"Raelis," he called out. "I think I have just the person to solve your problem."
The woman turned, brushing her black hair from her face. "Biff, get yourself cleaned up; Sereni, go back to your dressing room." She then addressed Quayle: "Who is this?"
"My adopted daughter Aerie," Quayle replied. "I've taught her everything I know about magic, and maybe she can help you find your lost actor."
"Maybe," Raelis replied. She placed her red-orange hands on her hips and gave Aerie a sharp glance, as though she was asking the Company to audition for the part of "daring adventurer" on the spot. "Aerie, have you skill in the arts of adventure, then?"
"Well…" Aerie glanced nervously at Quayle. "I've only been traveling for a month, really. My friends over there are adventurers, though."
"That's right!" Minsc said. "Minsc and Boo are brave heroes with stalwart companions, here and ready to skewer evil upon the sword of justice!"
"I see," Raelis said. "Still, I am pleased you have come — Quayle is an old friend of mine in sunnier days, but the vagaries of fortune now blow an ill wind over us. One of our troupe's members, Haer'Dalis, is absent due to circumstances we cannot control. A wizard native to this city kidnapped him and has made no attempt to negotiate. He may have been attracted to the gem our sparrow carries with him."
"What…what would you like us to do, then?" Aerie asked.
"Find Mekrath's lair — I believe it lies somewhere within the city sewers. When you get to the place…hm…discover for us whether Haer'Dalis lives or dies, and if Mekrath might be willing to surrender him and the gem, and what his terms might be."
"Well…um…I don't know if I can take on a wizard myself, but if you just want us to check in…why can't you do that yourself?" Aerie asked.
"He has forbidden us from going anywhere near his lair," Raelis replied. "And in any case, we'll need to try to sort out the disarray in our troupe as best we can, in our sparrow's absence."
She cast a sidelong glance to Biff, who was awkwardly trying to dab away the tomato chunks on his shirt with a dirty rag.
"The difficult part, in any case, will be discovering where Mekrath cages Haer'Dalis," she added.
"That…that doesn't seem too bad," Aerie said. "What about Mekrath? Do you know anything else about him?"
"Little else," Raelis said. "Perhaps you might ask him of himself, hm? If you should go to see him, that is."
"All right," Aerie said. "I mean…I can't promise you anything, but we'll do our best."
"Fly, then, and return to us soon with tidings of our brother. My prayers go with you, my good woman."
As Raelis started ordering her company to tidy up the stage, they went back upstairs.
"I don't suppose I could persuade you to discuss this job over a pint?" Yoshimo said.
"If you're sure," Aerie said uncertainly. "As long as we don't take too long."
They found a hidden corner in the tap room, a rickety wooden booth with a lit candle that remained more or less secluded as the tavern emptied. Yoshimo bought the first round, Minsc the second, and about an hour later their conversation finally turned to the business at hand.
"And you're not the least bit curious about these strange people and their bauble that they have asked us to fetch?" Yoshimo asked.
"I mean…not enough to take it for myself, if that's what you're saying," Aerie said, staring at her half-full mug of beer, wrinkling her nose at the taste.
"Bauble or no, Minsc and Boo will keep evil's heads from growing too large by giving them a mighty pop!" Minsc announced. "Though Boo could use a bath, come to think of it."
"That's right, big guy — stick me in them!" Larry piped up.
"Minsc, it's a 'bauble', not a 'bubble'," Aerie said. "You know, treasure."
"Aye, treasure," Yoshimo said. "Something I've seen little of since I found myself in this city with 'streets paved of gold'. If it's in a wizard's hands, it was most likely unlawfully gained anyway — just something to consider."
"We're not going to rob one of the Cowled Wizards!" Aerie said crossly. "Unless you're ready for an entire contingency to unleash a barrage of magic missiles into your chest the moment you move anything, which I'm not."
"Ah, do I detect a hint of regret in your voice?" Yoshimo said. "There's all the reason you need most people in this city keep their noses far away from the Cowled Wizards, though we seem to trip over them with every stone in the road."
"I…I still plan to do what Raelis asks, and see what I can find out about this Mekrath in the meantime," Aerie said. "It's just…well…it's…I don't know," she said with an uncertain shrug.
"Fear not, sweet Aerie," Yoshimo said. "I have an idea of where the wizard keeps his den, and perhaps a way to discover what we like without bothering him."
"Thank you," she replied. "I…I don't suppose it's too much to ask you to do the talking, even if we do?"
He laughed. "Many a time, I've gotten out of stickier situations with only my wits. If you'd like to see a master at work, I shall happily demonstrate."
