[The Aylasa Caves]Both sides of the coin.(Eris)

[Weyliss]

Blinking, Weyliss looked back at the woman, his mouth opening and closing reflexively. He tried to imagine her pretty face... getting clubbed in with a rather large rock. Cracking his neck, the man eyed Eris.

"A family hired me to find a man by the name of Alcherion. Apparently he's either a really nasty piece of work, or he's been kidnapped by some really nasty pieces of work. The man who attacked me, got the drop. It. Won't. Happen. Again."

He emphasized each point by twitching the torch at her.

Then he stopped, eyeing the area. With an unhappy grunt, he realized he had no clue where he was going, or how he was going to find stick boy. Sighing, he eyed Eris.

"...on a different note, I don't exactly know these caves. Do you?"

He really hated depending on others, especially when they seemed intent on ending lives, but Eris might be able to help him. At least as far as finding something or someone. He was beginning to think she may have been hired for the same man, or maybe something else involving the man. Curious.

[Eris]

“Alcherion, eh? Doesn’t ring a bell...” Eris muttered, more to herself than to Weyliss. “Unless… Was he the chap whose store got ransacked a short while ago?” Kerrington had mentioned a shop in his “field of influence” being ransacked. “Field of influence” – only a businessman would use that kind of term to describe a neighborhood.

Eris wondered why she even remembered Kerrington talking about the ransacked shop. The man had talked about so many nonessential things – exports, imports, profits, the marriage of his fifth cousin… She was surprised she ever had the patience to listen through all the chatter until he got to the important part. So, why had she unconsciously clung on to the memory of this Alcherion? Could it be important somehow?


“I can’t say I know the caves very well, but I am acquainted with some of the passages. I’m tracking a man who might be hiding in one of these caves and I’m familiar enough with the general layout of the first few caves in the system to know where my target would most likely be. If he is even here, that is,” Eris said, looking around the cavern in an attempt to locate the right exit.

[Weyliss]

Weyliss blinked. Well that was decidedly unhelpful. Not to mention that the cave system ran for miles. He waited, not entirely sure what to do.

"Well. Yes. His store was ransacked. Do you know something?"

Weyliss didn't bother asking how she knew the layout, or why she referred to her man as a target, he could only assume she was going to end somebody's life at the end of their little journey. He could stop her. He could drag both her 'target' and his man back to Syliras in one piece, and turn them in to the knights. Yet, she had mentioned about doing right, about trying to choose what jobs she took. Weyliss felt something in his gut twist. She could have been full of Ivak's spit. Telling him lies, as to not get turned in to the knights. Weyliss let his eyes wander around the cavern for a second. He believed in the good of people. After all, what was the point of saving lives, if you didn't have faith in them to continue to do the right thing. He had to have faith in this woman that she was doing the right thing. Another scowl. When it came down to it, Weyliss didn't like thinking, too much to do, and you had to do it with a clear head. Not with these doubts that had been popping up since he had first set foot in this cave.

He eyed the woman, waiting for a response, but also ready to move in case she had an idea of where to go.

[Eris]

“All I know is that a bookstore was ransacked and a corpse found on the premises. My employer had some money invested in the store, so, naturally he was quiet upset. Don’t see why he felt the need to tell me that though, seeing as it has nothing to do with my job.” At least she didn’t think so. But she was growing more and more uncertain about the full story behind Telther’s disappearance. “I didn’t know the owner was kidnapped, though. Mind telling me who hired you?”

Finally locating the exit, Eris briskly walked toward it. She didn’t have time to stand around chatting. “I believe this passage leads to a cave that used to serve as shelter for travelers at one time. The best place for someone to hide out for a while. Your mystery man might be there too,” she said, bending her head slightly as she stepped into the tunnel.

This one had a low-hanging ceiling, but was mercifully dry. The walls were relatively far apart from each other, allowing for a more comfortable walk. They were covered with jagged stones, sticking out at random intervals along the passage – making the walk a little less comfortable.

[Weyliss]

Weyliss scowled at her.

"The owner of the bookshop has a wife and child. They are convinced he was kidnapped."

She was obviously ready to move, and so was he. Following the woman, he decided to let her lead things. It was one more barrier between an unknown number of hostile individuals, and himself. In truth, he was worried. Alot of unknown factors...

Staying silent, the man let his hand rest on the sling of the sword scabbard. He stayed a little to her left, watching the ground closely for any signs of trip wires or anything devious.

[Eris]

Eris continued on through the tunnel, vaguely aware of the man walking next to her. At the moment she had to dedicate all her senses to tracking down Telther. If Weyliss decided to attack her out of the blue, she’d just have to suffer the consequences. The deeper they went, the more moist the ground became, with small fuzzy growths spreading across the walls. She shivered as her hand brushed against the mossy texture – it felt slimy, mushy, and alive.

Her eyes were scanning the walls and floor for any subtle hints of someone passing through there, when a rod spot on one of the mossy patches caught her eye. She knelt down by the patch, examining it from all sides. The moss was a dull greenish color, with a blurred red spot in the center. It looked like blood, but Eris couldn’t be sure. After all, it could just be the regular coloring of this plant. She brushed it with her fingers and shuddered involuntarily. It felt disgusting, but the blood – if that’s what it was – was definitely dry. She couldn’t remember a thing from what her mother had taught her about distinguishing plants and fungi. Normally, she wouldn’t care, but at the moment, she needed to know if scarlet was the plant’s natural color.

“Take a look at this,” Eris said without taking her eyes off the plant. “Know anything about the flora in this region?”

[Weyliss]

At first, Weyliss just sort of peered over her shoulder. He wasn't an expert on such subjects, but he did know a few things. Hunkering down beside her, the warrior bit the tip of his glove, pulling the leather off, he ran his fingers along the plant, before letting the glove drop down into his lap.

"Only the ones with medicinal properties. Can't say I recognize these. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the red coloration is blood. Ive yet to see anything colorful plant-wise in a cave."

Not entirely true, there had been those mushrooms...

Looking over at the woman, he dabbed at the red stuff with a finger. Probably not a good sign, he was certain he hadn't wounded his attacker, so this belonged to someone else. Hopefully, not the bookkeeper.

Looking further down the tunnel, Weyliss rose to his feet, and slid the glove back on. Time seemed to be working against them, he needed to find that man, and he was hoping that his companion's target wasn't the one who had done the kidnapping.

"What's down this particular tunnel?"

Still holding the torch, he squinted, trying to pierce the gloom with will alone.

[Eris]

“Good,” Eris nodded at the confirmation of her theory. Realizing that she may sound a bit heartless, she elaborated, “Not good that someone was bleeding over here, of course. But if the person lost any more blood along the way, they should be easier to find.”

“If we’re going the right way, then there should be a small cavern with a freshwater spring passing through it. It has been rumored to have served as a shelter for travelers in this region many years ago. I haven’t heard of anyone coming here recently, though – perfect place to wait out the turnout of murdering three of your friends,” she muttered the last part more to herself than to her companion. It’s true that the three men that Telther killed were his business partners, but they were also supposed to have been close friends since childhood. What people wouldn’t do for money.

Eris rose as well, brushing off her breeches at the knees. Judging by the small amount of blood, whoever came through here must not have been mortally wounded. If that person was Telther, then he might still be alive. She really didn’t want to have to drag a dead body back to Syliras instead of the live one she was hired to deliver.

[Weyliss]

Weyliss blinked at the woman, giving a small frown. None of this was really adding up. Why on earth would the bookkeeper be hiding in these caves with a murderer? It didn't sound like her target would kidnap his. Weyliss wasn't the patient sort. Not when it came to things of this nature.

Looking back down the tunnel, the man started to walk. As he did, he realized his arm was on fire. It was really starting to bother him. Holding the torch closer to himself, the warrior extended his arm and had a look. The wrapping was still holding just fine, and the red spot hadn't grown significantly since he last checked. Shaking his arm a little bit, he tried to keep it in motion as he walked. At least if it got tired it would distract him from the burn. It could have been worse, the man might have struck his sword arm, that would have been even more irritating.

Sneaking a peek over his shoulder, he could make out his companion. He wasn't entirely sure if she was following him, or if she was waiting for him to get lost and return. She hadn't mentioned any forks, so he hoped he was going the right way. Weyliss wasn't sure what to make of his companion, and even less sure as to what he should be doing. Working with others always added all of these little 'wrinkles' to his plans. He tried to avoid social jobs as much as possible. Too many things that he couldn't control...


"So... I don't imagine your first date was in a dank, smelly cave. Yet, you make it sound as if you've been here before. A job..or?"

[Eris]

Eris continued walking through the tunnel, ducking her head to avoid a perilously tilting rock.

“I came here looking for someone once – not a job, more of a personal issue, I suppose,” Eris murmured, keeping her eye out for any more blood stains. “Didn’t find what I was looking for and got lost in the process. At least the few nights I spent wandering these passageways etched them in my memory.”

She had been following a tip from a traveler who had told her that her father might have passed through the caves at some point. So, being the overzealous girl that she once was, she went straight for the caves. Completely unprepared both physically and mentally, it was a wonder she ever survived.

“Say, who would want to kidnap your bookkeeper, anyhow?” she asked suddenly. An idea had begun to form in her mind – it was still only half-fledged and probably completely inaccurate. And yet, it seemed too much of a coincidence that they both ended up in the same cave, looking for two different people. There must have be some kind of connection. Perhaps if she realized what that connection was, this search would become a whole lot easier.

The tunnel began to widen – a sure sign that they were nearing the cave opening.