Chapter 2: The Flagon
Bishop sat at his usual table in The Sunken Flagon, trying to decide what to do next. He hadn't had a job in a week and not only were his funds starting to run low but he was bored out of his mind. Maybe it was time to just leave the city and go somewhere else, but where would he go? A man with his skills could find work anywhere but it didn't mean that there were good paying jobs available. His last one, while profitable, had annoyed him to no end. He had been hired to help a rich nobleman on a trophy hunt for a dire bear. Well, he had led the man and his buddies to the right spot and they had gotten their bear, but gods what a bunch of self absorbed idiots they were. They couldn't keep their mouths shut when they were supposed to and he could have sworn that two of them pissed themselves when they saw the dire bear up close. Then through sheer luck and with no small amount of help from him, they had killed the bear and acted like they were the greatest hunters in the world.
How had he stooped so low as to accept jobs like that? Because you were broke you idiot and it was easy money. Yeah, yeah the money was good but for all the crap he had to put up with he should have gotten double. Signaling Duncan to bring another ale he stared at the table and thought about the different ways to make money in the city. He had no qualms killing people but mercenaries ended up making lots of enemies. He had no problem stealing but he ran the risk of running afoul of the watch. The watch may be filled with a bunch of bumbling idiots and bribed officers, but not all of them were stupid. Not only that, there were numerous gangs of thugs in the docks that might take exception to his poaching their territory. Duncan placed his ale in front of him and went back to the bar while Bishop wrinkled his nose at the smell coming off the man. Everybody knew that Duncan was a worthless drunk, but somehow he managed to stay in business, even though the only people who visited were local street scum.
When he heard the door to the inn open he only looked up to ease his boredom, so he was surprised to see two elves, a dwarf, and a tiefling walk in. There were many elves in the city, but these two were both wood elves and you almost never saw their kind. Plus it looked like they were all together which was even more weird. The dwarf was booming out about grabbing some ale, and the tiefling was haranging the dwarf, and to say that they were annoying was an understatement. The lighter skinned elf looked to be a druid and the other one was...now that was interesting. She was taller than most of her kind and she was dressed in fitted leather with a bow in her hand and twin swords at her waist. He saw the way she paused completely still, nose slightly up like she was sniffing the air, the look of the hunter seeking its prey. A ranger then, but where did she come from? He let his gaze roam from her short black hair to her feet and saw that while slim, she had some nice curves to her. Her head suddenly turned to look at him and he saw her emerald green eyes narrow a little as she looked him over. So she had sensed his scrutiny and was treating him in kind. She definately was someone who spent her time in the wilds, so what was she doing here? He watched her as she turned away to head towards the bar and thought perhaps he'd stick around for a while longer.
Nimbrethil paused just inside the inn her nose twitching at the smells in the place. The city smelled bad and the bar was not much better. She looked around trying to see if she could locate her uncle and that was when she became aware of someone's scrutiny. Turning her head, she met the gaze of a human man sitting at a table by himself partly in the shadows. She could tell, even though he was seated, that he had a lithe well-muscled frame, a strong jaw, mahogany brown hair and piercing honey colored eyes. But what caught her atttention was the bow at his back and the swords at his side and knew that he was a ranger just like her. Something about him warned her to be careful, that he was just as dangerous as the wolves one met in the wild, but she also felt a pull to him because he was so similar to her. Turning away, she headed toward the bar and a half-elven man standing in front who was eyeing her curiously. As she got closer she had to keep from wrinkling her nose at the man, for he smelled like he hadn't had a bath in a week and like he drowned himself in ale. Instinct told her this was who she was looking for, but his appearance was so different from Daeghun that she wasn't sure.
"Welcome to the Flagon, what can I get ya today?" his hearty voice boomed out making her ears twitch. This man was a half-elf, surely he knew how sensitive elven ears were.
"I'm looking for my Uncle Duncan," she replied as politely as she could.
"Uncle Duncan, well that's sound kind of familiar. I say, if you're here to collect on some debt, I'll tell ya that Duncan's a drunk fool without two coppers to his name."
"Daeghun sent me," she replied, looking him straight in the eye, and saw his eyes flicker away briefly. He was who she had thought.
"So the time's come has it? Trouble chasing on your heels and you barely know why." Duncan sighed, "I suppose Daeghun told you less than half what you need to know and then sent you packing. Don't take it hard, done it to me twice in my life, and always for a good reason. I can probably guess why you're here but why don't ya go on and tell me anyway."
"Daeghun told me to seek you out, find out what you know about the shard, and take it along with mine to a mage to determine what they were." She saw exasperation cross his face.
"So he said that eh? Well I don't know what he expects, don't know any more now than I did then." Duncan eyed his niece closely, "Is that why you came all the way here, to talk about your mother?"
"My mother? What does she have to do with this?" Nimbrethil was now confused.
"Yeah, your mother, Esmerelle," he saw her confused look. "What Daeghun still keeping that inside? It's a wonder he don't crack down the middle. Eh, but you know I got no call to be saying that. I think that's why he buried the first shard and gave the other to me."
"Can I see the other shard?" she asked, deciding to let the subject of her mother drop for the time being. As he handed it to her she felt some kind of magic vibrating within it.
"Don't really know why I kept it all these years, seemed unremarkable, a piece of junk really. Had Sand look at it long ago but he turned up nothing."
"Maybe with two of them this Sand could get a better reading from them?" She looked at him and saw his hesitation and wondered why.
"Sand? Maybe. That sharp eared viper has a wit to match, and he'll always rub you the wrong way so his name's well chosen. It can't hurt to have him look, just don't pay him any coin in advance or..."
"Ah! It seems I have arrived just in time to deflect the usual barrage of slander hurled my way by the local innkeeper." A moon elf dressed in wizard's robes had entered and was now walking toward them.
"Sand," Duncan growled.
"Yes, it is good to see you are still sober enough to recognize me," Sand lifted his nose and sniffed. "From your appearance I thought perhaps you had had one too many for the day." He stopped beside Nimbrethil and turned to face her. "Why, you're guest here has the smell of a Harborman about them," he sniffed the air again, "faint but there. I thought Duncan was keeping company to good for him, now I see I was right. Duncan you could learn a few things from your guest," he finished with a sly smile.
"Hmph, still passing off those two copper fair weather charms to the locals Sand?" Duncan growled at him.
"You have no appreciation for my talents, and after all I've done for you. To think you could survive a fortnight without my ale purgative, why you would be buried in the Tomb of the Betrayers, a betrayer of barkeepers everywhere," Sand's voice was filled with a silky menace. "But enough about me and your adventurous exploits on the barroom floor. I heard my name mentioned and oddly enough in a tone that implied I could help."
Turning to her Duncan introduced her bluntly, "This here's kin."
Raising an eyebrow at her uncle's lack of manners she turned to Sand. "Mae govannen, (Well met) My name is Nimbrethil," she nodded her head.
Surprised Sand couldn't keep a slight smile off his face as he nodded and returned the greeting. 'Quel andune (Good afternoon).
"We need your help concerning the shards," Duncan broke in sounding a little annoyed.
"Shard? That junky piece of silver you showed me so long ago? I do hope you're not going to try to pawn it to me again, I'm no longer interested. Besides didn't your brother run off with it?" Sand asked pleasantly.
"It found its way back so to speak. We need you to look at them again, properly this time," Duncan growled out, his tone saying he didn't trust the wizard to not play a trick on them or something.
"Oh very well, give them here and let me see what my keen arcane senses can determine." Taking the shards in his hands Sand muttered the words to a scrying spell. No sooner had he completed it than all three of them were knocked off their feet as a loud crack split the air. Picking himself up off the floor, Sand looked in puzzlement at the shards as he gave them back to the girl.
"That is definately different from last time, I wonder what changed about them?" he querried looking at the young wood elf. "There could be something about you that causes them to resonate but I have no idea why that might be."
"Hmph, like I said, incompetant charlatan," Duncan snorted earning a glare from Sand and a look of disapproval from Nimbrethil.
Deciding not to respond to her uncle's snide comment, she spoke directly to Sand. "Do you know of anyone who could help us?"
"You could try to speak to Aldanon, but he lives in the Blacklake District, and now he's stuck there. The watch has it locked up tight and they are not allowing anyone in or out, not even the nobles who used to live there." Sand saw disappointment cross the young elf's features, and wondered just how old she was but refrained from asking as that would be rude.
"Do you know of any way I might be able to reach him? It's really important that I find out what I can about these shards," Nimbrethil eyed the wizard.
"Well unless you're a member of the watch or know a secret route into Blacklake, I'm afraid you're out of luck," Sand began but was interrupted by Duncan.
"Wait, watch or secret route...not bad ideas," Duncan gave all the appearance of a man for whom the light just turned on. "There's Marshall Cormick at the Watch Post by the Dolphin Bridge, he might be able to take you into the watch and from there it shouldn't be too hard to get into Blacklake."
"If I don't want to join the watch?" Nimbrethil eyed her uncle.
"The only other way is finding a secret route and that means contacting Moire and her gang, as long as you don't mind doing some of their dirty work," Duncan shrugged.
"So join the watch or become a criminal, is that it?" Nimbrethil felt her stomach churn at the thought of having to do either one, as her uncle simply nodded.
"Well, I'm certain that you can find your way into trouble from here. If you need my expertise simply ask, if not then bring a great deal of gold as well." Sand gave a slight bow "Tenna' ento lye omenta" (Until next we meet).
"Tenna' san', (Until then) " Nimbrethil replied with a small bow as well.
"Well you're welcome to stay here as long as you like, your friends as well even when they're not with you. There are some rooms in the back that you can use, so just make yourself at home," Duncan nodded and turned to attend to the bar.
Nimbrethil turned to head towards the rooms at the back and once again caught the eyes of the strange man watching her. She wondered if he had been watching her the whole time, and felt a little thrill run through her at the thought. Deciding to ignore him for now she left the common room and tried to decide what to do next. It seemed like she was going to be stuck in this city for longer than she planned and that made her angry. There was really no choice though between the two options as she couldn't shame her father by becoming a criminal. But joining the watch was going to tie her to this city and that didn't sit well with her. Choosing a room at the back, she flopped on the bed figuring that tomorrow would be soon enough to go see Cormick.
Bishop hadn't heard much of the conversation she had with Duncan and Sand but he did hear the man offering to let them stay at the Flagon as long as they liked. The thought that she was going to be around for a while pleased him. She had stopped to stare at him again as she had headed for the back rooms, and he had seen her interest in him. He definately had to stick around now, for he wanted to find out more about this woman and her reason for being here. She was a relative of Duncan's and if she should become a problem she would have to be eliminated, but he could tell that she would not be easy to catch of guard. She was a puzzle and a challenge, two things that really stirred his interest when it came to women. Settling back in his chair a small smile curved his lips. This was going to be fun, he thought.