Random 47

All in all it was still earlier than Sylvie would have thought, so she could catch up on some sleep.

The next morning the first thing she did after stretching was checking if the little trick she tried yesterday still worked. Yes, the thin line connecting her and Kirrya had not ripped or dissolved. Provided neither of them travelled too far, she could use it to find the girl should it turn out she had lied and gone into hiding. It would cost Sylvie a bit of energy, but no concentration to keep it up, and even though she did not think it would be neccessary, she preferred to maintain this little safeguard.

Afterwards she got ready for the day.

That morning, Sebastian had paid for another week and slipped in a little extra when the proprietor wasn't looking -- then he had snuck off, still rattled by his nightmares. At least the Lady Luck never bothered him with those very often, and if she did, the dreams were very lucid and hardly all that threatening. They were adventurous and amusing... just like his youth had been, Sebastian mused.

He would have smiled, but the fact was that his clothes were still moist (there was only so much a raincloak could stop) and that he couldn't forget the dream of mud. Hours upon hours of watching mud with occasional glimpses of people or things just under the surface. It was because of this that the half-elf's steps were hurried and eager. He made his way to the shrine and once there entered from the alley entrance, half-expecting to find Auker running around in circles.

"Oh, hello," Auker said. "Tea?"

So much for that theory, Sebastian mused.

Ayu-Asra was lying on his back on the table, a very full and thus happy dragon indeed, twittering quietly.

"Thank you." The half-elf looked at the dragon firstly. He didn't have to ask to guess what had happened, so instead of making snide or amused comments about it, he parked himself in front of the fire and ignored everything going on in the shrine. Auker seemed to take the hint; she played with Ayu-Asra instead, making cute little noises at him. It was enough to make Sebastian wish for earplugs. He ended up reading the letters again, trying to find something, anything...

Time passed.

Sylvie didn't hurry much - for one she cleaned her boots yet again, greasing the leather was the only way to keep them from being ruined by the weather - but yet it was still before mid-morning that she arrived at the shrine. She hesitated a long moment in the street, then went round to the back door, entering after knocking, but without waiting for an answer.

"Morning," Auker said from near the fireplace where she was making food. She turned to look at Sylvie, then giving Ayu-Asra a curious look. The priestess seemed to be in a good mood, though not exceptionally so.

Less could be said about the half-elf sitting in at the table, resting his head against the table's surface. All the letters from yesterday had been scattered around the table, along with a few pieces of paper that Sebastian had been writing on in increasingly small and compact longhand. There was an empty cup of tea next to him: it looked as if there was an unhealthy amount of sugar left in the bottom. "Mr-n'nh," Sebastian muttered.

The dragon tweeted and levered himself to roll over with a wing. While the right head peered around sluggishly, the left watched Sylvie, who echoed Auker's greeting.

After haning up her coat, she sat and said, "I hope you've had more sleep than it looks like."

"Yes, more than two hours," said the half-elf, lifting his head and propping it against a hand. He shrugged. "Nightmares."

Sylvie pulled a sympathetic grimace and, since he didn't seem particularly interested in talking about them (and what good would that do?) changed the subject, pointing at the to her unreadable papers. "Been working since you couldn't sleep, anyway?"

"Since I got here. Not that early, really," he stated, turning his attention to the notes referred to. "I decided I'd have another look at the letters. Nothing there that would seem suspicious without any context, so all we have to go with for now is what you found out."

She checked the impulse to correct him to "We found out" - accepting that little bit of recognition was not the same as being conceited.

"So what options do we have now? Asking Montmore if he knows Langoll, or trying to ask for him at the Green Grapes..."

"That's about it, really," Sebastian said with a shrug. "Both of those options." More importantly, though, he had considered kidnapping Ludovic -- again --, simply because... he wanted to know why. He had guesses, of course, so he could wait... he could wait.

After thinking for a bit, Sylvie said, "Question being how one could officially have heard of Langoll, and reason to look for him."

"I don't think it has to even be official," Sebastian said with a shrug. "One could just complain about some self-important man called Langoll doing something rude. But this is thinking of Montmore: otherwise, well, I'd... really rather shadow him than ask for him. Of course... if we knew more about him, then we could come up with a reason to actually look for him. Or so."

"The big problem about shadowing him would be the start, considering we have no description yet, so Montmore would have to be first." So, if Montmore knew him, and she ran with Sebastian's idea, was there a chance of getting a description? Yes, to make sure it was the same person rather than two with the same name.

"I think I can come up with something, if he wants to chat. I have one of the books to take back, anyway."

She looked at Auker, wo surely had heard all of that.

The priestess feigned innocence until Sebastian too turned to look at her. She sighed. "Fine, fine... the things I do for the greater good," Auker said with mock-displeasure. "Maybe I should invite him here, though."

Sebastian shrugged. "Well. I could just as well go to the Green Grape to eavesdrop if that happens. Who knows, I might get..." Pause. "I'm not going to finish that sentence," he declared.

"Cluck, cluck," went the dragon.

Sylvie ignored that, and shrugged lightly at Auker's suggestion. The priestess would know both Monthmore and whatever etiquette was attached to visits here better than her.

"Cluck?" Sebastian said, staring at Ayu-Asra. "Not chicken soup, you little..."

Auker ignored the half-elf. "No, no, seriously, I've made him promise to come visit so many times. Let's do that. I'll give Rosz some money and send him off to get Montmore and some rest. Once he shows up, of course."

"llllllll-" Whatever Ayu-Asra was going to say, Sylvie snapping her fingers at him distracted him sufficiently to stop him.

Next she asked, "Anything I can help with?"

"If you want to help me with food, that would be nice," Auker purred. "Maybe something from where you're from? Monty loves exotic things."

Sebastian poked his tongue out at Ayu-Asra.

"You could stay, you know. I think he took quite a shine on you," Auker continued.