Tam slowed from an agile run into a slight trot, and then finally stopped to catch his breath. He braced his arm against the side of a gleaming, white-tiled building as he doubled over, slightly out of breath. "Where the Light was that voice coming from?", he asked himself. "I look and feel like a damned fool, running throughout half of this blasted maze of a city, following a mysterious cry for help. Burn me, I'm such a fool!" His cheeks burned fiercely, as the beautiful image of his Sara re-appeared in his mind, dressed in that barely-there Aelgar gown....
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, dispatching the feverish thoughts about her. "What do I tell her if I have lost the source of the scream? Light, I'll never hear the end of it from her now--"
Someone rushed past him, nearly knocking Tam over with a huge bundle. Tam turned to give a hard look at the rude person who just ran past, when he noticed something was very odd about the exquisitely-detailed rolled-up carpet over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he sctrutinized the fleeing figure, dressed in otherwise forgettable grays and reds, along with that eye-sore of a waist sash. The carpet was moving! There was a person in there!
Tam started off after the person, slowly and incredulous. "Creative, but very risky," he thought. "Hiding a person in plain sight like that...." His ears pricked forward as he heard the unmistakable pitch of a woman's scream. "That's the same woman I--! Light, did I rush past them in my haste?" Tam snorted, angry with himself.
He followed them as best he could, with people weaving their way through the crowded stalls of the Rahad. Brilliant colors and fashions from the world over blurred past Tam as he homed in on the suspicious person. It was thankfully easy keeping track of the person, although he had a hard time catching up. As a tall Athan'Miere strolled between him and the man, bare-chested and bare-footed, Tam wrapped his hand around his hilt.
"As soon as this citizen passes by," he thought, then froze. The Athan'Miere moved on, but the suspect was gone! His head whipped around the bustling marketplace, his neck craning and his eyes sweeping over the multitudes. "Not now.... Not when I'm so close!"
Pardoning himself hastily, Tam jumped atop a wooden tabletop cluttered with metal-worked jewelry and trinkets. The merchant woman, an old and leathery-faced woman, cursed Tam and tried to push his feet off her countertop with a broom, but Tam ignored her. People swarmed past him in every direction below, some people pausing to give him strange looks, and others knowing better than to meddle. It didn't matter. "I have to find them! That woman could be in serious danger," he thought.
Tam covered his eyes from the merciless glare of the high-noon sun. His eyes darted back and forth, and his ears pricked for the slightest scream although muting out the angered merchant-woman's cries below. Suddenly....
"There!," he yelled aloud, pointing out the gray-robed man with the carpet over a shoulder. He had not gotten very far, just the second house down, ducking into a dim corridor. Several people passing by looked in the direction he had pointed out, then turned their heads away again sheepishly.
Tam hopped off from the counter and hurried off once more, elbowing people out of his way. His trail was marked with a series of angered shouts and curses, but Tam didn't care. He almost had his man.
At the entrance, Tam paused, leaning against the wall. He slowly slid his sword out of its sheath and stared into the doorway. His gaze travelled upwards, following a shadowy flight of stone steps. No other choice but to go up.... He shook his head, and stalked up each step, sword brandished over his head.
"No option but to charge in," Tam thought with slight disapproval.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, dispatching the feverish thoughts about her. "What do I tell her if I have lost the source of the scream? Light, I'll never hear the end of it from her now--"
Someone rushed past him, nearly knocking Tam over with a huge bundle. Tam turned to give a hard look at the rude person who just ran past, when he noticed something was very odd about the exquisitely-detailed rolled-up carpet over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he sctrutinized the fleeing figure, dressed in otherwise forgettable grays and reds, along with that eye-sore of a waist sash. The carpet was moving! There was a person in there!
Tam started off after the person, slowly and incredulous. "Creative, but very risky," he thought. "Hiding a person in plain sight like that...." His ears pricked forward as he heard the unmistakable pitch of a woman's scream. "That's the same woman I--! Light, did I rush past them in my haste?" Tam snorted, angry with himself.
He followed them as best he could, with people weaving their way through the crowded stalls of the Rahad. Brilliant colors and fashions from the world over blurred past Tam as he homed in on the suspicious person. It was thankfully easy keeping track of the person, although he had a hard time catching up. As a tall Athan'Miere strolled between him and the man, bare-chested and bare-footed, Tam wrapped his hand around his hilt.
"As soon as this citizen passes by," he thought, then froze. The Athan'Miere moved on, but the suspect was gone! His head whipped around the bustling marketplace, his neck craning and his eyes sweeping over the multitudes. "Not now.... Not when I'm so close!"
Pardoning himself hastily, Tam jumped atop a wooden tabletop cluttered with metal-worked jewelry and trinkets. The merchant woman, an old and leathery-faced woman, cursed Tam and tried to push his feet off her countertop with a broom, but Tam ignored her. People swarmed past him in every direction below, some people pausing to give him strange looks, and others knowing better than to meddle. It didn't matter. "I have to find them! That woman could be in serious danger," he thought.
Tam covered his eyes from the merciless glare of the high-noon sun. His eyes darted back and forth, and his ears pricked for the slightest scream although muting out the angered merchant-woman's cries below. Suddenly....
"There!," he yelled aloud, pointing out the gray-robed man with the carpet over a shoulder. He had not gotten very far, just the second house down, ducking into a dim corridor. Several people passing by looked in the direction he had pointed out, then turned their heads away again sheepishly.
Tam hopped off from the counter and hurried off once more, elbowing people out of his way. His trail was marked with a series of angered shouts and curses, but Tam didn't care. He almost had his man.
At the entrance, Tam paused, leaning against the wall. He slowly slid his sword out of its sheath and stared into the doorway. His gaze travelled upwards, following a shadowy flight of stone steps. No other choice but to go up.... He shook his head, and stalked up each step, sword brandished over his head.
"No option but to charge in," Tam thought with slight disapproval.