Throne Of Cards 12 – Lady Of The Manor

When a knotty problem has you really stumped, sometimes all you really need is somebody else with a fresh perspective and a vast capacity for violence.

Excerpt from 'Ruminations Of A Master Bard'

"No, the Ghost of Solstice Past, who else? Of course it's me." The woman who was standing at the top of the stairs was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Zaerini seized the opportunity to watch her closely while she was concentrating on Edwin, for she didn't doubt that she herself would eventually be the object of that formidable attention. Elvira Odesseiron was beautiful, yes, with her flowing dark hair and her smooth skin, her flashing dark eyes and red lips. She might have been past her youth, but somehow that didn't seem to matter all. She was wearing a white robe intricately embroidered with silver thread, and her hair was tousled as if she'd just arisen from her bed. It didn't break her compusure at all, in fact she looked like a proud queen about to order an offensive subject's decapitation. Slightly behind her, Rini could hear a tiny, sad sigh and she reached out to give Imoen's hand a reassuring squeeze.

I thought she was over that crush of hers. I'm pretty sure she is, but even so, I think she'd have felt better about meeting some ugly hag.

"Don't just stand there, darling," Elvira said, her face suddenly lighting up with a warm smile and her eyes softening as she descended the stairs, robe trailing after her. "I've missed you terribly. Come give your mother a hug, won't you?"

Edwin did so, clutching her tightly to him, and Rini was startled to see that the other woman was actually fairly short, and not at all ten feet tall as that first impression had suggested. Mother and son held each other close for a moment, and then Elvira took a step back to beam up at Edwin. "You really must improve your routine when it comes to writing letters, Edwin dear," She said. "You've been gone for far too long, and if it hadn't been for Vadrak keeping tabs on you I'd barely have had any news and most of it worrying." She blinked. "Where is he, come to that? Don't tell me he went out again on your first night home, or I'll give him a talking to that will blister the back of his skull." She stiffened momentarily. "And if you are about to tell me that he didn't show you a certain very important letter I sent him and explain certain very important things to you, I will do worse than blisters. That man, sometimes I think he…"

"No, Mother," Edwin hurried to say. "That is to say, yes, he did, but….should we speak of this here? The servants…."

"All out," Elvira said with a quick dismissive gesture. "It's the Festival of Floating Zombies tonight, didn't you see the lanterns in the streets on your way here? I gave them all the night off, we're alone in the house."

"And why did Zoog say you weren't at home? I had to spend ages at the gate!"

"I told him to say I was not at home, Edwin, I was busy working and didn't want to be disturbed. He was only doing his job, dear, and I can't help but notice that you still haven't told me where your Father is. I'm sure he's not that easy to accidentally misplace, so there is something you're trying to avoid telling me." Her face had gone even paler than before, and there was a tense strain around her eyes. "Also, you haven't introduced me to your friends. I'm sure we raised you to have better manners than that."

"Of course, Mother," Edwin said with a slightly nervous nod. He took Zaerini's hand in his own, and she thought his fingers felt rather colder than normal. "This is the lady Zaerini of Candlekeep, a lady of extraordinary wit and grace, and..."

"And a Child of Bhaal," Rini said, looking the other woman straight in the eye. "Might as well get it out in the open. But not to worry, I haven't turned into a monster and tried to savage him for quite some time now."

"Ah…yes," Edwin said, then cleared his throat. "In fact, she has saved my life. More than once."

"It goes both ways, Eddie," Rini said, still not taking her eyes off Elvira. The other woman was still looking at her steadfastly, betraying nothing. "And I'd do it again if I had to. I really only do the savage monster thing if somebody tries to hurt you, you know that. Or keep us apart."

"Hellkitten!" Edwin hissed. "I was about to explain…"

"This way saves time, Dread Wizard. Also it leaves less room to complicate things."

"Er, hi," Imoen said from behind Zaerini's back. She gave Elvira a tentative little wave. "My name's Imoen. I'm…just a friend. Yup. That's me. Just a friend."

"I see," Elvira said in a very level voice. Was there a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth just then? "We obviously have a great many things to discuss, and it won't do to do it right here in the hall. Let me see…yes, the Small Yellow Parlor will do. Come along, Edwin dear, and bring your…friends." She swept off up the stairs, not pausing to check if they followed.

Zaerini's first impressions of the Odesseiron Mansion were rather blurred, for as she trailed along after Elvira all she could think about was that she hadn't memorized Protection From Fire that day. But if she meant to blow me up she probably would have tried it already. Wouldn't she? Gods, I hope I haven't ruined everything.

Nonsense, Kitten, Softpaws answered her. The black cat was slinking along close by her heels, and her mental voice sounded rather pleased. She likes you, I think.

You think?

She hasn't challenged you to a fight, has she? Oooh, I wonder where that corridor goes…

Softy, don't you wander off now! It could be dangerous.

Pfft. But as you wish, Kitten.

After passing through several corridors which seemed positively littered with precious wood paneling and imposing portraits of Odesseiron ancestors, they finally reached their destination. The Small Yellow Parlor was large enough that it could easily have fitted Rini's Candlekeep bedroom into it, three times over. There were a great many little side tables with precious china ornaments, an enormous mirror hung above the ornate fireplace and the drapes hanging in front of the tall windows were stiff with gold. The sofa which Elvira directed the three travelers to sit upon was golden as well, and very stiff and high-backed.

"So," Elvira said, and the single word fell like a sledgehammer against an unprotected skull. "Here we are. And now, Edwin, you will tell me where. He. Is."

"I…I don't know, Mother," Edwin said in a hoarse whisper. "I'm so very sorry. I wish I didn't have to tell you this, truly I do. He's…lost." He proceeded to launch into his tale, having to pause now and then to clear his throat. When he had finished, Elvira sat in silence for a moment, her hands neatly folded in her lap.

"I see," She said. "So, they have come back for him, after all this time."

"It seems likely," Edwin admitted. "But we do not know for certain, not yet."

"Then you must find out."

"Of course, Mother."

"And then, dear?"

"And then," Edwin said, "The people responsible will pay for their actions, many times over."

"That's my boy. Let me see your amulet, please."

Edwin silently pulled it out of his robe and without taking it off held it out in his hand. Elvira reached out to touch it, her fingers gently stroking the smooth, dark surface, her eyes intent on the tiny flicker of fire in the depths. "Yes," She said, not taking her eyes off it. "Still alive." She touched the tips of her fingers to her lips, and then gave the amulet a final brief caress before letting go. "You must all be tired," She said, standing. "You must stay the night, and we will speak further in the morning. Edwin, do show the girls to our best guestrooms. Yes, I realize you have other arrangements on the road, but a lady deserves her comforts, and your own rooms won't have the proper amenities, so don't argue with me please. You can always visit as you please, after all. Now shoo, off with you."

Almost before she knew it, Rini found herself standing outside a closed door with Imoen and Edwin, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It hadn't been what she'd expected, not at all.

"Come," Edwin hurriedly said, hooking his arms under hers and Imoen's to lead them away down the corridor. "It is really up to you, my Hellkitten. The guest rooms are exquisite of course, but my own quarters are those of the heir of the house, so there is plenty of space (And how I would love to fit her into that space.) Mother won't mind, I think. She…she has other things on her mind, after all."

Just as he said that there was a loud explosion from inside The Small Yellow Parlor, followed by the sound of broken glass and china. The door shook slightly on its hinges, and there was the acrid smell of smoke. It was made all the more horrible by the fact that there was no scream of rage, no sound of sobs. A second explosion followed the first one, and the door buckled slightly outwards.

"Is she all right?" Imoen asked, her eyes very round. "Should we go back?"

"No! Father is the only one who can talk to her when she gets like this (And I think that's at least partially because he's so good at dodging.) She won't want company just now, and whatever you do, don't mention it tomorrow morning over breakfast."

In the end Zaerini did settle for the guestroom. While she'd have happily stayed with her lover, she thought it might be a good idea to follow the suggestion of her hostess. It seemed the polite thing to do, particularly given Elvira's current mood, and it wasn't a matter of earthshaking importance after all. She mentioned 'visits'. Did she mean that? I half thought she'd attack me on the spot when I stood up to her. Poor Eddie, he looked about ready to faint at that. I wonder how he's doing right now.

She turned over in bed, her body sliding luxuriously against silk sheets. The bed was enormous, she could easily stretch out across it without any parts of her sticking out, and there were pillows enough to smother a regiment. Gauzy drapes hung from the canopy above her, making her feel as if she was on a soft cloud floating through a misty sky. And even so, she was having trouble sleeping. She sighed and reached out to pet Softpaws, who was curled up on the mountain of pillows, deeply asleep. I guess I'm so used to sleeping next to Eddie now that it feels strange to be without him. Maybe I should…

She startled as her thought was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, and her heart leapt wildly in her chest. It's him! Quick, how do I look? Ah, who cares. She settled for teasing the worst tangles out of her red hair, using only her fingers, and then she quietly slid out of bed, not bothering to light the candle next to it. Gingerly navigating the room in the dark, she managed to avoid tripping over any number of thick carpets or delicate dressing screens, and finally reached the door.

"Couldn't keep away, huh?" She whispered, putting on her most inviting smile as she pulled the door open. Then she froze, suddenly feeling as if she'd been dipped into icy water.

"Argh?" The zombie standing on the threshold politely said to her. It wasn't as large a zombie as her old 'friend' Abduh, but it was still, or rather had been, a fairly large man. It wasn't very rotted, and it smelled of spices and roses. Is that for preservation? Stuffing maybe? I'm pretty sure zombies don't wear cologne. There was a fairly large scorch mark across its neck, and one of its eyes was missing, as if something sharp had punctured it. It was dressed in a smart set of red and black livery and it was holding out a silver tray on which lay a neatly folded and sealed piece of expensive looking thick and creamy white paper. "Argh?" It said again and held out the tray expectantly.

"Just…one second," Rini feebly said. "Wait right there." She hurried to shut the door, and then threw on the elegant blue dressing gown she'd found waiting in the bedroom. It was just a little too long for her, but it would do. I don't care if he's undead, I'm not standing around in the buff talking to him. "Right," She said as she opened the door again. "Let's see that." She read the brief letter, and then frowned. "Now what? Ok, you…what's your name?"

"Argh."

"Argh it is. Lead on, Argh." The zombie shuffled off along the corridor, and then down a narrow staircase she hadn't noticed before. This place is a maze. I wonder if I'll ever learn to find my way around it? For a moment it occurred to her to wonder what Gorion would have thought of her following zombies around in a Thayvian house, and in the middle of the night at that. But I've dealt with far, far worse than zombies since I last saw you, Gorion. I wonder what you'd think if you saw me now? I hope it wouldn't be anything like what that horrible wraith said.

Down, down, and further down the zombie lead her, until she was sure she had to be more than one level underground. Finally, it stopped before a sturdy wooden door and looked at her expectantly. "This is it?"

"Argh."

"Ok, thanks. Sorry, I don't have a tip or anything. Do I just go in, or…"

"Do come inside, dear," Elvira Odesseiron said from the suddenly open door. She nodded to the zombie. "You may go. I will call if I need you again tonight." The zombie nodded and lurched away. "You know," Elvira mused, "Sometimes I really think the undead are the ideal servants, at least once you have them properly trained." She stood aside and beckoned for Rini to enter the room behind the door. "I found it extraordinarily difficult to get to sleep, for some reason," The wizardess said as she shut the door. "So, I thought that I would send Argh to see if you were asleep, and if you weren't, to invite you here for a little chat, just the two of us."

"I wasn't asleep," Rini said, a little guardedly. She didn't think the other woman would try to turn her into a toad, or to set fire to her, but she still remembered the sounds of a room being dismantled by what had sounded like an exploding sun. Elvira seemed perfectly calm by now though. She had changed out of that white robe she had worn before and was wearing a shabbier garment, a thick robe which had once been red but had been bleached by hard use until it was more of a greyish pink. It was stained with what looked like acid stains and burnmarks. Elvira herself had tied her hair back into a thick braid, and as composed as she was by now, Rini thought her eyes looked uncommonly red.

"Smoke does leave some terrible traces, doesn't it?" Elvira said with a firm toss of her head. "I swear my eyes are still burning from my little tantrum earlier. I had to get down here to work off some steam or I'd still be…agitated."

"I can see why," Rini said with a tentative smile. "You should have seen me when Eddie…well, he was badly hurt. Apparently, I scattered the entrails of a master vampire all over the ceiling. I don't remember all the details."

"Did you really?" Elvira said, sounding genuinely interested. "You must tell me all about it later, my dear. But I forget my manners, please have a seat. No, not on that silver one, that one has a rather interesting curse on it. Here we are."

Rini sat down in the offered chair in front of the fireplace and inspected her surroundings. The room was rather long and narrow, with walls and floor of sturdy, rough stone and no windows. There were several bookshelves, a couple of stained and scarred worktables, several cauldrons and other paraphernalia for potion making, and at the other end of the room what seemed to be several practice targets. Currently, all of them were lacking their heads, and they were still smoking.

"One does need a place to work in peace," Elvira said. "And since it's entirely soundproof, I thought it would also serve beautifully for our little talk. I hope Argh didn't alarm you too much. I sometimes prefer to use the undead servants; they are so discreet."

"Um, no, it's fine. I've seen plenty of zombies before. Some friends of mine have a zombie butler, but yours seems more…practiced, I guess."

"Well, I've had him for quite some time now." Elvira smiled a slightly sad smile. "I made him when Vadrak and I were courting, and every time I see him, I'm reminded of those days. An early joint kill."

"Oh…I see." I don't know whether that's more really sweet or really scary.

"Which brings me to the subject at hand," Elvira said, tapping her fingers against the armrest of her chair. "You and Edwin are quite serious about each other, are you not?"

"Yes," Rini firmly said, nodding. "Look, I know I'm not….I'm probably not whom you'd have expected him to choose, but I am the one he chose, and he's the one I chose. I love him, and he loves me. That's it. I'm not backing down, no matter what you say or do, and that's final."

"Hmm," Elvira said, her black brows knitting together in a frown. "Your final word, is that it?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent," The older woman said, her dark eyes suddenly mischievous. "Well done, my dear."

"Eh?"

"Well, you didn't think Vadrak would be quite as remiss as Edwin in communicating with me, did you? He did manage to give me a reasonably fair impression of you, and while I of course do value his opinion higher than anybody else's I did need to form my own. You are exactly what I hoped for."

"Me?"

"Of course. You are obviously powerful in your own right, even if you aren't as focused on magic as Edwin is. But that is no objection, you will complete each other. You have intelligence, and your current lack of eloquence can be excused by my own rather direct manner – I do apologize for that, my dear, but I needed to be sure you had sufficient backbone. Edwin needs somebody whom he cannot simply run roughshod over, somebody who will be a match for him." She sighed and her eyes went slightly misty. "He is much like me in that regard. Finally, he obviously loves you, and you him. I would never attempt to force him to be with somebody he didn't love, and I have never seen him act like that over any girl before. Yes, I think you will do very nicely."

"Assuming we don't get ourselves killed."

"Of course, but that is our way of life, my dear. I have confidence in you." Elvira smiled, looking suddenly like a girl not much older than Rini herself. "Now, please do tell me all the gory details about this vampire you dismembered for the sake of my baby, and after that I have quite a lot of stories to tell you."

Edwin had been surprised about how deeply he slept. He had expected to toss and turn for quite some time, as he had every night since the dreadful night in Suldanesselar when he had first felt the amulet around his neck go icy cold and seen its light flicker and fade. This night had been different, however. He had slipped into his own bed, with his own smooth and cool bed sheets, and his own pillows which were exactly soft enough. Then he had closed his eyes and known nothing until morning came.

Remarkable, he thought as he stretched and yawned. I might almost think Mother had enspelled the bed. That wasn't the case however, he knew that it was a matter of being under the roof of his own home for the first time in what felt like an eternity. I wish we didn't have to leave so soon. But at least Mother is well, that's one relief. Another relief, and a vast one at that, was that his mother had seemed to approve of his lover. Of course his Hellkitten was the perfect woman for him, as lovely as she was bright, witty and charming, graceful and powerful, a goddess in the making… No Edwin. Don't think about that, not right now. He shook his head briefly, trying to make the intruding bad thought go away and then set about his grooming. He had taken a long bath last night, complete with scented oils, so he settled for washing up quickly and then settled down in front of his mirror for a proper grooming session. Hair, beard, nails, all were given appropriate attention and eventually he was satisfied that he looked his best. Ah, civilization's little comforts, I will never take them for granted again, that I swear. He went down for breakfast in a reasonably good mood, even whistling softly to himself.

"Good morning, Edwin dear," His mother brightly said as he entered the breakfast room, neatly dabbing her mouth with a thick napkin. "I see you slept well."

"I sure did," Zaerini said, giving him an appreciative grin over the piece of honeyed toast she was raising to her mouth. "Well, after your mother and I finished our little chat."

"Chat?" Edwin suspiciously asked. "What chat? When? Where? And why wasn't I invited?" The acid is rising in my stomach again…but at least they both seem unharmed and on not hostile – possibly even friendly terms.

"Oh, you know. Girl stuff." His lover's eyes sparkled gold, and the sunlight streaming in through the tall windows made her red hair glow like fire. "We finished up with looking at some really interesting pictures."

"Pictures? What pic…no. No, no, no. Mother, please tell me you didn't."

"I don't understand what you have against your baby pictures, darling. You were a perfectly adorable baby, and you know it."

"Oh, you were," Zaerini readily agreed. "I think I liked the one with you playing with your own toes on the tiger skin rug best."

Oh Gods, not That Picture. Well, at least they seem to be getting along. I can live with it. He focused on the side table for the moment, turning his back while he placed some bread, fruit and eggs onto his plate so that the women couldn't see his face. "I must ask you Mother, what exactly has been happening here? Was there any truth at all to that letter we received about you, or was it all a complete fabrication?"

"Well," his Mother said, her voice now more serious, "you did receive the information about Galen's disappearance, of course. I don't know what he was thinking of, experimenting with magical portals like that. I warned him about it, but you know what he is like."

"Entirely too well."

"Yes, well, there still has been no sign of him anywhere in Thay, and no word from elsewhere either. I tried to determine where that last fatal portal led, but trying to scry it was a complete pandemonium, it was impossible to make any sense of it. I even called in a couple of my colleagues, but they had no more success than I did." She thoughtfully tapped her perfectly manicured red nails against the pristine white tablecloth. "After a while I felt I had done everything I could reasonably be expected to do. I've put in an appeal for him to be declared legally dead, but of course these things take some time, and his brother has been fussing." She made a quick grimace. "Homen doesn't even get on well with Galen, he never has, but I believe he is using this as an opportunity to get back at me. I've been taking an interest in Surthay politics lately and he disapproves of my 'interference'."

"So, you weren't accused of murder? That's one relief, at least."

"No dear, I wasn't. Why, there wasn't even a body, and everybody knows what Galen is like and how likely he is to get himself into trouble entirely without anybody's interference. Homen would have had a hard time building a case against me even if I had done away with my husband. No, it's merely a case of him dragging things out with a lot of red tape. Now don't you fret about it, I will have it sorted out eventually."

"I'm very glad to hear it." Edwin sighed. "I only wish we'd known that letter was a fraud, but it seemed entirely plausible at the time."

"It sure did," Zaerini agreed. "You couldn't have known. And I think if it had been anything else, Vadrak would have questioned it more, but whoever sent it knew exactly what it would take to make him rush off with less care than he'd normally take. It was like that when Bodhi had kidnapped you, Eddie. Neither one of us could really think straight."

"What we need more than anything else right now is information," Elvira decisively said. "Who has taken him, where, when, why and how. It is good you ran into Poppy. She is trustworthy, and she has aided us before. I will call in some favors, and of course set my own agents to work as well and try to find out what news is coming out of Rasheman. Once we have a little more to go on, I will perform a scrying of my own."

"But Mother, we tried that several times, and with the most skilled diviners we could find."

"They weren't me," She said, compressing her lips. "They didn't have my own…personal interest. They also didn't have access to certain personal items of Vadrak's. Surely you know that such things always make a scrying infinitely easier."

"No Mother, because you never wanted me to study Divination, remember?"

"We had our good reasons," She said with a slightly sad smile. "Anyway, I believe I will be able to help. Of course, it would be even better if you could bring me one of his abductors to question."

Zaerini blinked. "But…wouldn't they be either escaped or dead by now?"

"Yes," Elvira said, her smile now slightly smug. "But for me, death is no objection, and I dare say Vadrak left a few bodies lying about. Bring me some bones, my dear, and I won't just make them talk, I will make them sing."

Edwin spent the next couple of hours in a very agreeable manner, showing his lover around the mansion and its gardens. There wasn't time enough for the full tour of course, so he settled for his favorite places, and she seemed suitably impressed.

"It's beautiful, of course," She told him when they had paused in the small gazebo in the middle of the hedge maze. "I can see why you love it so much. But do you know what I like best?"

"The view from the sunroom? The trophy room? Perhaps the Parlor of Mirrors?"

"The best thing about it is that it's where you are from, Eddie. It's part of you." She reached up to caress his cheek, and he felt his chest go warm and found himself smiling a goofy smile even as his brain seemed to melt into fluffy clouds.

"I've wanted you to see it for quite some time. (And how I wish we'd never have to leave.) And with you present, it seems to me to be entirely perfect, the final jewel in its rightful place upon the crown."

She smiled warmly at him and he pulled her closer, fully intent upon seizing the moment and taking full advantage of it. However, just as their lips met there was a creaking crash and a loud growl from some distance away in the maze.

"What was that?" Zaerini said and sat up straighter, her voice faintly alarmed.

"Oh, merely the hedge animals. They always like to play with visitors. The spell is quite interesting really, they can only move when nobody is watching them, but when they do move, they're fast. And you wouldn't think something made entirely out of branches and leaves would enjoy eating meat, but…"

There was another growl, but this one ended with a sharp crack and a rustling whine. "No!" A high voice said from around the corner. "Bad boy, no nibbling! Hiya guys, did we interrupt something?"

Poppy rounded the corner, followed closely by Imoen. The pinkhaired girl looked a little pale, and there was a wild look in her eyes and a few leaves stuck in her hair. Poppy seemed just as cheerful as always.

"I think Tyger-Tyger needs feeding," Poppy remarked, flopping down on the grass in front of the gazebo and stretching her hairy feet out with a pleased sigh. "He looks a little peaky if you ask me, and he was slower than usual. And Growler's leaves look a little brown."

"I'll see to it," Edwin promised. "Auntie Poppy, do you have any news? Did you find out anything? Anything at all that can help?"

"Immy?" Zaerini said, hurrying to grasp her sister's arm. "Are you ok?"

"Leaves…" Imoen said, her eyelid twitching. "All those leaves…"

"She'll be fine," Poppy said with a reassuring smile. "I guess I should probably have warned her that Bouncy loves to pounce. Anyway, yes, I did find some stuff out!"

At last! Finally some progress! Hope leapt within Edwin's chest, mingled with the sharp anxiety that had festered for so long. He leaned forward, trying to keep his hands still in his lap so they wouldn't tremble too obviously. "Yes?" He said, barely noticing that it came out as more of a squeak.

"Well," Poppy said, "First of all I sat down and thought about which route would be most likely for Dekkie to take from Athkatla." She unfolded a large map and spread it out on the neatly cropped emerald green grass surrounding the gazebo. "Here we are, Athkatla. Athkatla is west and a bit south of Thay, see? And so, I knew he'd have to cross the Sea of Fallen Stars at some point. We know he didn't reach Pyarados, because there's no way there'd be no word on the street about it. Besides, he couldn't have counted on finding a ship all the way to Pyarados from whichever port he set out from. But, there's one city in Thay which any commercial port will sail to, and it's conveniently on the way. From there he could either catch a coastal vessel or go by land."

Edwin leaned closer in, focusing on the map as he thought this through. "Ah. Bezantur?"

"Got it in one, Eddie-kins!" Poppy beamed. "You're such a clever , Bezantur." She turned to Zaerini and Imoen. "It's a huge city, the largest trade center in all of Thay. And it's right there on the south coast, see? Very handy for somebody traveling from Amn and wanting to go further east to Pyarados."

"Also," Edwin said with a feeling of sinking stones in his stomach, "It's swarmed with travelers, thieves, diplomats and spies."

"Much the same thing really," Poppy agreed. "And with so many people coming and going…"

"…even people from Rasheman might manage to slip past attention, am I right?" Imoen suggested.

"'Fraid so," Poppy said with a shake of her head. "It seemed likely, but I didn't want to take things for granted just in case I was wrong. Luckily, we know exactly when Dekkie disappeared, thanks to that amulet, and we know he'd never go down without a fight. So, I talked to people and had them talk to other people until I finally found some assassins who'd been in Bezantur at the right time, visiting the Temple of Mask."

"And?" Edwin asked, feeling horrible hope digging its sharp claws into his heart.

"And they'd heard about some great big ruckus down at the docks at exactly the right time. Spells flying, a few houses set on fire, everybody running for cover. Once the dust settled and the neighbors dared show their faces again, the people who'd been fighting were all gone, except for the dead ones and there were quite a few of those, women and men both. And here's the kicker, the men all had tattoos. Tattoos of a kind you don't usually see in Thay."

"The lodge tattoos of Rasheman berserkers?" Zaerini asked, her eyes alert and a slight smile on her lips.

"Absolutely-dutely!" Poppy smiled back. "I think we've got it. Now, can Auntie Poppy have a hug for thanks? I haven't had enough hugs lately, and you wouldn't want me to go all pale and droopy for lack of hugs, would you?"

Edwin happily swept her up in a fierce hug without a single objection and held her tight. "Thank you, Aunt Poppy, I can never repay you for this," He said, every word coming from the bottom of his heart.

"Pfft," Poppy said. "That's what friends are for. Now, how about you guys set off to Bezantur and snoop around a bit, and I'll stick around here and help your Ma with the snooping she is doing. I talked to her on my way here, it's all set up. Then when you get back, we'll know more, and we'll be bound to figure out where they've taken Dekkie." She drew away slightly and patted him on the cheek. "And then we rescue my Best Friend, and everything will be ok."

Edwin couldn't help but smile in return. There was something so very infectious about Poppy's seemingly endless energy and optimism, and it managed to wash at least some of his own doubts and fears away, at least for the moment. "Is that a promise?" He asked.

Poppy solemnly held out her hand, the smallest finger stretched out. "Pinkie-promise. And pinkie-promises can't be broken."

"Well," Edwin said, almost laughing himself as he held out his own finger in return. "I suppose that settles that."