able to sleep?"

Looking downward at his head sleeping just below her chin, Elondra admitted, "I guess. It is kind of an... odd experience." After a long moment as we grew quiet again, she said with a smirk, "Didn't you say he was a snake?"

A little embarrassed, I reminded her, "That certainly wasn't recently."

She laughed, and we carefully kissed, briefly, before retiring again. When I woke before dawn, Bishop was in his own form again. I woke them early as we plainly needed to exchange certain news about their new skills. Once I knew more, I had much to think about; their new skills could be useful in the future, although they both involved possible temptations for abuse.

Karnwyr's eager anticipation of pups was more startling.

Then I informed them of my hopes that a vigil would help guide us, convincing them of the need was not difficult. They settled for a bit more sleep, while I prepared the nearest room for my vigil. Once I was ready to start, I woke and kissed my lady, and then I left to light the candles and begin my meditations.

--- x x ---

--- Bishop

I felt much better when I woke on my own in the morning. Casavir was gone, and Lon was still sleeping beside me. Waking her with a long kiss, I asked, "To the Archives today? Cas isn't here to nag us."

"The Vardwins are expecting us later," she said with a grimace.

"Shall I bribe you, or do you wanna bribe me to blow 'em off?" I said with a grin.

Sighing, she asked, "Do you think it'll make much difference? Or do you think I could fake a broken leg for social events?"

"You really think Cas wouldn't heal you? That would ruin the ruse, wouldn't it?" I was trying to not laugh, even if Cas might almost have been willing to try something similar if he was willing to be less truthful.

"How many days have we been practicing these parade steps? I don't think I'll be any more gracious and genteel with one more lesson," Lon said with some exasperation.

"No," I agreed, "You both know the steps, even if you get too worried about screwing up." I paused and added, "As long as I get you close, I don't care... if we dance."

With a chuckle, she said, "Fine with me, I'll see if I can send a note with a runner when we leave. That gives us all day to dig in those records."

"After a little breakfast," I insisted.

After we'd dressed in the newer clothing, including her Nine gear to help us with access, we left the Flagon for the Archives. On the way, Lon told me about the gith they'd fought before in there, and their race to find Shandra Jerro. Quiet, as she often was after Shandra was mentioned, we made it to one of the official city buildings I'd always managed to avoid before.

We were greeted hospitably, and finally got relevant assistance with finding the tax and census rolls of lands considered partially looking to Neverwinter. The shelves and volumes detailing places like Port Llast were bulky. Those covering the trade road towards the Mere and further was smaller and of varying sizes. Some records weren't even in tomes, but loose parchments from times of war.

Hours of sorting and separating items for places in and around the Mere, we thought we had the records that should include both Red Fallow's Watch and West Harbor. Hungry and dusty, I at last found lists of familiar names, including dimly remembered playmates and rivals and their ages. Along with those were a number of other households I didn't really remember. Lon was helping decipher the writing and trace Liesel's family, the only name I could remember on my own.

As the record of seasons and taxes progressed, there was a notation of a fire that burnt the mill-house well outside the village along with a summer cabin, not able to stand up to winters that I faintly remembered. The parents had been identified, and some of the children before burial. There had been six children, and three bodies had not been found by the villagers.

A village of farmers, familiar now from these hours, none of them would have been able to identify the more subtle signs of murder. The fire was convincing, though, as their favorite way to remove any evidence of what they'd done in enemy territory.

Frantically, I looked forward in years, and one injured girl had been found by a traveling priest days later, miles away. She had been taken to Waterdeep and never returned, though the villagers never knew what happened to her. The other two names, were of boys, a toddler, and perhaps a nine year old, both assumed dead with their bones destroyed by the fire.

So I have, or did have family. They would not have been burnt if complicit. And a miller, even if only occasional, wouldn't have needed whatever bribe a Luskan would offer. Millers often were the unofficial leaders of small villages. More deaths by the fucking Luskans, people of less importance than a flock of sheep to them.

I could feel myself snarling as I pieced it together. For some reason they wanted me, and the others just got in the way. Just 'cutting a heifer out of the herd...'

Then I realized Lon was holding me tight and humming something. Forcing myself to relax a little, I kissed her hard. Finally, I could relax more, and just held her for a moment.

Lon asked quietly, running her fingers through my hair, "You better now?"

"Yeah, nothing really new, it was the kind of thing I could have almost guessed," I admitted. "I found names, but they still are only familiar to me. They don't feel real to me, still."

"Who were they?" Lon asked quietly into my ear.

"Names, only names now, no matter how much or how little I remember. Looks like it was almost a clean sweep," I said, only barely resisting the urge to crumple the parchments.

With a sigh, she asked, "Did you find out your name?"

"Yeah, it seems by my age, I'm Rillhordt Arnon, second son of Willid and Thilda, formerly with brother Willid, sister Morrary, brother Simonath, sister Gerde, and brother Bertalbert." Before she could prod me more, I added in a carefully neutral, "No, I don't really remember anything more, besides that the youngest I called 'Bertbert' 'cause he was funny. I don't remember any more than that."

"Were there any other candidates?" Lon wondered.

I shook my head, and added, "No, all the other villagers pretty much lived there until it was destroyed."

"I'm sorry," Lon said, "Do you want to start using your birth name again?"

"I don't think so," I admitted, touching the last census list of the household. "I'm not one of them anymore, and I don't think I can go back. It's too late now."

"Shh," Lon told me, "or should I call you wheelbarrow? You can revert, or not. Whatever you want, if it's your name, no one can argue with that."

Shaking my head still, I said, "It wasn't a clean sweep, though. One daughter was taken by a priest to Waterdeep, and the villagers never heard of her again."

Another hug, and Lon said, "So maybe you do have a sister. We'll have to try... do you want to find her?"

"Yeah, I'm still not convinced that was me. I don't really remember much of anything, maybe I was a visitor," I said, looking at all the papers and parchments scattered around the table and even a couple chairs.

"We'll do what we can," my mate said, still close to me, "But I doubt I can travel before midwinter." Then looking at the dimmer small window, she said, "We'd better see if we can get a scribe to copy some of this and hurry back before Sand arrives."

For a small fee, we hired a scribe to copy what I'd found, and I realized we'd never examined the West Harbor records.

We ran back to the Flagon, and Sand was there before us, and straight away began a caustic lecture about our skipping off from our lesson today.

I could feel Lon wilting a little, and spoke up, "Shut up, Sand. It's been a long enough day, and as Cas is not available today, getting them to relax while dancing wasn't going to happen."

"Indeed?" the elf asked, "Perhaps the exercise is not solely about that. Preparing you for dealing with the useless and dilettante has had a short enough timetable. With only four days left, none of you is truly prepared for this. This is not just knowing the rules, customs, and minor scandals. Once you have the right flare you can break most rules with impunity. You can't to have failed to notice that Nevalle breaks many of them himself in regard to his family."

"Shit! Then why have you been drilling us so much? We could have slept the month away," I mocked, sliding my hand around Lon's ass and up her back. At least she wasn't wilting anymore.

Soon after that Neeshka and Grobnar arrived, most of their news was about arrivals and preparations within Blacklake. The only thing that really caught my attention was when Neeshka coughed.

"Uh, this guy working at the Mask told me that he requests meeting me as favor two..." she looked a little puzzled.

Lon went a beet red and charged out of the room, swearing.

--Pup... I asked, and then I told the elf, "We should be back soon. He's an ass."

She's on a prowl, we will catch up...

I trotted, fairly sure where she was going, and sure enough I just caught a glimpse of her entering the Mask. Once inside the building, I brushed off some of the girls, and watched where the pup was going. Up the stairs, Lon wasn't even in sight, but that didn't matter as she still left her scent behind her.

Up three flights, I reached the end of the dim hallway, and there was no door, no hatch I could see to let Karnwyr and I go further.

Pack-lady's beyond the wall, not far.

--You can smell her? Any air vents or cracks? I asked, looking for anything like that in the dimness of the attic area.

He sniffed around as I cast my spell, and in another form, I could smell it too, the faintest draft from under a section of the wall.

Stay here, Karnwyr.

An insect form, the smallest I could think of quickly was a termite, and I made my way through the seeming hallway. I didn't even need to enlarge the path. Once in a larger area, I could feel the floor moving in waves from vibrations of others, and changed back. At the other side of the chamber was Lon and the ass again having a hissing conversation. Lon was pissed, and the ass looked wary.

As they weren't fighting, I went back to my own form and looked for the trigger to let the pup in. When I had, there was only silence.

"I suppose I'll have to convince you of the benefits of my proposition, shadowmate," this Tarlon said with a grin I didn't like towards me. His eye was turning purple nicely already.

"And?" I wondered, scratching Karnwyr's ears.

He settled to sit on the bare floor, and I realized there were too many shadows in the room. Several were still moving.

"Players are moving about the city, and you are ignorant. I can make use of the knowledge and rumors passing through this establishment. A false prick around the ruler doesn't bother me, as I am careful to not do anything to draw the attention of the powers. But you, you need the knowledge that flows through here like water, without the knowledge of others," He said smugly.

Sitting nearby, I brought down Lon to sit beside me on the floor. That idea was sounding useful to me, but I asked, "What's in it for you? Especially if you prefer being unnoticed."

"Ah, the simplest motive of all, greed," he said with a glint I was well familiar with. "For my risk from the hidden agent here, I will get paid well by both you and Ophala, won't I?"

Lon only muttered a curse word, but asked, "Has she approved this? Or are you double dealing?"

"No, no, I am an honest rogue. Otherwise there are just too many stories to keep straight," Tarlon said with a smug grin I was getting suspicious of. Tarlon added with a gleam, "I have discretion in planning this, as long as I keep it believable and enhance the Mask primarily. I might not learn who the mole is, after all."

Having our own secret mole in here would be invaluable. Lon looked a bit worried, but it was too useful to not take advantage of.

"What's your price?" I asked.

His named price per month was high enough, but we could manage it, I thought, for the four months until Midwinter. So I nodded.

"Excellent. I see working with you will be productive and satisfying for all," he said with his grin widening at Lon's grimace. "Now to establish the reasons for our regular communications. I'm sure your dramatic entrance here tonight was enjoyed by all downstairs, and will make excellent gossip in the morning."

Lon paled, and even my stomach sank a bit.

"Come, come! You hurt Ophala's reputation and maybe even her feelings on another visit. I even heard of it while I was only at the Goose," Tarlon said chidingly. "That is part of the price for the information. Less information flows here, if all the customers flow away to places like the Goose. But a juicy repeating scandal, they will come in droves so they can brag about seeing it happen."

Lon was looking too flat right then, and I wanted to pound his face in, even if we needed his information. I could hear the pup growling as well.

In a flat voice, she said, "We will have to consider it and get back to you."

"That's fine, as long as your entrances are as unsubtle as tonight probably was," Tarlon said, still grinning.

We left the Mask, without a word, but the crowd in the public entertainment room hushed when we entered. We were the focus of almost every eye, and Tarlon managed to appear, coming through the same doorway as we had, with his well bruised face looking more disheveled and hastily dressed.

I guess I could have healed him instead.

Partway back to the Flagon, Lon stopped and said, "It's already starting, isn't it? Another scandal, tarring me as a whore. I already had that reaction from a couple of bitches. I don't know who that one was harder on, me or Cas. He doesn't deserve it to happen again, even if just appearances."

Shit, no. We'd have to find another way to get the ass what he wanted. Lon might be able to run it as a scam, might. But Cas... no. Even worse if we tried to keep him out of it.

Pulling her close, "Then the answer is no, and we'll find another way. We'll talk to Cas later, and maybe even the others. But just wait until then."

--- x x ---

--- Lon

Leaving Neverwinter after a scene like that would make everything impossible. I was a member of the Nine, Cas had a squire, that scandalous scene in the Moonstone Mask... There were far too many witnesses to Bishop entering most likely, and then our exit with Tarlon playing the almost innocent dancer bystander. This would make Cas's damaged reputation seem like a drop in the lake.

I hugged Bishop close, and felt like I had no alternatives. If it was bad before with those Blacklake bitches, but now? I wanted to weep, but now I was trapped. I couldn't leave now, it might destroy Cas; I would hate it too. I just stood there holding my husband, not quite willing to continue back.

"My dear?" Bishop asked.

"Yeah?" I answered, trying to breathe some calm.

"We could get a room at some festhall, or just sneak back into the Flagon," he said with a smirk in his voice.

I sighed heavily, and looked at his face again. He wasn't smirking as much as I'd thought, and I brushed his stubble a moment, before saying, "No, I think I've created enough scandal today."

Looking towards the Docks, he stated, "We'll have to tell Sand, or he's gonna have a fit."

"I'd rather warn Cas first," but I agreed. "We'd better hurry back then, or they might scatter."

"Told him we'd be back soon. If he went off to bed, we can go wake him," Bishop said with a certain glee as we started moving again.

When we got back to the Flagon, everyone was still there, though they were out in the taproom with drinks while Grobnar was playing some music for a very small audience of... eight people. Sand rose as soon as the song was over, and went back into the other room without another word.

"You, young lady, will explain why you charged out like that," he stated with a flat expression.

Oh shit, how it all started tonight, that seemed more trivial now.

"Look, I made a deal to get some training I needed," I admitted after downing about half a mug of stale ale. "The deal was for favors, with the agreed proviso that it wouldn't be morally obnoxious. The way he phrased it today was... more like he wants me to pimp for him, from the way he said it to Neeshka."

Neeshka looked both appalled and a little flattered, "Hells, he could have just asked me. He's kinda cute."

Finishing my ale, I looked around for a pitcher. Keeping my face flat, I explained, "That would be the simple way. But he also wanted me to come visit him with violence in mind for even implying that."

"So, you fell for this trap?" Sand said acidly.

I was not looking at Sand. "Yes, there were several goals: setting up a lucrative informant relationship and enhancing his own reputation within the Mask."

"Made sure to make it seem when we left, that I'd interrupted them and beat him," Bishop added, looking very pissed.

Sand sighed slightly, "So the damage is already done, if there were witnesses. There would have been plenty in early evening at the Mask. I warned you, child, the games here are brutal, although I expected the first ploy to come from disgruntled members of the elite."

"They already did, from two bitches who basically accused me of being a slut," I said, closing my eyes. Feeling something touching my hand I opened them again and saw Bishop had a pitcher of ale for me. Filling my mug, I nearly poured it down my throat.

"That is not wise," Sand said acidly.

"If I think about it much right now, you won't get much coherent out of me," I snarled back. "They scurried away when I returned her insult with another. From Nevalle's identification she'd have a grudge. Neeshka, remember Vallis from Fort Locke? She has to be a relative."

Musingly, Sand said, "So the Captain of the Nine is aware of this contretemps? What was his reaction?"

"Pissed, but he's not always been all that helpful, so I'll believe he'll act when I see it," I said.

"If he is acting, we can delay reacting further for a time," Sand told me.

Refilling my mug again, I realized Grobnar was playing a soothing tune, and managed a smile at him. I forced myself to continue, "But his ploy was to elevate himself, the Mask as a place for gawkers to watch the show, and a flashy reason for us to meet regularly privately. It won't matter that the meetings are harmless, the damage is done."

Tail swishing, Neeshka said angrily, "I so do not want to meet him. In fact, he obviously needs a smacking."

"Neeshka," I said with a slight smile and a small hiccup, "He's a rogue, and possibly as far above my skills as you are. Plus he has two shadow familiars as spies and guards. Why do you think I was even considering the plan before the rest of his game was revealed?"

"This makes it indeed a particularly annoying dilemma," Sand muttered, thinking about it. "The Mask is a hive of rumor and information brokering, even now."

"I have more about that," Neeshka piped in, "but when we're done with the jerk."

"Even worse," I admitted, "there is already evidence that there is probably an enemy agent in place there."

Bishop growled, "So the information could be critical, and he has Lon over a barrel." As soon as he said this, he got more enraged, pulling me close and gripping me almost painfully.

My temper was already iffy, and I finished the pitcher. I could hear the pup howling for us, even if only we could.

Feeling bitter, I added, "Ophala is aware of this, and has tacitly approved."

"By this it seems you have known of the information flow for some time, Commander..." Sand said, caustic again.

"Oh, she's Nasher's spymaster or the like, and has an unknown mole in her operation," I said, waving my hand. "and 'M not supposed to tell anyone, but I don't really give a flying fuck right now."

"So this... person is expecting you to make yourself into an ongoing scandal for his profit and cover for information exchange?" Grobnar asked, in disbelief. "But he has his own spies, unimpeachable sources for gaining information and this mean plan for giving it? What good does this do? Surely there would be another way to make the exchange?"

"Sure, there has to be, but he's a bastard," Bishop said, his voice almost gutteral.

"Do you have a deadline for this offer?" Grobnar asked quietly.

Biting my lip, I told them, "Not really, the first condition of agreeing to his terms is a similarly scandalous meeting. It seems he still wants to enhance his worth and exclusivity..."

"Still?" Neeshka wondered, her eyes disbelieving.

"Yeah, he wanted me to play client to him while he was at the Goose," I said carefully.

She grimaced and said, "So that's why you didn't want to go there. Ouch."

"So, what did you learn from him?" Sand asked briskly.

"Well, I have a shadow familiar and a small illusion, neither of which I had before." With a tight smile, I added, "But mine are only imitations of what he can make his do. If he had more ambition, he'd be spymaster somewhere himself."

"Yes," Sand said with some consideration, "That would make a an excellent basis for gathering secrets. I will have to consider your options, as you do not need any further scandal from so-called allies."

"I think I might be able to explain part of this," Neeshka said, looking worried. "The Mask is not the hive of rumor it once was, even a year ago. While it has more people than here at the Flagon, they have nowhere near the traffic they had on Greengrass. I haven't been there very often to gamble lately, it's so slow."

"Hmm, if that is the center of the web," Sand allowed, "The drop in customers reduces both the quantity and quality of information to provide Lord Nasher, as well as reduces the occasions for discreet information transfer. This would explain attempts to attract customers at any cost."

"Again with the worse," Neeshka added. "There's a very good reason for places being thin of customers lately. The Silent Goose is cooking the prices far lower than everywhere else for all their services. I noticed that the coins people were winning were odd, but they assayed at the proper value. Even if I never saw coins like these before. But every game has a ringer to help throw the games for the customers. They are taking in a lot of money from all the entertainments, but not as much as they're paying out."

"Talon complained bitterly about how little he was making there," I agreed, with casting around for another drink, "He wasn't making anything on tips as the prices were low, even if traffic was high. But everywhere else had few customers..."

"Unfortunately," Sand stated, "cheating to benefit the customer, is not illegal. But this is affecting establishments like Duncan's whose associations with politics is slight, as much as places like the Mask which are hotbeds of rumor. A new information nexus has more implications which are disturbing as well, we do not know who is filtering through the resulting facts."

"Maybe, I'm feeling paranoid, but I wonder if our living here is a factor. Are there any other places as close to the Goose?" I wondered, feeling guilty.

Looking sad, Neeshka shook her head and said, "No, the Flagon is possibly the closest and worst affected."

"I believe we should stay away from the Goose, then," Grobnar said firmly. "Giving away services and gambling like this is very expensive, and after four months I wonder how long it can be kept up. We can spread at least part of these deductions to other bards and inns, so they are warned and prepared."

"We must still be careful, as to not fermenting a riot," Sand pointed out. "So, it seems our immediate concerns are the spy and finding the purpose of the Goose without contributing there. And you, Commander, need to pour yourself into bed."

The last was as disapproving as any words in the last months, so I made a rude gesture at him.

--- x ---

A/N: Thanks to my beta reader, who's been kind enough to point out some things. Any typos that remain are not intentional...Reviews or even a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.