As quickly as he could, Lord Tolan had changed into his silver-trimmed, black leather armor and pulled on his high riding boots. He wondered for a second about bringing his sword, thinking that the Shadow Riders might see him as an aggressor if he approached them armed. Then again, if he entered their camp unarmed, they would take him for a fool. Buckling the sword belt around his waist, he decided he could always surrender his weapon while in their encampment if they so asked. Pulling open a drawer in search of his gloves, he paused when his eyes fell on what looked like a simple coil of leather tucked away in a corner. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take this as well. Unwound, it revealed itself to be a sling, of the type used to hurl rocks with deadly accuracy. But this one had never once thrown a rock or any other mundane projectile.
Tolan's sword was just a sword. It had become a necessity to him, but it was quite ordinary. This sling was his real Weapon, given to him by the Dungeon Master when he had first approached the adolescent Tolan and asked him to accompany a small group of adventurers he had assembled. It was magically capable of throwing "frost," a mass of cold so intense that it could encase a tree trunk in ice or freeze a man's leg off. (It had been a running joke of his fellow adventurers that, while they charged into battle swinging swords and hailing arrows, he was throwing "snowballs." That was the real reason he obtained the sword. But that is another story.)
Not sure why he was taking it, or even if he would need it, he nonetheless tucked the sling through his belt and began to pull his gloves on.
Just then, there was a firm, insistent knocking at his door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! "Ow! Damn! Broke a nail!"
Tolan sighed. He knew that knock, and didn't even have to hear the voice that accompanied it. "Come in, Kirriam!" he called.
The door opened and Tolan's sister showed herself into his private quarters. "Tolan, I just wanted to tell you that since the excitement's over, I was going home for now." 'Home' was the family estate, currently in Tolan's possession after the passing of their elder brother. Kirriam still lived under that roof as well, in a separate wing of the mansion, and Tolan did not begrudge her than one iota.
Tolan noticed when it finally sunk in that he was dressed to ride; before she could say anything, he explained, "By the Princess's order, I am delivering the commission and advance pay to the mercenaries now."
That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say. "You WHAT?!" Her voice jumped at least an octave between the two words. Sheer incredulousness made her jaw drop, and Tolan actually backed away as she advanced on him. "Here you go riding off by yourself into a tense situation again! What has gotten into you today?! I realize they are our allies now, and can help us against Venger, but these are dangerous men, Tolan! And think! Are you not the person who, just a few hours ago, was lying nearly dead of stab wounds in the market square because you went off essentially alone?" she demanded in a way that made Tolan's side hurt again. "Have you gone mad, Tolan?! At least get yourself an honor guard to escort you this time!"
"Kirriam! KIRRIAM!" Tolan had to shout to be heard. She didn't understand the situation- how could she? She had no way of knowing that this Captain Irzen was in league with the Outworlders. And theat he had to speak to the Captain right away. She was understandably concerned that he was knowingly entering a group of dangerous men, especially after what had happened this morning. "Don't worry, little sister, I've already spoken to two different companies of the palace guard about accompanying me to the Drow encampment."
Kirriam's eyes narrowed. Truth be known, she was quite used to her brother sometimes being reckless, and that bit of caution seemed strangely suspicious to her. "Have you, now?" she asked.
"I swear to you, I have," he replied, placing one hand over his heart and raising the other. “Rest assured, Kirriam, all will be well.”
Pursing her lips, Kirriam decided that maybe her brother had learned a lesson today in the marketplace, and this time, maybe, just maybe, the lesson had stuck. "All right, then," she said. "Take care, anyway. I shall see you later this evening. I must tell you about the interesting conversation I had with the Emir of Daibul."
Kirriam does it again, Tolan thought wryly. Out loud, he said, "I believe we are nearing a state of emergency in Yarfell. I must deliver this message to the Shadow Riders, but after that, I must remain in the palace to react quickly in the event of an attack. Perhaps you should join us here to dine this evening."
"Very well, I will," Kirriam agreed as she took her leave and shut the door behind her. Tolan breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't often that he could pull one over on his sister like that. She was about as sharp as they came.
Slipping the commission into a messenger's pouch, Tolan lifted the coffer of coins and was soon on his way to the stables to saddle up his chestnut horse for the short ride to the Drow camp.
A few minutes after Tolan had leapt into the saddle, Fate decided to have a little fun and meddle in the affairs of mortals...
"Why , hello, Sergeant Barrod!" Kirriam smiled brightly as she passed the company leader. She was on her way to the courtyard, and thence to home, which naturally led her by the sergeant's post. His shift had only started just minutes ago. "I am surprised to see you here, and not accompanying my brother to deliver the commission to the mercenaries."
"No, m'lady," Barrod said with a deep bow, always aflutter when the High Councillor's sister smiled at him. "I did speak to your brother, Lord Tolan, as to whether he wished us to provide escort, what with all the coin he was going to carry to them and all. He said he was going to speak to Sergeant Jakkarth about it."
Kirriam's smile froze on her face. Putting two and two together was startlingly easy for her, especially when it came to her brother’s tricks, which she was quite accustomed to. Barrod had spoken to her brother about having guards accompany him... Barrod was still here... Tolan had sworn that he had spoken to two companies of the guard... What was he up to?
"Thank you!" she said hurriedly, then, with a growing determination, she quickly wound her way through the halls of the palace until she found Sergeant Jakkarth, standing guard, sharing the post with a second man of his company. Neither of them seemed to be escorting Tolan to the Shadow Riders.
"Sergeant Jakkarth!" she blurted, causing the men to snap to attention so quickly that they both stumbled. "You're here! Why are you not escorting my brother?!"
Jakkarth looked confused. Apparently he'd done something wrong, but he had no idea what. "Lord Tolan, m'lady? I did offer my unit to ride out with him, but he told me that Barrod's men were going to do that."
"Is that precisely what he said?" she demanded, grabbing the sergeant by the lapel urgently.
"Well, exactly?" Jakkarth tried to remember. "Um, he said that he'd already talked to Barrod about it. M'lady."
"But he did not specifically say they were accompanying him? Merely implied it?" she demanded again, so intent on getting an answer that she was shaking the confused man.
"Uh, yes, m'lady," Jakkarth had to agree. "He said he'd talked to Barrod, but when you come right down to it, he never said whether or not Barrod's men were able attend him." Looking very confused, he really wanted to try to get Kirriam to simply release his lapels and stop shaking him.
Instead, a suddenly livid Kirriam shrieked in his face, "MY BROTHER IS INSANE!" Dropping her grip on Jakkarth, she added, "I've got to stop him!" He'd tricked her! He'd actually tricked her and for some crazy reason was riding off by himself into the mercenary camp. Going off on his own had nearly gotten that idiot of a brother killed once today toady! Heedless of propriety, she gathered her long skirts up in her hand and ran as fast as she could for the stables.
He wasn't there. Neither was his horse.
Furious beyond words, (though she would certainly have some words for Tolan when she caught him,) she found a light saddle in the tack room and hastily buckled it on a dappled grey mare that she'd ridden a few times before. Heedless of the fact that she was wearing her elegant, courtly dress, she sprang into the saddle and turned the horse toward the stable doors. "My brother is stark raving insane! I have to catch him!" was all she said to the confused stableboy before kicking the horse into a mad gallop. She didn't stop to consider that she too was riding off without an escort, which, by her own standards, could be considered every bit as insane.
