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Temire awoke slowly, looking around the unfamiliar room trying to ascertain where she was. No, not an unfamiliar room, merely an unfamiliar perspective. She'd fallen asleep on the floor of Roni's room, curled up in the corner. {Good one Mira. Fall asleep in a position that's guaranteed to make you stiff and cranky when Ilya's depending on you.} Temire stood up, stretching her stiff muscles, her joints popping in protest of the awkward position they'd been forced to hold for so long. Temire turned and looked at the light coming through the window. {Most of the day still. Damn.} Temire dragged herself down the stairs, finding Sallah in the living room apparently heading for the stairs. "Oh No! What happened to your hair?" Temire looked sheepishly at the floor. "We kind of got caught in a burning building. Ilarion probably won't wake up till this evening." "Well we can't have you going out looking like that." Sallah dragged Temire over to a chair and forced her to sit down before disappearing into the kitchen. A few moments later she reappeared with some towels and sheers and began trimming Temire's hair which had been burned down to half its length in the fire. Studying herself in the mirror afterwards, Temire was startled at how similar her and Tarri's hair styles had become. She spent an amused moment wondering how powerful an illusion she'd need to pass herself off as Tarri then pushed the thought aside. Her spells, though limited, were all that had saved her from receiving burns far worse than Roni's...And she couldn't conveniently heal herself with a full day's sleep. Regardless, she hadn't been injured. With a great deal of effort Temire managed to convince Sallah to let her keep her singed clothes until she'd gotten enough exercise to work out the after affects of her awkward sleep. Sallah promised to get the worst of the smoke and ash out of Mira's clothes and Mira found herself somewhat embarrassed when Sallah produced a clean set of Mira's clothes for her to change into after a hot bath. {I didn't think I'd been spending THAT many nights over here.} Temire had just started inventorying what she had on her and making a list of the things she'd want for an extended trip when there was a knock at the door. Temire went to answer it, finding three Purple Dragon's standing on the other side of the door. "Good day miss. We came to...speak with...Ilarion...Temire, is that you?" "Yes it is Lucien. Have you taken a few too many blows to the head or merely dined with your parents a few times too often?" Temire smiled at her brother. It was nice to see him well, even if neither of them could acknowledge the relationship. Lucien's companions clearly knew something was happening, but not what. Temire suspected that Lucien would be the subject of idle gossip for several days. It would do him good. Lucien looked pained at Temire's question but managed to chuckle for the benefit of his companions, "No. Just that the last time I saw you was before you began dying your hair, and I had not heard of your marriage." Lucien reached out, touching the white streak in Temire's hair. "I'm not married Lucien, and it's not a dye. And I'm afraid that if you want to speak with Ilarion you'll have to come back this evening or preferably some time tomorrow. He's currently in a magical slumber in order to heal wounds he received trying to recover his daughter." It was a lie, but then, Temire didn't really feel like explaining psionics and how it differed from magic, and besides all the relevant points had been factual. Lucien suddenly grew serious while it was obvious that his companions had just move today's story up a couple of pegs in the barracks story roster. "May we come in? I think you have a great deal of explaining to do." Temire caught herself before she threw a retort at his head, {I stopped having to explain myself to anyone when mother and father disowned me, and you dear brother just sat back and let them.} It was Temire that had told Sallah to drag Lucien into this, if she wasn't willing to explain the situation to him she shouldn't have had Sallah report it. With a sigh Temire stepped back out of the doorway, "Of course, please come in." Lucien and his men enter, going into the living room where Lucien took a seat, his companions standing out of the way. "Can I get you anything?" Temire stood near a chair by the kitchen door. Lucien shook his head, "No thank you." Temire sat down facing Lucien, "So what questions do you want to ask?" "Why don't you start by telling me what happened in your own words." Lucien looked at her gravely. Temire sighed, "Alright. Ilarion and I had just returned from Lord Welarn's maze garden..." "Is that Ilarion Quilisian?" Temire nodded, "Yes." "Please continue Temire." Temire studied Lucien for a moment before resuming her story. "As I said, we'd just returned to find the house apparently empty. We had expected to find the house keeper Sallah, Ilarion's daughter Ilya, and some of Ilya's playmates..." Lucien interrupted once more, "Would that be Sallah of Marsember?" Temire sighed, "Yes." "Continue." "Anyway, we started searching the house and found Sallah in the kitchen. She'd been stabbed in the back and left to bleed to death. The children with the exception of Ilya were tied up in a closet," Temire said. "What did you do then?" "Ilarion healed Sallah, then we sent Sallah to report to you and see the children home, while we went after the kidnappers," Temire said. "Did you catch them?" Temire sighed, sinking into her chair and staring off into space for a moment, a grimace on her face, "No. They had a mage teleport them out of the city. Ilarion knows where, but you'll have to wait until he wakes up to find out." "What happened to this mage?" Temire clenched her fist, "He teleported away after setting the building on fire." Lucien looked startled, "Would that be the warehouse on Fuller road that burned down last night." Temire looked at Lucien like he was an idiot, or that he thought she was one, "Unless two buildings happened to burn down in that neighborhood." Lucien clearly didn't like her tone, but equally clearly was accustomed to it, "Can you describe this mage? Do you know his name?" Temire shook her head, "He never gave any form of address. He was human, long blonde hair, a little taller than me." Lucien nodded, making some notes on a piece of paper, "Sallah of Marsember said that you wanted us to stop all ships heading for Sembia. Why if they teleported?" "We didn't know they had teleported at the time." "And why Sembia?" "They mentioned Ilya's mother. She lives in Selgaunt." Lucien's face hardened, "And what is Madame Quilisian's name?" "Kauriss, and she's not Quilisian. I don't know her husband's name." Lucien clearly didn't like the answer but moved on, "Have you heard anything since then?" Temire shook her head, "No." "Do you have anything else to add?" "No." Lucien rose and gestured to his men. "Thank you for your time Temire. I'm afraid that if you hear anything I'll have to ask you to report it to us and then leave matters to us, though if they've left Cormyr there's nothing we can do." Temire stands and snorts, "Like you helped me out before. No thank you Lucien, this is a family matter." Lucien suddenly turned angrily on Temire, "A family matter! Like the family matter you abandoned when you ran away?" Temire shouted back, her fists clenched, "And where were you to help me then? You sat back and didn't say a word when mother and father were going to marry me off to that dirty old man just so they could spend his money." Lucien waves his arm, brushing aside Temire's protests, "And because you left Agnes had to marry him with double the dowry. In case you've been too busy playing at being a swordswoman and whore Agnes gave birth recently and now she's dying from complications because you abandoned her." Temire blinked at Lucien in shock before collapsing into a chair, his hand covering her mouth, "Agnes...is dying..." Lucien also sat back down before saying in a huff, "Yes." Lucien's men stood quietly at attention in the entrance way, their earlier amusement gone. Temire leaned forward some of her anger returning, "Why didn't you TELL ME Lucien?!? You know a half dozen ways of leaving messages for me. How could you think that I wouldn't want to know about this?" Lucien sighed loudly, "I'm sorry Temire. If I'd told you you'd have done something reckless like attacking Sanses. Then I'd have had to arrest you and he'd probably have pulled sufficient strings to see you hung." Temire leaned back rubbing her face before asking quietly, "Why did you let them do it Lucien? Why did you let them marry Agnes off to that asshole?" Lucien sighed, "Because there was nothing I could do Mira. The only thing I could have done was demonstrate that they were unfit to be parents, and frankly, however much we dislike them, they haven't actually done anything illegal. I'm sorry Mira, but unless Agnes had tried running away there was nothing I could do." Temire nods sadly, "Sanses still have that big house on the edge of town?" "Yes...Mira...Don't do anything foolish." Temire looked sadly at Lucien, "I won't...I...I need to get Ilya back first...I can't do anything for Agnes besides be there for her. Ilya...Ilya I can save." Lucien rose slowly, "A good day to you Temire...Hopefully we can speak again under better circumstances." Temire also rose and nodded, "I'd like that Lucien...Oh and Lucien...Do you think you could loan me a sword. Ilarion has one, but it's rather showy. I think I'd rather have something that will draw less attention around." Lucien nodded, "I'll send someone by with one later." "Thank you Lucien." Temire sighed as Lucien left. {Great one more thing to worry about. Gods, do things ever calm down. Agnes I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do for you right now, and I can't let you distract me from getting Ilya back. I promise I'll come for you as soon as I'm back.} Temire finally roused herself and left for Ellesmere returning sometime later with her travel pack. Sallah greeted her as she unslung the pack, "This letter was delivered for Master Ilarion." Temire opened the letter. Ilarion, I know you do not look back on our time together with fondness, but I never thought your unfounded malice against me would extend to allowing harm to come to our daughter. I understand you would ordinarily never consent to help me - indeed, your final words made it clear that you would happily go out of your way to see me harmed - but I still dare to hope you will help Ilya. Do you know who Nanler One-Eye is, or what these Charts are that they mention? I beg, not as your former lover but as the mother of your child that you do all in your power to save her. --Kauriss [copy of ransom note attached] My lady, We have your young daughter, Ilya Quilisian. We will be in contact with you again to arrange the return of the Charts of Nanler One-Eye. If you do not return the Charts, we will be forced to kill your child. Do not attempt to rescue her. Do not seek assistance. We will be in touch. - L Temire crumpled the letter and looked up at Ilarion's room through the ceiling, "Dammit Roni. Wake up." |
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