General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.

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Deals Done

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Nalia pointed to the ramshackle building that her divination spell had shown her previously. The four companions huddled around the corner as Coran peered around to study it; it was behind a row of houses that ran down a main route through the district, and only its size marked it out as being more than a simple gardeners shed. Well, that and the fact there are no gardens, noted the elf.

He drew back into the cover of the nearest home and frowned thoughtfully. "Now we need a plan," he said. They'd left the most obvious of their powerful equipment at the inn, knowing that it would just lead to questions.

"Oh, ten out of ten for the petty thief," muttered Edwin with a roll of his eyes.

"Do we know this is really the place?" asked Valygar practically. Nalia shot him a look. "I mean no offence -- but maybe we should concentrate on keeping an eye on it until we see someone coming or going."

"I can recognise one of them," agreed Nalia, her glare softening slightly, "if we see the man who came into the temple."

"Then you and I can stay here and try to blend in with the area until we see him," nodded Coran. "Valygar -- would you mind visiting Quayle and seeing what he wishes from us, then meeting us back at the inn? Hopefully by then we'll have enough to work with."

The stalker nodded and moved away. Coran looked at the Red Wizard's bright robes.

"Ah, perhaps you could take Edwin with you?"

Valygar stiffened but offered the barest trace of a nod and kept walking. Edwin looked aghast.

"You want me to go with that monkey-boy?"

"Your robes are a bit too colourful for undercover work," pointed out Coran.

"Undercover work, is it?" sneered Edwin, leering slightly in Nalia's direction. She scowled back to him. "I suppose three would be a crowd, if you put it like that. (Unless the other two were beautiful young specimens of the female persuasion; then Edwin Odesseiron would willingly help matters along.)"

"You'd better run," smiled Coran pleasantly, pointing to the swiftly disappearing ranger. "Otherwise you'll be left behind."

"That might not be too bad a thing," muttered Nalia as the wizard dashed off, his robes hoisted up to allow him to jog through the crowds as he made off in the direction the stalker had taken.

"Do you think Valygar will try to lose him?" asked Coran with a trace of amusement.

"I think he could manage it easily," grinned Nalia. "But I don't think he will. He probably wouldn't want to cause ill feeling in the group by not following your order."

Coran shrugged slightly. "I'd not have too many sleepless nights over it."

The girl chuckled quietly. "We can't just stand here," she said thoughtfully, peering back round to the suspected base of the fallen paladins. "We need to get somewhere where we can see the house, but not be easily seen in return."

Coran nodded his agreement as he studied the surrounding area. A small smile curled his mouth, and he pulled on the mage's sleeve gently. "This way," he said quietly, pulling her back to the road and quickly marching along past the row of houses that concealed the paladin's base. At the end, he turned and darted up a small, dark alley with Nalia in tow, dragging her into the shadows of a recess in wall at the side of a general store. The combination of an overhang above and tall walls around them managed to block out the sun and most of the available natural light. The elf gently pulled the girl close to him, as far back into the space as they could manage, and both perched on a wooden crate, looking over to their target in the distance.

"Will this do?" he asked with a smile.

Nalia grinned. "I think it might."

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Valygar made his way to Waukeen's Promenade without a break in his stride. He didn't bother to check if the wizard was still following him, because he really would rather not know. He had walked slower than he would normally have done, which was the only concession he was willing to perform. It was only respect for Nalia and Coran that had led to him agreeing to allow the Thayvian to accompany him, and he knew their logic was correct for the situation. He drew up outside the circus tent and sighed heavily.

Almost a minute later Edwin appeared, panting slightly. When the wizard stopped, he immediately dropped his hitched up robes, smoothing them down and preening at his hood. Valygar watched him with an impassive face, though he was sure his eyes were likely to be betraying his contempt.

"Are you finished?" he asked at length.

Edwin slowly brought his gaze to meet that of the stalker, and blinked slowly. "I am."

Valygar spun on his heel and wandered inside, ignoring the mutterings behind him. The tent was fairly empty -- there were no performances until late that afternoon, so only a few of the workers were around, practicing and preparing. Valygar deftly stepped away from an oncoming clown and swiftly moved towards the shape of Quayle at the far side of the tent, leaving Edwin to deal with the antics of the joker. He could only hope the wizard behaved.

"Ah, your face is familiar," said the old gnome as he approached, his face creased in thought.

Valygar smiled slightly and introduced himself. "My companions apologise for their absence," he explained, ignoring Edwin's shrieks. "Coran and the Lady Nalia had other business they had to attend to, but they didn't wish to have you wait long for our attention."

"Ah, the vigours of adventuring," chuckled Quayle heartily. "I can remember such times myself, believe it or not. There was no rush to come and see me, though I am glad you did. I didn't know where else to turn, especially now young Aerie..." His voice cracked and drifted off, and Valygar reached out to pat his shoulder.

"We share your loss, even to this day," said the ranger quietly.

"You are a good lad," smiled the gnome. "But I digress, and speak of things that still pain the heart. You will forgive me... I wanted to ask if you would see someone for me. A friend of mine...an old one at that."

"I'm sure we could manage this," nodded the stalker. "Does he require some sort of assistance?"

Quayle grinned mischievously and a gleam lit up his eyes momentarily. There was a flash of light from somewhere behind them, which they both ignored, and Edwin could clearly be heard exclaiming 'Ha! Squirt me in the eye with water, would you?'

"He is a she," mused the gnome reminiscently. "A lass I met in my earlier days, when I happened to find myself in the Outer Planes." He blinked twice and regarded Valygar's amused expression before coughing slightly. "That's a long story I won't get into. She is here in Athkatla, and has herself in a bit of a bind. She wrote me a letter asking for my help... but I am too old for to provide aid, and the only people I could think of who would possibly listen to my pleas were young Aerie's former companions."

"We'll see what we can do," Valygar assured him. "Where can we find her?"

"She can be found at the playhouse beneath the Five Flagons Inn in the Bridge District," replied Quayle. "There is no rush on matters; she has a troupe of actors performing a play for the next few days, and so she should be there most of the time. I believe Samuel has been good enough to provide them with a room in the inn above, as well. Tell her I sent you. She... she will trust you then."

"We will pass on your regards and kindest wishes," smiled the stalker. "But tell me -- what is her name?"

"Ah, her name," said Quayle fondly. "Her name is Raelis Shai."

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Almost an hour passed, and Nalia and Coran were beginning to wonder if they'd found the correct building. There had been no sign of life at all, and even peering back out to the main road on occasion hadn't provided them with any further leads. They'd just shared a glance, which seemed to be questioning each others patience to stay or to move on, when they heard footsteps.

Coran sprang down from the crate and peered up the alley towards the road cautiously. An armoured man was marching down towards them, a frown creasing his face. The elf drew back immediately before he was spotted and looked at Nalia with a worried expression. The young mage looked panicked.

"Will he see us?" she whispered. Coran nodded -- dark as it was, there was no way to hide from him when he was due to pass right by them. "What do we do?" she hissed.

Coran thought quickly. "Do you trust me?" he asked quietly, moving towards her. She looked at him questioningly. "Do you?" he urged her for an answer. She nodded and he smiled slightly. "Then just act naturally," he said, standing before her sitting form and wrapping his arms around, drawing her close for a passionate embrace. She tensed with shock, but quickly seemed to adapt to the scene, draping her hands around his shoulders and returning the gesture in kind. The footsteps got louder and louder, then abruptly stopped. Still they continued, until a voice spoke.

"It is hardly the most romantic of spots," it said dryly.

Coran leapt away from the thief, almost dragging her with him as her arms lingered around his frame. She blushed furiously as she looked over to the fallen paladin, and Coran wasn't sure if she was an excellent actress or genuinely flushed by the experience. He didn't have the time to think on it.

"I... Er…" he stammered. He wasn't sure what he should say.

The man smirked at them and waved his hand casually. "Do continue," he said, walking on towards the run-down building. "I'm sure you won't be disturbed again. Not many people use this way."

The two thieves exchanged a glance.

"Wait!" called Coran suddenly. The man stopped and turned to look at them with a raised eyebrow. The elf cleared his throat. "I... I don't suppose an important man like you would have any work for us to do?" he ventured carefully. The fallen paladin regarded him curiously.

"What sort of work?" he asked eventually.

Coran glanced quickly at Nalia. "We... we're trying to make enough money to leave town," he said sheepishly. "But we're not... traditionally qualified to do most work."

The man nodded slowly and studied him intently, then moved his eyes to Nalia. "Come down from there," he instructed. "Come into the light so I can better see you."

The mage hesitated, but obeyed him at Coran's slight nod.

"Well... if it isn't Lady De Arnise," remarked the fallen paladin. "I would not have expected to see you in such a position... my lady."

The colour flooded back into her cheeks and her eyes fell to the floor. "Things have been... hard," she said, "since my father died."

The man frowned. "You were betrothed to another noble, were you not?"

"It was a sham," Nalia spat derisively. "I would rather remain a pauper than spend a night alone with that brat of a man."

"So I see," noted the former paladin dryly. "Still, your nights are not spent alone, I note." She flushed more. "It is a shame to see such a fine woman as yourself struggle to find your way," he continued. "And you, elf -- you look as if you are not fully incompetent. I may have a something you could do for me, if you are not averse to a bit of thievery. I am sure the Lady Nalia is not, if the rumours surrounding her hobbies are anything to go by."

"We would be interested to hear what you need," replied Coran eagerly, moving over to take Nalia's hand. "But... we must ask... will you pay us for our services?"

The man laughed mirthlessly. "I shall -- we have plenty of coin at our disposal, and I will reward you handsomely if you manage to perform the task. But come -- the alleys of this city are not known for their safety, and I would not wish anyone to overhear our discussion. Follow me."

He turned and continued on his way to the building, leaving Nalia and Coran to exchange a shrug. The two thieves followed his footsteps, hand in hand.

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Valygar didn't trust himself to speak as he returned to the inn with an irate Edwin in tow. His discussion with Quayle had ended abruptly when one of the circus clowns dashed past, his clothing on fire. The Red Wizard refused to apologise for the incident, and quite proudly admitted that his burning hands spell had been the cause.

"He started it!" Edwin had said, glaring darkly at the stalker.

Edwin seemed to cheer up slightly as they approached the tavern, and the ranger caught the wizard's eyes roving over the young ladies standing outside, and he could clearly hear their propositions to him, many of which were ignored. The ones that weren't managed to gain a 'hmm' of interest and Valygar stopped at the door, turning around to look at Edwin with a frown.

The Thayvian had stopped beside a young looking blonde girl, and was now smiling at her in a way that made the stalker very uncomfortable. She was smiling shyly to him -- Valygar wasn't sure if just a show of coquettishness or actual fear that inspired her, but she seemed to be oblivious to the mage's eyes examining the bounty of flesh on display. Valygar hadn't realised that clothes that skimpy actually existed. He cleared his throat, hoping to get the wizard's attention. It took three attempts before Edwin looked up at him, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Yes?" the Thayvian snapped.

Valygar took a deep breath. "Are you not coming inside?"

"I'm sorry, you're not my type," sneered Edwin. The girl at his side giggled inanely.

Valygar clenched his teeth slightly. "We have to wait for our companions," he said levelly, "in case you'd forgotten."

"I am sure we can wait... separately," Edwin insisted, offering the girl his arm and sweeping past the ranger with her in tow. "You can knock at my door when they return, and if I am finished I shall come down. (Yes, this will be much better than those mindless monkey tasks.)"

Valygar watched as they climbed the stairs to the wizard's room and shook his head slightly. He wandered to the bar, ordering the largest mug of ale they had, and settled himself down beside the door. He was perfectly content just to wait.

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"Welcome to our modest home," said the armoured man, signalling for the two young thieves to sit down. "My comrades are busy, at the moment, so we will have peace to discuss what I need of you." He walked over to an old looking cupboard and pulled a bottle of wine and some goblets from within. "It is not an easy thing I will ask of you," he said as he poured glasses for all of them, "but you look capable, and I will explain what I need before you need commit to the task." He held out two of the goblets, and Nalia and Coran accepted them with thanks.

He in turn sat down opposite them. "Firstly -- my name is Anarg. I know the Lady Nalia, but you are a stranger to me," he said, his eyes falling to the man across from him.

"My name is Coran," the elf replied with a smile.

Anarg nodded. "My men and I are formerly of the Order of the Most Radian Heart -- I trust you have heard of this organisation?"

They nodded and listened in silence.

"Good... good. There are several of us here who decided to leave the constrictions of the service. We do not share the particulars of why, but it is suffice to say that we had our reasons. We do not need a banner over our heads to unite us. We have still some connections to our former comrades within the Order, but our varying goals are best achieved separately. " He paused to drink from his cup.

"Some of the more senior paladins were... reluctant with our views on matters," he continued, "which initially led to our detachment. Unfortunately, those paladins decided that certain objects we had been gifted with would not be allowed to leave with us. Amongst them was the goblet I received to mark my faithful service to their cause. I wish to have that cup returned to me."

Coran nodded slowly. "You wish us to steal it? From the Order Headquarters?"

Anarg smiled wryly. "I do, indeed. You owe no loyalty to them, and they were wrong to keep it from me when it is rightfully mine!" His clenched hand hammered down on the arm of his chair, causing Nalia to jump slightly. "It need not be as difficult a task as it may sound, but you should be prepared for the real likelihood of combat. If you can succeed in this, however, I will ensure you receive enough gold to leave the city immediately and distance yourself from the scrutiny of the Order. Then, we shall both get what we desire."

Coran looked to Nalia and the young girl returned his gaze before nodding slowly. He smiled slightly to her, the perfect act of desperate young love.

"We'll do it," he said.

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"How do you intend to get the cup?" asked Valygar when Coran finished recounting the meeting they'd had with Anarg. The elf grinned.

"With as much ease as possible," he replied. "We will have to be careful, but I need word sent to Ajantis regarding what's happened -- with luck we can arrange something, or at least warn him of what we have to do."

"I can do that," replied the ranger quietly. "Best that you two keep to yourselves as much as possible -- I'll go and ensure a message is sent to him, and make sure that the reply comes to me so I can pass it on to you. We don't want to arouse suspicion by revealing that there are two others to your group."

"Good point," nodded Coran thoughtfully. "Where is Edwin, anyway?"

Valygar sighed and nodded, signalling for Coran to look behind. Both the elf and Nalia turned to see Edwin gracefully descending the stairs, arm in arm with a young girl who was trying her hardest to smile broadly whenever he caught her eye. Though he was trying to look suave and sophisticated, there was a definite ruffling of his robes, and his normally neat hair appeared dishevelled. Coran turned back to the stalker with raised a look of surprise.

"Well," he said. "I think that answers that question."

Valygar smirked and slipped away from the table as he set out to arrange communication with Ajantis. Coran nudged Nalia in the side to make her cease her staring at the Red Wizard -- her mouth was slightly agape at the sight -- but her eyes refused to budge, and she just ended up rubbing her arm absent-mindedly.

"Greetings," he sneered, settling down beside them after he'd patted the girl on the rear and watched her trot off outside. "You have had fun playing at Knights and Smugglers? (Such a waste of energy. At least one of us was prepared to use the time for more important pursuits.)"

"Who was she?" asked Nalia bluntly.

Edwin rolled his eyes. "As if your small mind could even begin to understand the complexities of Edwin Odesseiron's elaborate amorous trysts."

"So, she was a courtesan then?" Coran smiled charmingly as Edwin glared. "Well, as long as you had fun," the elf continued, standing up and motioning for Nalia to join him. "We have to go -- can't be seen in your company, I'm afraid."

Edwin's eyes widened in surprise, closely followed by disbelief. "What do you... how dare you!" he shouted, also standing up and waving his arms around as he vented. "It is I, a Red Wizard of Thay, that should be embarrassed about the company he is keeping, not two monkeys who clearly do not know superior ability when it stares them fully in the face!"

"Well then," remarked Coran cheerfully, taking Nalia's arm as he steered her towards the stairs. "You won't be too disappointed if we keep our distance until this recent business is finished, will you? Don't worry! It won't be long until we can go and see Quayle's friend together -- though this time I hope you can refrain from setting anyone on fire."

Nalia's giggle drifted back to Edwin as he watched them quickly go up to their rooms, smug smiles on their faces at his expense. He scowled darkly at his surroundings and drummed his fingers on the table top. He had not prepared to have quite so much free time on his hands, but he supposed that it wasn't a wholly bad thing. As well as his assignment to get close to Maiyn, there was a more personal venture that he wished to go through with while in Athkatla -- and now seemed as good a time as any to make some headway into it.

All he needed to find were some simpleton mercenaries to provide some backup.

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Ajantis could barely believe his eyes as he read the parchment Faraji had delivered to him. The boy was waiting restlessly for his reply, but the paladin seemed to be oblivious to his presence, muttering under his breath as he sat down heavily in the chair in his office in the Order.

"By Helm! They cannot mean to do this! I must inform Sir Ryan, and get his opinion on the matter... and the Prelate will have to be told! This shall take some organisation, indeed..."

Faraji cleared his throat quietly and Ajantis looked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my boy!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet and rummaging in his pocket for a coin. He handed it to the beaming child and frowned slightly, telling him to wait until he composed a quick reply. Swiftly he moved back to the desk, pulling some unused paper towards him and dipping his quill into the bottle of ink that rested beside a large pile of religious texts. He pondered for a moment, then scribbled furiously.

My friends,

I have received word of your intentions, and I must think on how to proceed. I will reply with more details when I am able, but until then, I ask you to wait for further instruction.

A.I.

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Montaron regarded the stranger with as much suspicion as he usually held for people who randomly accosted them. He wondered what it was about them that seemed to suggest they were mercenaries for hire -- first the dwarf, Korgan, had tried, and managed, to enlist their help, and now this man in the stupidly bright red robes was doing the same.

Finally he finished speaking. He'd said his name was Edwin -- Montaron couldn't remember what his surname had been, and he couldn't care less -- and that he was seeking something of immense power from the crypts beneath the city. Apparently it would be worth their while, financially, to aid him in retrieving it.

"If'n it's so powerful, how comes no one els' has bothered te get it?" asked Montaron curtly. The man named Edwin glared at him from beneath his vast red hood.

"No one else understands what it has the potential to do," he replied. "(Monkeys. I am surrounded by monkeys.)"

Montaron raised an eyebrow, ignoring Xzar as he began to hum a song only sung by dubious sailors. "Who're ye callin' a monkey, eh?"

Edwin frowned slightly. "I said no such thing!" he protested, sniffing disdainfully. "Now will you help me, or should I look elsewhere for assistance?"

"How much, exactly, would we be gettin' from it all?"

The red-robed man shrugged. "Depending on how useful you are, I'd say in the region of a thousand gold pieces. Perhaps more," he hastily amended, as Montaron snorted. "It really depends on how challenging it turns out to be."

The halfling looked over to Xzar. The Zhent mage was leaning back in his chair, his face turned up to stare intently at the ceiling. Montaron kicked him, but received no acknowledgement at all. He frowned.

"When'd ye be wantin' te do this?" the fighter asked gruffly. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to accept the task or not -- the money would be handy, but recently he'd not been feeling himself. Sometimes hours could pass in a daze, and he could recall nothing that had happened. He'd put it down to stress -- there was no other explanation, and it'd only been a matter of time until it struck. It was all Xzar's fault.

"I have some final investigations to perform," replied Edwin smoothly, "but I would rather it was done as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be suitable."

Montaron scratched his head thoughtfully. "Pay us half up front an' we'll agree te yer terms."

Edwin almost choked on his ale. "Half?!" he spluttered. Montaron stared at him impassively, causing the wizard to roll his eyes in exasperation. "I will pay you 200 gold -- no more."

The halfling narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Deal," he said eventually, holding out his hands. The Red Wizard mumbled with a cautious quietness as he counted out the fee and handed it over.

"I shall meet you at the entrance of the graveyard tomorrow," concluded Edwin as he stood up. "Be there when the bells toll twelve times. If you fail me, you will regret it."

Montaron glared after the wizard as he strode off from the inn. He wasn't intimidated by the pathetic attempts to threaten him -- he knew full well that he'd just done a deal with a Red Wizard of Thay, but he wondered if his new employer even suspected the origins of himself and his mage companion. He allowed himself a brief snigger then turned back to Xzar. The man was smiling serenely to him.

"Well, mage, tomorrow we be off te explore the lairs o' the dead," he sighed, lifting his tankard and drinking deeply from it.

"It sounds like fun!" exclaimed Xzar deliriously. "Can I take some souvenirs back with me? Can I, can I?"

Montaron just rolled his eyes. Though he liked his own company and hated most other living people, every now and then he wished there was someone a bit more normal to talk to. But only sometimes.