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<blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 436799" data-attributes="member: 96">Session Nine, Part Two: Reunions&quot;Di'Fier.&quot;&nbsp; Jemis' voice was flat and emotionless as he nodded towards the approaching figure - and then turned and pushed away through the crowd.Dru stopped in front of her former partner, hesitated.&nbsp; &quot;I have to talk to you.&nbsp; I think I know what's going on.&quot;Di'Fier glanced around at the throng, pushing his way through to a side street with Dru right behind him. Turning to face her, he could see her reluctance, and a clammy wave of dread washed over him.&nbsp; Something was wrong.&nbsp; Very wrong.&quot;They got the girl back.&nbsp; Your father wanted me to tell you.&nbsp; They burst in and took her.&nbsp; He's...&quot; Di'Fier could read the truth in her eyes, and she couldn't even make the best of it. &quot;...stable.&nbsp; I sent your mother to him.&quot;&nbsp; She gave him a minute to digest the information, then asked, &quot;What girl?&quot;&quot;Vikki Tarjay,&quot; murmured the mage.&nbsp; &quot;She was with Nifur Roberts the night she was kidnapped.&quot;&nbsp; Then he was pushing past Dru, all other thoughts forgotten.&quot;Wait!&quot; she called after him.&nbsp; &quot;We need to meet again!&quot;He didn't stop moving - just shouted, &quot;Nightfall - Black Rose!&quot; over his shoulder and was gone.<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> Dru mounted the stairs, climbing to the balcony at the back of the small house in the kesir.&nbsp; It had been years - no, a decade or more - since she had last been here.The door opened after her knock, and the elven woman behind it let out a gasp of surprise. &quot;Drusilia!&quot;Dru smiled. &quot;Nilia.&nbsp; I hoped that you were still living here.&quot;As they entered the flat, Dru couldn't help but notice the changes that age was beginning to make in her teacher.&nbsp; For once, she wished she could see with human eyes - to them, ignorant as they were, the elves seemed ageless, and Dru and Nilia might have been sisters instead of being of an age to be mother and daughter.&nbsp; But for someone who knew the signs...Nilia turned from placing the kettle over the fire, and looked over her former pupil.&nbsp; One long finger reached out to trace the scar along Dru's cheek, and she tsk'ed.&nbsp; &quot;I hope that not all of my lessons in deportment were forgotten.&quot;&quot;Not forgotten, Nilia,&quot; Dru assured her. After a moment, she admitted, &quot;Maybe less used...&quot;&nbsp; Seizing the opportunity to change the subject, she asked, &quot;Are you familiar with the Dragon's Claw?&quot;&quot;I've heard of them.&quot; Nilia turned from where she was adding herbs to the kettle, to regard Dru with a curious glance.&nbsp; &quot;Is that what brings you to me?&quot;Dru nodded. &quot;They're here, and they've been attacking Papa. And the rest of the underworld, too,&quot; she added belatedly.&quot;Dru...I'm no warrior.&nbsp; Perhaps I could help if you wanted to seduce one of them, but I somehow doubt that is what you have in mind.&quot;&quot;I was hoping for advice on subtle tactics.&quot;The older elf turned to look at Dru, cocking her head to one side.&nbsp; &quot;Your father is the master of subtle tactics.&nbsp; I could tell you how to handle one man...not an entire organization.&quot;&nbsp; As the kettle began to steam, she took it from the coals and poured its contents into a pair of cups.Dru sighed, taking one from her.&nbsp; &quot;I just feel out of my depth.&nbsp; They're here, they're somewhere in Scurvytown, and nobody knows where - and I haven't got the first idea where to look.&quot; Maybe we can just burn the entire neighborhood to the ground?Nilia pursed her lips, sitting down and motioning Dru to do the same.&nbsp; &quot;Scurvytown,&quot; she repeated, closing her eyes to picture the place.&nbsp; Slowly, she opened them again, and smiled. &quot;Very brave.&nbsp; The last crimelord to try to take Scurvytown was killed in broad daylight in the middle of Dreaming Street...and yet, somehow there were no witnesses.&quot;&nbsp; She breathed in the aromatic vapors of the tea, and sighed.&nbsp; &quot;Dreaming Street...no-one can tell you better than I, Drusilia: men talk while they are in bed...and I very much doubt that these men are abstaining.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> &quot;I should have moved her earlier.&quot;Eleanor, Magus of the Fifth Circle, looked across the cottage's main room at her son.&nbsp; She could see her father's temper in him, and his father's stubbornness, and the family's magical talent - all focused inward in a blaze of self-recrimination.&nbsp; &quot;You didn't know,&quot; she said softly, crossing the room to rest a hand on his shoulder.&nbsp; &quot;None of us knew.&nbsp; I should have put more protections on the house.&nbsp; We all thought that she was safe because nobody knew she was here.&quot;&quot;Two nights ago, I changed myself to look like her,&quot; her son began, voice dull with shock.&nbsp; &quot;They probably put two and two together.&nbsp; How is he?&quot;&quot;He's...&quot; She hesitated.&nbsp; &quot;He looks worse than he is.&quot;Di'Fier nodded, and headed into the bedroom, kneeling by the side of the bed.&nbsp; He took his father's hand into his own, feeling the remnants of the calluses built up from long years of swordplay - and worn away by years of retirement.&nbsp; &quot;Father,&quot; he said. &quot;I'm sorry.&quot;His father's eyes opened, and his hand squeezed Di'Fier's.&nbsp; But it was a pale shadow of the strength that used to be there, and both of them knew it.&nbsp; &quot;I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop them.&quot;&nbsp; His eyes closed again, and he let out a long breath.&nbsp; &quot;They did not hurt her, that I saw.&quot;&nbsp; They sat in silence for a moment longer, before the old man slowly pulled his hand away, and lifted his head to look at his son. &quot;Find her.&quot;Di'Fier nodded, and straightened, turning towards his mother, who watched from the doorway. &quot;Mother...the Council has decided to vote on the succession law tomorrow.&nbsp; I think we must mobilize the Guild.&nbsp; Tonight is one of our last chances, and we may need all the help we can get.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="drnuncheon, post: 436799, member: 96"] [b]Session Nine, Part Two: Reunions[/b] "Di'Fier." Jemis' voice was flat and emotionless as he nodded towards the approaching figure - and then turned and pushed away through the crowd. Dru stopped in front of her former partner, hesitated. "I have to talk to you. I think I know what's going on." Di'Fier glanced around at the throng, pushing his way through to a side street with Dru right behind him. Turning to face her, he could see her reluctance, and a clammy wave of dread washed over him. Something was wrong. Very wrong. "They got the girl back. Your father wanted me to tell you. They burst in and took her. He's..." Di'Fier could read the truth in her eyes, and she couldn't even make the best of it. "...stable. I sent your mother to him." She gave him a minute to digest the information, then asked, "What girl?" "Vikki Tarjay," murmured the mage. "She was with Nifur Roberts the night she was kidnapped." Then he was pushing past Dru, all other thoughts forgotten. "Wait!" she called after him. "We need to meet again!" He didn't stop moving - just shouted, "Nightfall - Black Rose!" over his shoulder and was gone. [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] Dru mounted the stairs, climbing to the balcony at the back of the small house in the [i]kesir[/i]. It had been years - no, a decade or more - since she had last been here. The door opened after her knock, and the elven woman behind it let out a gasp of surprise. "Drusilia!" Dru smiled. "Nilia. I hoped that you were still living here." As they entered the flat, Dru couldn't help but notice the changes that age was beginning to make in her teacher. For once, she wished she could see with human eyes - to them, ignorant as they were, the elves seemed ageless, and Dru and Nilia might have been sisters instead of being of an age to be mother and daughter. But for someone who knew the signs... Nilia turned from placing the kettle over the fire, and looked over her former pupil. One long finger reached out to trace the scar along Dru's cheek, and she tsk'ed. "I hope that not all of my lessons in deportment were forgotten." "Not forgotten, Nilia," Dru assured her. After a moment, she admitted, "Maybe less used..." Seizing the opportunity to change the subject, she asked, "Are you familiar with the Dragon's Claw?" "I've heard of them." Nilia turned from where she was adding herbs to the kettle, to regard Dru with a curious glance. "Is that what brings you to me?" Dru nodded. "They're here, and they've been attacking Papa. And the rest of the underworld, too," she added belatedly. "Dru...I'm no warrior. Perhaps I could help if you wanted to seduce one of them, but I somehow doubt that is what you have in mind." "I was hoping for advice on subtle tactics." The older elf turned to look at Dru, cocking her head to one side. "Your father is the master of subtle tactics. I could tell you how to handle one man...not an entire organization." As the kettle began to steam, she took it from the coals and poured its contents into a pair of cups. Dru sighed, taking one from her. "I just feel out of my depth. They're here, they're somewhere in Scurvytown, and nobody knows where - and I haven't got the first idea where to look." [i]Maybe we can just burn the entire neighborhood to the ground?[/i] Nilia pursed her lips, sitting down and motioning Dru to do the same. "Scurvytown," she repeated, closing her eyes to picture the place. Slowly, she opened them again, and smiled. "Very brave. The last crimelord to try to take Scurvytown was killed in broad daylight in the middle of Dreaming Street...and yet, somehow there were no witnesses." She breathed in the aromatic vapors of the tea, and sighed. "Dreaming Street...no-one can tell you better than I, Drusilia: men talk while they are in bed...and I very much doubt that these men are abstaining." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "I should have moved her earlier." Eleanor, Magus of the Fifth Circle, looked across the cottage's main room at her son. She could see her father's temper in him, and his father's stubbornness, and the family's magical talent - all focused inward in a blaze of self-recrimination. "You didn't know," she said softly, crossing the room to rest a hand on his shoulder. "None of us knew. I should have put more protections on the house. We all thought that she was safe because nobody knew she was here." "Two nights ago, I changed myself to look like her," her son began, voice dull with shock. "They probably put two and two together. How is he?" "He's..." She hesitated. "He looks worse than he is." Di'Fier nodded, and headed into the bedroom, kneeling by the side of the bed. He took his father's hand into his own, feeling the remnants of the calluses built up from long years of swordplay - and worn away by years of retirement. "Father," he said. "I'm sorry." His father's eyes opened, and his hand squeezed Di'Fier's. But it was a pale shadow of the strength that used to be there, and both of them knew it. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop them." His eyes closed again, and he let out a long breath. "They did not hurt her, that I saw." They sat in silence for a moment longer, before the old man slowly pulled his hand away, and lifted his head to look at his son. "Find her." Di'Fier nodded, and straightened, turning towards his mother, who watched from the doorway. "Mother...the Council has decided to vote on the succession law tomorrow. I think we must mobilize the Guild. Tonight is one of our last chances, and we may need all the help we can get." [/QUOTE]

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