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* Ilarion grabs a cold chicken leg and some bread, chewing mechanically as he heads to a closet and pulls out a seldom opened trunk. Holding the chicken leg in his teeth, he removes a sword, a hard leather breastplate, and a set of silver and steel bracers. * Ilarion stops a minute to gnaw on a piece of bread, then straps on the breastplate and bracers somewhat awkwardly, before standing and belting the sword around his waist. * Temire fades into view, now dressed in her worn leather breeches and undyed shirt. Her conch shell hilted rapier is on her left hip, a belt pouch on her right where a dagger would normally be kept. Her hair has been tied back in a pony tail, the white lock standing out against her brown hair. * Temire surveys Roni's appearance, "I didn't even know you owned a sword. Do you know how to use it?" <Ilarion> ::frowning a little:: Yes, actually, I do. Not well, and I haven't practiced in a long time, but... ::he looks at the floor:: * Temire walks over to Roni and lifts his chin looking into his eyes, "But you're worried about Ilya and want to help her?" * Ilarion nods. "Probably best to be prepared." * Temire smiles encouragingly at Roni, "Come on, lets find your Pumpkin before she gets anymore frightened." * Ilarion nods. <Ilarion> ::taking a deep breath:: I'm as ready as I'm going to be. Hold up a moment and I'll see if I can locate her. * Ilarion moves out of the house, Mira trailing along behind him. He stops in the front lawn, closing his eyes, his jaw set in concentration. * Temire watches, keeping still and quiet. * Ilarion utters a strangled groan, his forehead beaded with sweat and his chest heaving for air. At last, he opens his eyes. "This way..." Decisively, he strides off through the backyard, not following any road, but a direct path between him and his daughter. * Temire walks along side Roni keeping an eye on him and an eye on the path. * Ilarion leads them out of the middle-class section of town and down towards the docks, stopping occasionally to reorient himself. * Temire continues along side or immediately behind Roni, making sure he doesn't stumble into a canal or get run over by a carriage. * Ilarion stumbles, his face growing paler by the moment, as they enter a very seedy section of town. * Temire puts a hand on Roni's arm, loosening the peace bonding on her sword. * Ilarion takes another few steps, headed towards a shabby building, the shutters half falling off. He opens his green eyes wide, then closes them suddenly, his whole face showing anguish. With a strangled cry, he falls to his knees. * Temire kneels next to Roni and whispers, "What's wrong Roni?" <Ilarion> ::in a choked whisper:: I... I lost it. She's... she's gone. * Temire continues whispering, "Was she in that building or farther away?" <Ilarion> ::grasping Mira's hand, his own hands are ice cold:: She was here... Gods! I... ::he makes some inarticulate noise:: ... dead... * Temire looks at Roni for a second then pulls him up and slaps him in the face, "Pull yourself together Roni. If you don't tell me what you know I can't help her." <Ilarion> ::twitching his face to one side:: In there. ::he points to the building in front of them:: But down some. * Temire nods, "Alright. After that, if there's anyone still in there they know we're here and looking for them so we'll go through the front door. Hopefully they won't have any traps. Once we've got Ilya we get the hell out of here. If you get Ilya, don't you dare hang around worrying about me, I'll be fine. Got it?" <Ilarion> ::nodding, his face a greenish around the mouth:: Go on, then. * Temire smiles and pats Roni's cheek, "Don't you dare get yourself hurt love." * Ilarion puts his hand on his sword hilt and straightens up. He mutters something under his breath that sounds like "already hurt". * Temire takes a deep breath then charges the building, executing a flying kick through one of the half shuttered windows. * Ilarion raises an eyebrow, then walks up the stairs to the front door and twists the knob. Somewhat surprised, he opens the door. * Temire lands inside the building, spinning around to survey it quickly. * Ilarion takes a few steps into the room. With a sudden crack, the boards of the floor give way, spilling him into darkness. * Temire shakes her head and keeps perfectly still, listening intently. <Ilarion> ::the is a short cry, suddenly cut off, then a few boards crash hard, below:: * Temire curses silently and looks for stairs or a ladder. <Ilarion> ::the room, mostly empty except for some ratty chairs near one wall, has only one other door, near the back.:: * Temire looks between the hole in the floor and the door several times before heading towards the door as quietly and as cautiously as she can hoping to avoid Roni's fall. * Temire falls about 15 feet landing on rock with a grunt and rolling out of the way of the floor boards that followed her down. <Dawn> ::a quiet, rough voice from the darkness:: Ah, *there* you are... ::mildly curious:: How *did* you find me so quickly? * Ilarion is laying on the floor, face-down, about ten feet away. * Temire grins, turning slowly in a full circle, "Trade secret. I suspect you aren't going to tell me why you kidnapped the girl so I'll settle for just having her returned." <Dawn> Ah... ::regretfully:: It's too late, I'm afraid. * Ilarion groans, shifting slightly, the side of his head bloody from hard contact with the floor. <Dawn> ::The only light in the basement filters down through the holes in the floor. Examination reveals that Temire and Ilarion are in a basement room with stone walls on three sides, and steel bars unrelieved by a door on the fourth. The voice issues from the darkness on the other side of the bars:: * Temire faces the source of Dawn's voice, "I think you'd better start talking." <Dawn> But I *am* talking, dear lady. *You're* the one who's damaged my home and interrupted my work. And I believe *you* are the one at a disadvantage. Perhaps *you* should talk, instead. <Ilarion> ::looking up from the floor:: Where's my daughter... <Dawn> Ah... I had wondered why you were in such a *terrible* rush. The Purple Dragons are usually much more discreet... ::a dry chuckle:: Why should I tell you? * Ilarion drags himself to his feet slowly, shaking his head gingerly. "Where is she? What have you done with her?" <Dawn> Ah, fatherly devotion... ::chuckles:: She's quite safe, I assure you. * Temire steps into the light of the hole she fell through. * Ilarion moves over to the bars, closing his eyes and leaning his head against them. * Temire blinks in confusion for a moment, then begins scrutinizing the bars from her new vantage point. <Dawn> ::reasonably:: Look at it this way... I sell my services for a very high price. You can't expect me to betray my employers just because you say so, can you? No one would ever hire me again. <Ilarion> ::in a flat tone:: She's not here, Mira, I can't feel her at all. <Dawn> ::startled:: Feel her? ::after a brief moment:: Ahh.... You're one of those mindbenders, aren't you? <Dawn> In that case, gentles, I think I should leave... ::a shape in the shadows shifts slightly:: <Ilarion> ::sharply:: No. ::in a slightly more conciliatory tone:: How much money? * Temire waits to hear the reply. <Dawn> ::the shape freezes, melting back into the shadows:: Well, now... Very sensible of you. How much do you have? On you, right now? <Ilarion> ::considering:: about twenty in gold, and this ::he indicates his sword hilt, which has several ornate sapphires set into the pommel, in a family crest:: <Dawn> Hmm... For information? I'll take the gold. The jewels are too easily traced. Put the money on the floor, now. Take it out of your pouch, or whatever you keep it in - I want to see it. * Ilarion unstraps his breastplate to get to a small pouch inside his shirt. He opens it, dumping a jumble of coins in mixed metals onto the floor. <Dawn> Twenty-one, four silver and threepence. ::musingly:: What will that- * Temire pulls a small mirror out of her belt pouch, vanishing in a flash of reflected light. <Dawn> ::in a hard voice:: Where'd she go? ::a blindingly bright and hot wall of flame fills the room beyond the bars:: * Ilarion recoils violently away from the flames, crouching on the far end of the cell. <Dawn> ::Between the flickers of the flames, a man can be seen on the far side of the basement, his back pressed into the corner. A cloak covers his face, though a lock of blonde hair trails out from under the hood, waving slightly from the heat caused by the flames.:: <Dawn> ::spitting:: More mindbender tricks! <Dawn> ::knives appear in the man's hands, and he raises his voice:: If you want me to leave Papa unsinged, woman, you'll show yourself! * Ilarion presses against the wall, backing as far away from the fire as he can. <Dawn> ::snapping:: I've not got all night! Show yourself! * Ilarion dodges as a bit of the ceiling, now ablaze, falls in. His movements are lightning fast, almost a blur. * Temire reappears on the same side of the bars as Dawn, a shiv in each hand and ready to throw, "I see you enjoy holding people for ransom. How much of a reward do the Dragons and Harpers have on you?" <Dawn> ::laughs:: To call for a reward, they have to have a name and a description... But *I* hold no one for ransom. Aside from the two of you, no one else is in this building. ::snarling:: If you'd dealt with a shred of honor, I'd have told you where I sent them with the girl, and even given you a ladder. But now... <Dawn> ::spitting into the fire, making it pop sharply:: Now, I'm minded to let the both of you burn. * Temire snorts, "Who would hire you if you sold your customers out so easily?" <Dawn> ::snorts:: What do you know of the business, girl? If you're going to throw those things, get on with it. ::the fire lurches past her into the cell:: * Ilarion dodges again, away from the fire, but pinning himself in the corner. <Dawn> ::sneering:: Well, girl? You can kill me, or save him, but not both. <Ilarion> Mira... ::winces away from the stones behind him, which are growing hot:: * Temire takes a breath then charges Dawn through the flames, dropping one shiv to punch him as hard as she can in the head (hopefully knocking him out) before slamming the second shiv at his groin. * Dawn reflexively blocks the groin-stab, and almost dodges the head-punch. He doesn't collapse entirely, but he does slam back against the wall, his head rolling loosely. The hottest flames in the room flicker and die, though a number of the ceiling-beams and supports are still burning. Dawn grunts and catches himself before he slips to the floor. * Ilarion dodges forward, away from the heated rocks and falling ceiling, slamming hard into the bars, rolling. He screams briefly as a section of bars fall outward, pulling a chunk of burning ceiling with them. * Temire grabs Dawn's shirt and slams him against the wall, holding her shiv to his throat, her hair and clothes scorched and smoldering, "Tell us everything you know about where Ilya is, where she's being taken, and who's financing the operation and convince me that you're telling the truth." * Dawn lifts a leg and kicks Temire hard in the stomach, pushing her toward Roni, taking a cut along his collarbone from her shiv. "Bitch, if you think after *this* I'll give you anything but blood, you are *sorely* mistaken." He holds his knives between them and glares from Mira to Roni and back, pale blue eyes glittering in the firelight. * Ilarion looks up quickly, his eyes glinting, then fading as his expression goes slack. "Got you, bastard," he murmurs. * Temire draws her sword, keeping the shiv in her off hand, "So be it." * Dawn sways slightly as he meets Ilarion's eyes, then blinks and frowns. "Bastard mindbender..." He glares briefly at Temire again, then disappears. * Ilarion collapses to the floor, gasping. "I got it, Mira." * Temire turns to Roni, "You know where Ilya is?" <Ilarion> We... need to get out of here. * Temire looks at Roni, sheathing her sword, "Do you know where to find Ilya?" <Ilarion> ::nods, then tries to get up:: Mira, out... we need out. * Temire puts a hand on Roni, pulling her mirror out once more. Slowly they fade out of sight. |
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