coming down the stairs stopped him. With a fatalistic shrug, he said with mock-exasperation, "Just how many more of them ARE there, anyway?"However, the sight of the next prisoner instantly wiped the smile off his face.
One of the guards shoved the young Asian man down the last few steps. Pausing to brush some more dust out of his red hair, he glanced around at the decor - glaring briefly at the guard - before meeting Tolan's stare. "This must be the famed hospitality of Yarfell that I've heard so much about. If you don't mind my asking, *why* precisely are we being arrested?"
Tolan's mind raced as he tried to figure out what was going on. He recognized this as one of the former prisoners, now escaped. But what was he doing back here? And acting like this? Before he could formulate any kind of response, Tommy continued.
"Ah, I can tell from that shocked look of recognition on your face that you think you know me. And judging from the current situation, you probably already have him locked up, don't you? Short answer: That wasn't me. He's a servant of Venger who's been running around masquerading as me, apparently from day one. The *real* me - that would be the one you're looking at right now - has spent the better part of the past day locked up in a cell of Venger's. Now it looks like I'll get to check out yours. Maybe I should start writing a travel guide: A Prisoner's Guide to the Dungeons of the Realm. I give Venger's three and a half rats."
The meaning of his words slowly seeped into Lord Tolan's skull. An idea sprang into his head... glancing at Echlar he saw a similar expression. He hoped the mage was thinking the same thing. "A spy of Venger's? Everyone! Come quickly, we must check this out!" There was a quick rush towards the cells - for a moment it seemed Tommy was going to get left behind before the two remaining guards had the presence of mind to grab him by either arm and drag him along. As they rushed along the passage, those in the cells looked up in curiosity to see what was going on.
Reaching the appropriate cell, Lord Tolan drew his sword and pounded its hilt against the door. "You there, wake up!" No one noticed Echlar's brow furrowed in concentration as the image of Tommy slowly rose up. As "Tommy" spied his double outside the cell, a look of surprise and anger flashed across his face. and he quickly pulled an amulet off from around his neck and hurled it to the ground. Even as Tolan shouted stop! it was too late as the double vanished in a flash of light.
"Well there's a fine how do you do," Tommy quipped. "Where do you suppose he went?"
"Probably to report back to Venger," was Echlar's response.
Tommy grinned. "He'll be in for a rather rude surprise if that's the case. There isn't much left standing of that castle. So, do I get the cell he was in, or someone else's?" Tolan looked at him. "This cell would seem convenient, as no one else is in it now -" Echlar interrupted him. "My Lord. I do not think that would be wise. I am detecting some left over magic in there. Until I have determined what it is and neutralized it, I think it would be best that no one enter that cell."
Tolan nodded. "Very well. Put him in with..." he looked around. "Put him with the Drow. All the other cells already have at least two people in them."
