[coronatiger]

While we ate, I filled Yana in on what had happened during her sleep. She was grateful that I didn’t want her along for the assassination of Elanus Larma. Xipil asked if my poison could be applied to an arrow. I told him that some of it was too valuable to be wasted on arrows, but I would consider his request. If I had to risk my precious drops on his marksmanship, I would, but not without serious consideration.

Xipil left to find the spy, and I asked Yana if I could borrow her shoulder. I didn’t think anything would happen until morning, and I was starting to feel tired. I had only just finished my evening prayer when Xipil returned, informing us he had fixed rooms for us at the adjacent inn. Wolfram asked if we should bring our packs inside, but Xipil thought we should leave most of it in the wagon in case we had to leave in a hurry. Yana and I volunteered to stay in the wagon and watch over it.

Alone at last, I gave Yana a long goodnight kiss. As tempting as her lap seemed, I lay down on the vacated bench instead. I didn’t expect Yana to get any sleep after using the needle, so I wanted to give her space to move about if she wished. Xipil popped his head in to tell us their room numbers.

O Ashtar! We surrender our lives to Your coils. Take us while we sleep, or grant us another day in Your service, as You will.


26th of Ratanu, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

It was still the middle of the night when someone knocked on the wagon door. As I opened my eyes, Yana was stretching her hand towards me to wake me, but I nodded towards the door, sitting up and straightening my dress. It was the spy who was standing outside, and he was relieved to see me, he said. There had been a development regarding my wanted status. The spy believed Tivito was involved somehow, and he understood that my friends and I were to be exchanged for the imprisoned Ashtarites. I asked where he got his information and learned that its source was either in the palace or in the temple district. I thanked the spy for informing us and tried to convey a dismissal, but he had more to add. The fact that Tivito was involved made him and his organization stay away from it all, for they had instructions not to have anything to do with the supernatural, and when Tivito was involved, such things were likely. Still, he could help us out of Byblos, either via the fleet or by some other means. If we needed to get hold of him, we could show one of the western coins in the bar.

Once the spy had departed, I told Yana I suspected Illoro was up to no good. We agreed to discuss it with our friends when they woke up. I would try to get some more sleep until then, I told Yana and lay back down on the bench, but she set aside her needlework and knelt before me. She locked lips with me and let her hands roam freely. When she had me thoroughly worked up, she pulled back. “Be safe tomorrow and make sure to come back for the finish,” she teased and picked up the needle and thread to shield herself from the lunge we both knew I was dying to make. I shut my eyes and listened to the thunder in my chest; it was a wonder the innkeeper didn’t come out to check on the noise.

Wolfram came inside the wagon, perhaps an hour later, to dig around in the packs for some travel rations. I moved over to share Yana’s bench, and we had breakfast together. I supposed Grogg, Hylda and Xipil were eating at the inn, but that the common room was too crowded for Wolfram’s tastes. I explained to Wolfram that I didn’t trust Illoro despite believing that our agreement would be honored. That was why I didn’t want to leave him alone with the Azura priestess.

When the others joined us, I informed them about what the spy had said and that I suspected Illoro of masterminding some scheme. I believed he would have us arrested after we’d killed Elanus Larma. Yana opined that it might be wise to bring as few weapons as possible, but Wolfram disagreed. I love Yana dearly and would trust her opinion over anyone else’s in all matters except this. We needed to bring everything that could gain us an advantage today.

I suggested that Illoro or someone else might be able to track us through the stone he gave to Wolfram, and Wolfram asked if Xipil could analyze the magic in the stone. Xipil warned us it would take some time, but he took the stone. Then he asked Wolfram if he was supernaturally conscious of the stone, which he had been, but the feeling passed once he gave the stone to Xipil. The two of them left to analyze the stone. Grogg and Hylda left as well, and I borrowed Yana’s shoulder; I was still tired.

The spy returned about an hour later with more intel. Or rather meta-intel. His information came from intercepted letters between Larma and an unnamed individual outside the palace, planning a prisoner exchange. Since written letters were involved, I suspected this conversation had gone on for at least a few days, but the spy said it started around midnight. The aristocracy can be expedient when they want, apparently.

The spy said we might not see each other again and that only one person could make him come look for us. He said we knew who; it was Nulius, of course. Inexplicably, the spy decided to share his name at this time. I don’t know if it is his true name, but he said it was the name he used in his home country, and not here: Nynos.

Yana had been working on those flowers of hers until Nynos interrupted and she wanted to get back into the flow. She suggested that I might want to rest a bit longer and offered to sing for me. I curled up on the bench and dozed off to the melodious sound of her voice.

I woke again when Wolfram climbed back into the wagon, rocking it with his not inconsiderable weight. He brought his lantern and had put Illoro’s stone inside it, where it would do no harm when it caught fire; he explained that a flame would erupt from the stone and point us in the direction we needed to go. Wolfram wanted to get his daily exercise and asked Yana and me to keep an eye on the lantern.

Yana and I heard Wolfram’s heavy breathing outside. “I can make you huff and puff,” I whispered in Yana’s ear, but Yana refused my advance. “Not until you survive the day,” she reminded me. Yana had this idea of a hair-do built up as a tower and she wanted to try it on me one day. We spent some time discussing it while Yana sewed and I fed Hope. Outside, we heard Grogg and Hylda join Wolfram; Hylda wanted Grogg to strip off his shirt and join the exercise while she drew him.

Then, Yana prodded my shoulder and alerted me that the stone had caught on fire inside the lantern. I raised my voice a little. “Wolfram, your lantern’s burning!” Wolfram opened the wagon door, glanced at the lantern, and said that it was time to get moving. He went to fetch Xipil, who was resting in his room after the spellcasting.

The magical flame bent to the side, pointing in the direction it wanted us to go. We didn’t know what would await us there, so I proposed we drove in that general direction and looked around. Xipil watched the flame and gave instructions to the drivers.

The flame wanted us to go to a restaurant near the Golden Arrow. Two obvious mercenaries guarded the door and it was clear the restaurant had been shut down for the occasion. Xipil asked the drivers if there was anywhere nearby where they could park and wait. They explained about a nearby bar and said we should show the western coin if we needed anything.

Wolfram, Grogg, Xipil and I descended from the wagon outside the restaurant. Wolfram brought the lantern in case the flame had further instructions. The mercenaries recognized us and knocked on the door. Another of their company opened and nodded, gesturing for us to enter. I realized I had forgotten to bring my poison and rushed to catch up with the wagon. I gave Yana a quick peck on the cheek. “Be safe,” she admonished while I transferred my vials to my pouch.