Oh, for the sake of Mask… Iliskra thought as she crossed her arms and sighed aloud at Leon’s action. So much for complete discretion.

Ibdur had walked up beside Leon, hands on his axe hafts at the ready. The four local men looked between themselves and then at Leon, two of them letting out raspy laughs while the other two stared in aggravated disbelief. The larger of the latter looked at Leon with squinted eyes and a nasty sneer, half slurring, “Well… aren’t you the brave dandy fellow? Think you can just buy away our evening table for cheap with a threat stuck to the bottom of the tag?”

“‘Ey now,” grumbled the other of the more serious two, “look… we were about to leave anyway. Just… let ‘im have the table, Durgal.”

“Shove off, then,” the man Durgal said, tottering up from his chair to full height, which was almost a head above Leon, “I’ll be damned if some… whatever he be… is going to just try and tell me about like this. Even the captain has better m-manners…”

“Just stuff it and let’s go… you know what the captain said about anymore f-f-fights o-on land…” the other man said, lifting up from his own chair and putting a hand on his fellows’ breast in a show of retraining.

Durgal snorted and swatted the hand away but grumbled, “Fine.”

As he and his three fellows started around the table the large man pressed his pointer finger into Leon’s chest threateningly. “Ye should be thanking Tymora I have a strict captain and too light a head r-right now. You had best hope we not meet a-again.”

The four cleared away and headed for the door, Iliskra standing beside Leon now with her arms crossed firmly over her chest and one brow raised sharply.
“Leon, we are trying to remain unseen as we can be.” the half-elf chastised.

Nevertheless, Ibdur, Iliskra, and Leon had a table now, though Iliskra doubted the three would be up for long. All she wanted was a meal, a drink, and a bed. She looked around and noted that the place was rather empty given the size of it and the circumstances outside. There were maybe a dozen or so other patrons spread about tending to their plates and flagons in solitude. The upside of this was that there was likely a room available for the night.

“Leon, we are trying to remain unseen as we can be.”

"In a city where the 'guardsmen' are literally busting down doors and beating people in the streets, do you believe an aggressive bar fly is worth talking about?," Leon said, but sighed a bit afterwards. He was letting Elthel's attitude get to him and had little outlet for his frustrations since. "I apologize, I just wanted to ensure we had a favorable position in case of trouble and my foul mood is starting to show. Between being insulted, my assistance all but spat on, and threatened by people who owe us their lives... I could use a work out."

He had never really expected gratitude, hells, he would have been happy with even a shred of respect, but the opposite was something that stung at his pride and shortened his temper.

His appetite had faded, spoiled by the irritation he felt. He just wanted to sit down and talk with his companions about the day and this was the first time they had had since making contact with the individuals they now knew to be the remnants of the Talons. "Perhaps you two should simply do as you said and have a hot meal, a decent pint and a good night's rest. I am poor company tonight," he said, "I will be in a better state in the morning when I can remind myself how a professional is supposed to act."

He wasn't seeking pity, he just needed an outlet for his anger and he was not going to damage what little relationship he had built with his companions.

“I doubt any of us are much for company tonight.” Iliskra smirked as she headed to pay for rooms for the night.

---

NIGHTAL 4, 1372 DR
THE DRAGON’S TAIL TAVERN
SCARDALE TOWN

Iliskra awoke the next morning feeling very well rested despite the circumstances at hand. Yesterday had been a long day to say the least. Trudging through the wintery countryside of the Scardale, battling an orcish brute and his henchman, saving the leader of a once renowned thieves guild, and then slaying the remnants of a neighborhood gang lead by aforementioned orc. Never mind the tension of sneaking about through the gloomy streets of an all but ruined city which was under a seemingly endless siege. Needless to say that once Iliskra, Leon, and Ibdur had settled themselves in at the Dragon’s Tail they realized just how exhausted they were.

The food at the Dragon’s Tail was edible, and not much beyond that. The bread was tough and flat, the stew too heavily seasoned, and the pitiful cuts of deer were more fat and gristle than meat. The ale and however was strong and the mead stout and flavorful. After a mediocre and tight-lipped supper and a few stiff drinks the three retired to their rooms. Or rather Iliskra to hers while Leon and Ibdur shared a room as there were only two left. Iliskra had hoped neither man nor dwarf snored loudly for the others’ sake. The accommodations were suitable if plain and the beds were quite clean and comfortable, Iliskra sank into her bedspread instantly and slept deeply throughout the night.

Iliskra hurriedly and shakily dressed after forcing herself from under the warm blankets and enduring the winter chill that had filled the room. There were no fireplaces upstairs, only those below had such a privilege in this establishment. Iliskra had noticed the greasy feeling of her hair locks and the faint sweaty smell that wafted up from her clothes beneath her armor. It dawned on her as she left her room that she had not bathed since the night before she joined the other mercenaries at Lord Hastlon’s estate.

The Talons are not meant to seek us out until the morrow, Iliskra thought as she headed down the creaky wooden stairs onto the ground floor, there must be a bathhouse somewhere near…

The patrons were more this morning, nearly every bench and stool were occupied. Mostly human men and women, though there was the odd halfling and dwarf to be spotted among the clients. Iliskra found a small round table in a back corner and ordered a simple breakfast meal of eggs and a cup of milk from a passing barmaid. The eggs were passable enough and the milk fresh. A nice change from last night. Leon and Ibdur were down before long and sitting huddled together with Iliskra as she sipped at a second glass of milk. The Dragon’s Tail was filled with the clinking of tankards, cups, and plates and the cacophony of dozens of people clamoring at once. So long as the three remained in their little nook they could talk openly without concern of eavesdropping.

Leon had settled into the room upstairs without much fuss, though there was the usual debate for two men sharing a room as to which would claim the bed save that each of them were insisting the other take the bed as they were tough enough for the floor. Leon ended up winning the debate, stating that he wished to meditate for a few hours before sleeping anyways and the dwarf finally let the matter drop, tossing Leon a large share of the covers so he could maintain his warmth. Leon reached for a small pack at his waist and began setting up small tripwires on the door and window out of habit before settling in against the wall opposite the bed. Both men went about their nightly routines in peace, though as Ibdur's breathing became more slower and deeper, Leon's mind delved into the prayers to Mask, offering yet another day's worth of lessons and secrets to the Shadow Lord.

It brought him a great measure of peace to pray once again, reviewing the events of the day and even trying to prod for some additional glimpse of this mysterious 'J' that had signed Gunalar's letter. His god offered him no further insight on the matter, but Leon simply took the absence of an answer as a sign that it was a secret he would eventually learn for himself at the correct time and place. With his prayers done for the night, he stripped off his armor and carefully spent another hour looking it over and making some repairs to the damage it had taken before draping parts of it over the blanket on his body for added insulation. Slowly, he allowed himself to drift off into sleep.

~~~~~~~

Leon woke when Ibdur began to stir from his own slumber, the sudden change in the dwarf's breathing and slight noises from the bed disturbing the peaceful rhythm he had become used to. He stood up slowly, his joints protesting the hard wooden surface and cramped condition under which he had slept which was only made worse by the cold. He began to stretch and roll his limbs, loosening them back up and going through his morning warm ups with only a bit of protest from his body. Once he felt the stiffness fade, he put his armor back on and grabbed the rest of his gear as Ibdur was patiently waiting for him by the door.

Finding Iliskra was easy enough since she had picked one of the tables Leon himself may have if he had been the first downstairs, and for simplicity's sake he simply copied her breakfast order and drink as he and Ibdur joined her. The crowd was lively for a morning rush which was indeed a surprise given what they had seen last night. Perhaps the tavern's protection extended so far as to make people believe themselves safe even from Shagarm's thugs while they were patrons of the establishment.

Leon looked out into the crowd, unable to help himself form observing his surroundings for possible secret meetings or hushed conversations. When he spoke though, it was clear that he was still keeping most of his focus towards their own table. "Any suggestions for this morning? I wouldn't mind taking a look around the neighborhood to see if the city has more to offer a few new swords than a decent tavern," Leon said, stretching the word decent a bit more than normal.

“Well,” Iliskra began in a lighthearted tone of voice, setting her now half empty glass of milk aside, “I for one will start today with a nice bath and a good washing of these garments.” The half-elf smiled and then spoke more seriously, “After that, I think I will spend the better part of the day here.”

“Sitting on your laurels?” Ibdur smirked over his tankard at her.

“Sitting and listening and asking. We have a whole day before our dear new acquaintances call upon us, and this is quite the bustling establishment. I have been in enough bars and inns to know that there are plenty of secrets traded in this place throughout the days and nights. One must simply listen.”

“And the asking?” Ibdur raised a bushy brow.

“I may take it upon myself to innocently ask the patron of this place about Shagarm and the Talons, presenting myself under an appropriate enough ruse.” Iliskra set back to her plate.

“Is that wise?” Ibdur questioned, looking between his two companions.

“I have done this plenty of times before, Ibdur,” Iliskra’s tone turned to one of slight annoyance, “I know what I am doing.”

She looked to Leon, added words of assurance, “I have no intention of making myself or the two of you known to every corner of this place. I will simply be eavesdropping and perhaps asking the owner of the Dragon’s Tail a question or two. Once more, I know what I am doing. Anything we can learn about this part of the city, the Talons, Shagarm or anything or anyone else will be of some use.”

“Wait…” Ibdur’s head raised up in full, rounded eyes darted between Iliskra and Leon, “the Talons you said? Our acquaintances?”

"A solid enough plan. This place is certainly busy enough that some news is certain to come by from time to time," Leon agreed. He had seen enough of Iliskra's stealth that he had faith she could look after herself and either slip away or dispose of any trouble that came her way. "Not that I think you'll need it, but may the shadows embrace you well." He said as a small blessing.

"Our acquaintances may be friendly for the moment, but we are still a third party for now. It is worth looking into our friends to ensure they are not.. misrepresenting their strength or their interests. If they managed to make an enemy out of everyone in the town, they would not be worth our assistance for example," Leon said to Ibdur, "if it helps, do not think of it as spying, think of it as scouting the battlefield."

"And since this place was recommended by Elthel and pays protection to Shagarm... I'd love to know how far and where the owner's loyalties lie. If we're lucky they are just a neutral party trying to make the best of a bad situation. If we're unlucky they could be looking to curry favor with the Talons or with Shagarm," Leon pointed out.

Besides, he wasn't going to be gone for long. There was no real reason to range outside of the neighborhood unless something drew his attention. As much as he would also love to investigate these militant new figures it was too dangerous to poke that particular bear just now.

Of course, new opportunities awaited every day and you never knew what could really happen next.

"You're welcome to join me Ibdur if you'd like, but I cant promise any excitement. Just a visit to the courtesans, a lap or three around the block. Or I can come find you if anything terribly important occurs," he turned his attention back to Iliskra, "meet you back here at noon?"

“Hold a moment.” Ibdur snapped, narrowed eyes moving between Iliskra and Leon, “Those washouts were the Ashaba Talons?”

Iliskra quickly remembered that Ibdur had not yet seen the letter she had found and that Elthel had not openly confessed that her band was of the Talons in front of any of them. Leaning in close Iliskra hurriedly revealed the letter to the dwarf and explained the current state of matters. Though Ibdur seemed surprised he was not - as they say - “knocked over” by the revelation. In fact he seemed quite amused by it.

“Breck did tell us that the thieves guild were near to being wiped out.” Iliskra added as she sat back upright in her seat.

“If that is all that remains of them I do wonder if we should not consider changing sides.” Ibdur said rather suddenly.

“What?” Iliskra asked sharply, looking to Leon with a raised eyebrow and then back to the dwarf who was now grinning darkly.
“Remember, dear elf, we are to dismantle those that oppose our employer - and that includes these thieves. We can easily be done with their pitiful remnants and then focus on taking down this beast that is ‘Shagarm’.”

Iliskra sat back in her chair, admittedly floored, and crossed her arms over her chest. She chewed the inside of her right cheek and her brow was furrowed hard, the half-elf deep in thought for a moment. She raised her head and looked to Leon again, wanting his input on this sudden suggestion by the Tempuran. The three of them could earn the trust of the Talons and then when the moment is right cut them down one by one. But then again what if the Talons could help them against Shagarm? Even if the three of them killed every one of the Talons this very day they still, as Ibdur put it, had a great beast in the form of this armed faction lead by this enigmatic Shagarm. There was no way the three of them all alone could handle such a task with no help at all. They could possibly look to Breck’s men for help but even then the Talons were locals and had knowledge of the city that Breck’s men did not. And yet the possibility of so quickly being done with one of two obstacles was tempting.

"The last orders we have from Breck indicate that both sides are to fall," Leon said, his tone noncommittal towards either side as he considered the obvious pros and cons. Their faces were still unknown to Shagarm's group as far as he knew, meaning they could betray the Talons and act like it was part of their plan all along to gain Shagarm's favor. Honor among thieves was a famously foolish belief after all. They had seen what the talons had to offer, a small group of tired, poorly equipped but reasonably skilled cutthroats. In exchange for Zilaster's head this Shagarm might even be willing to overlook the Gunalar incident since Gunalar had yet to actually benefit this new guild.

"The safer bet is definitely Shagarm. After all we are ideally placed to eliminate the Talons and have come within arm's reach of Zilaster before," Leon admitted with a shrug, "we have also seen their combat capabilities. I saw no magic use among them, and their equipment seemed very... used. They are skilled, but skill means little if you lack the time to put it to use."

"However... Shagarm poses three problems for us as far as I can see. Firstly, there is no guarantee that Shagarm will not simply have us killed once the Talons are disposed of. We are unknowns and unknowns that are not needed are better buried. The Talons clearly need as much help as they can get. Second, Shagarm's faction would lose little with our aid in eliminating the Talons, meaning we would in turn be facing a stronger faction to dispose of than if we aided the Talons instead. Thirdly... Breck mentioned he had suspicions of outside interference. It's possible even Shagarm answers to someone and if so, we may end up being the ones who ensure the city is handed over to outside interests instead of our employers," Leon said, "and there is the bonus problem of us having no point of contact for Shagarm's people. I sincerely doubt the 'guards' would be of any assistance if we asked them pretty please."

"The only advantage for Shagarm is their guild already pissed in the Red Wizard's cup, meaning we could easily foment more conflict between the two and whittle down both sides.

"Now that this has been brought up though, we need to make sure we are all on the same page and in agreement," Leon said leaning forward over the table, "we cannot be making any side deals or placing our loyalty outside of this group, or all three of us will find ourselves dead in unpleasant and inglorious methods."

"I intend to take the next job with the Talons, pending of course that it isn't a complete suicide run. If either of you want to hedge our bets and try signing on with Shagarm, we can go our seperate ways and maybe somewhere down the line meet again as friends," he said, drawing a line in the sand so that at least there would be not doubt between them.

“Hmmmm…” Iliskra mumbled, her chin resting on clasped hands, “Those are very good points, Leon.”

Sensing that her words may not have been taken as genuine the half-elf added, “No, seriously. As you have clarified we know too little about Shagarm and plenty about the Talons. And even in their… near broken state… the Talons prove to be resourceful - for the most part. We should remember after all that their misfortunes go back to the plague that ravaged this city as well as the war. The fact that after that they still persist when standing against the likes of Shagarm, the Red Wizards, and the remnants of the guard is naught to be dismissed.”

Ibdur seemed lost in thought. Or perhaps the dwarf was just sore at the idea of continuing to work with a guild of thieves. His brow was furrowed and thin lines pulled at the corners of his eyes.

“I am with Leon,” Iliskra said firmly, “we stay with the Ashaba Talons for now.”

Ibdur grunted causing Iliskra to frown, the dwarf then nodding slowly, “Very well… I will stay with the Talons with the two of you. For now.”

Iliskra felt a slight uneasiness at the dwarf’s emphasis on “for now” but her frown faded and she nodded in affirmation. She imagined being a follower of Tempus that it was very hard for Ibdur to spend his days slinking around in the shadows rather than serving his war god on the frontline with the rest of Breck’s force. This was something Iliskra tried to be sympathetic to. Even so there was a part of her that was worried. Worried that a warmongering mercenary force like Shagarm’s would be tempting for Ibdur, so tempting that he might turn on she and Leon and possibly make Shagarm aware of Breck and Lord Hastlon’s plotting. Iliskra knew little of the Tempuran ways other than their fanatic call to war. And right now she and Leon were not offering a war for Ibdur to fight. At least not openly blade-to-blade as he so wished.

Iliskra decided for now to push these thoughts from her head and follow through with her plans for today. Namely bathing, drinking, and listening in wherever she went. If Leon wanted to take Ibdur “shopping” with him then Iliskra welcomed it as both to avoid drawing any attention to herself as well as perhaps distracting the dwarf for a short time.

After finishing breakfast, the three exchanged some small talk before Leon finally excused himself, once more offering to Ibdur to come along since it would undoubtedly be more exciting than sitting around a tavern. Together, the pair stepped outside and Leon seemed to pick a direction at random to walk.

Despite the tenseness in the air of a city that was still very much being fought over, and the violence was often far too close for comfort. As Leon and Ibdur walked, Leon made it a point to ask Ibdur about any stories he happened to want to share. About his battles, about his faith in Tempus, even his family history unless Ibdur seemed specifically put off by the questions. He did his best to listen when he could, but the main point was to make them seem like two men out on a walk in earnest conversation. Leon, of course, was also taking note of guard positions and their patrol routes. Even men of chaos became creatures of habit when their days were allowed to become routine.

He let Ibdur pick out lunch and then paid for it out of his coin, hoping maybe enough small acts of friendship would help keep the dwarf on their side. Despite their differences in faith, he would hate to have to murder one of his only two companions. It was hard enough for him to keep an eye out for anyone following them even with the dwarf's help, removing 50% of the people he was supposed to be able to go to for help would cripple their chances of success as it is.

"For what it's worth, thank you for putting up with this business. I know mine, and particularly our companions methods are not your usual or even your preferred style of handling trouble," he said idly, "come on, the bathhouse is this way and they had some half-decent looking serving ladies. At worst we might get a decent bath and our clothing cleaned, at best... well, the city always has a way to mix business and pleasure."

The bathhouse was a bit public for Leon's taste. Then again so was every place they went that wasn't a dank hideout. Still it was serviceable, had clean water, and the serving men and women were at least above average in attractiveness. The price was twice what their services would have cost in a regular city, but Leon paid without even trying to haggle, knowing that it was better in such places to appear as though you had coin that could be earned. As was the norm, they were given a set of underclothes to change into and then guided to a communal bath that was kept warm and was occasionally splashed with aromatic herbs and flowers. Leon had taken his entire belt with him as he sent the rest of his clothes to be laundered, his mask moved to pouch in which he normally kept his potions. Leon dipped into the water, allowing the warmth to seep into his skin and muscles and relax nearly a week of marching and sleeping in awkward places out of his body.

An attendant brushed their fingers along the back of his shoulders, the woman smiling in a way that promised extra services could be on the table for the right price. Leon declined anything more personal than a neck rub. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to the women here it was more that he knew they would never really see the real him. Even as he relaxed in the tub he was maintaining a mask of his own, pretending that he was just another adventurer that had stumbled into some coin and was looking for more work. And adventurer that might be desperate enough to cut anyone who provided him with information in on any coin he might earn because of it. He kept a distant eye on Ibdur, wanting the dwarf to relax himself and enjoy his own time that Leon was paying for.

After the bath, Leon and Ibdur checked their gear and headed back towards the inn again. It was good to feel somewhat clean again, and Leon had even managed to charm his way into using one of the male attendant's razor to trim back his beard growth. Leon stepped through the doors to the inn, immediately looking for their third partner.

Iliskra sat at the same table she had that morning in the same chair with her back to the wall. Much like her companions had found her that morning Iliskra had a plate of food, however instead of a cup of milk to drink she had a tall flagon of ale. The tavern was as crowded now as it had been just after daybreak and was also as noisy though the customers seemed to be a bit rougher. Fewer farmers and sailors and more mercenary and hooded sorts.

“Well, tis good to see that the town did not claim you two!” Iliskra grinned with a raising of her drink.

“You smell like an elf.” Ibdur said rather randomly which only made Iliskra beam that much more.

“Oh, well, thank you. That would be vanilla, lavender, and rose.”

Iliskra gave her head a slight shake, her shiny shoulder-length ebony hair swooping about like a silky black veil that brought out the features of her attractive visage.

“Did you find out anything of use to us?” Ibdur grumbled as he took his seat.

“I did actually,” Iliskra smiled over her flagon, “our mysterious ‘J’ is a man, a wizard I believe. Jadarl.”

“How did you discover this?” Ibdur demanded.

Iliskra replied with a nod of her head toward the fireplace across the establishment, four men sat huddled together at a small table near it. Three wore heavy suits of armor like those of the men out in the streets while the fourth had the unmistakable flamboyant robes and staff of a mage. The latter man’s most distinguishing feature however was the thick, blonde curls that draped down around his head.
“Those four spoke of this Jadarl, though unfortunately for them not quietly enough. Jadarl is apparently overseeing the eradication of the Ashaba Talons and had employed Gunalar to do the job. From what I overheard Jadarl is getting impatient and plans to pay a visit to Gunalar very soon.”

The implication was obvious enough. Hopefully the corpses of Gunalar and his band were disposed of well enough. If so it would buy some time though there was no real say on how much time. Once it became clear that Gunalar and his men were out of the picture Jadarl would most likely come after the Talons directly which could prove as either an opportunity or a problem. This was to be considered.

“Another thing,” Iliskra added after a long drink, “it sounded like Jadarl has some other scheme in the works on Shagarm’s behalf. Something about ‘finalizing things with underground friends.’” Iliskra set her ale down with a sharp clunk and looked between Leon and Ibdur.

Leon let the information wash over him, his hand lightly touching the mask at his waist. There was every possibility that this could be a case of mistaken identity, but the evidence lined up enough to make the intelligence actionable. Getting rid of the old thieves' guild would certainly open the floodgates for more... opportune groups to attempt to snake their way into the city.

Underground friends... Leon's first assumption was smugglers, either seeking to bring something into or out of the city that the Talons would either have not approved of or charged far too much for. Something about that felt a bit off though, there were more colloquial terms for smugglers that mercenaries were likely to use. Undead were another possibility, but attempting to bring them among your ranks when the Red Wizards were still a presence was foolhardy. There were another half dozen possibilities, but without further evidence Leon simply put the issue to the side for now.

"Any power player under Shagarm's faction is unlikely to check on Gunalar personally, especially a mage that could likely send a familiar or other magical spy. We may as well consider them finding Gunalar's butchered men merely a matter of time. The question is if we can do anything with that time," Leon said, leaning back in his chair, "I can put a tail on our friends over there. Maybe they'll go to some hideaway spot. It would be fairly low risk, if they discovered my creature, it would only confirm for them that they are being watched by someone with magical abilities."

"Or we could ambush them of course. A missing patrol would probably unsettle the beehive, but mages are a curious sort. They either draw themselves together so they can show off to each other or keep fellow mages as far away as possible for fear of their secrets being stolen. As much as I like our odds of taking this group, I don't know if the payoff would be worth it," Leon said, not bothering to say that it would probably make Ibdur a bit happier.

"Or we await our acquaintances to make contact and tell them theres a Jadarl trying to piss in their cups," Leon said, "assuming they do indeed reach out to us."

“I say we wait until morning.”

---

---

---

---

NIGHTAL 5, 1372 DR
THE DRAGON’S TAIL TAVERN
SCARDALE TOWN

After a second passable supper at the Dragon’s Tail, Iliskra, Leon, and Ibdur paid for their rooms and bedded down. Iliskra decided it best to wait and see what would come of the next day, if Elthel or some contact of hers either would indeed seek out the three at the tavern. If Elthel followed up it would show her to be reliable to her word and that the Talons still had some resourcefulness about them. If she did not then the human, dwarf, and half-elf could decide on their next move using what information they had. After supper before retiring to bed Iliskra had gave a once over of the four men she had been eavesdropping on earlier in the day. While they had no room two of the four were passed out drunk at their table and the mage with the golden mane had made himself quite comfortable near the fire for the night. Iliskra imagined that the men would not leave particularly early given that they took it upon themselves to drink so heartily here in the tavern - if they left at all in the morrow. She would try and keep an eye on them, perhaps making the Talons aware of them and what she had heard if she did not simply follow them around herself.

Iliskra had some trouble resting through the night as her mind was aflutter with the possibilities to come, and when the half-elf finally settled into a deep sleep it was short-lived as she was awakened by a rapping on the bedroom door. On hearing the sound Iliskra snapped upward in bed and tossed back the covers despite the chill in her room and reached for her blade. Just as her fingers wrapped around the hilt a familiar voice could be heard from out in the hallway.

“It’s me, from the grocer.”

Iliskra felt a small wave of relief, setting her weapon aside and calling through the door that she needed a moment. As Iliskra slipped on her garments and armor she could hear more knocking and the voice repeating the same line further across the hall. The morning sun was peeking over the snowcapped rooftops outside casting a bright golden glow into Iliskra’s room. It was just after dawn. Once ready Iliskra opened the door and there in the midst of the hallway stood Elthel, alone and fully armed and armored with her hood concealing most of her face. Iliskra called over Elthel’s shoulder to Leon and Ibdur, assuring them it was fine to come out - Ibdur’s bleary curses audible through the opposite door.

“Let us speak up here,” Elthel stated, her tone level and firm, “I snuck in through a window.”

Iliskra nodded, closing her bedroom door and waiting until Leon and Ibdur’s bedroom door finally opened. Elthel immediately barged in, forcing Ibdur to step back with a grumble as Iliskra followed in tow and closed and locked the door behind her.

Leon woke silently on the bed, his body still as his mind registered the sounds that had woken him. He needn't have bothered being so subtle, since the noise at the door had also woken Ibdur, and the dwarf had responded with all the subtlety of a cat who's tail had been stepped on in the night. He rose from the bed steadily as Ibdur reached for his axes, though a look from Leon made him second guess using them on the door and possibly the person beyond.

Leon checked his gear out of habit leaving most of his armor off since it would take the most time and instead buckling his weapons and mask into place around his waist. He checked his remaining potions, reminding himself to acquire another healing potion when he got an opportunity. Mask's blessing might salve wounds, but they would have no effect if he was too far gone to channel the blessing in the first place. He hadn't even managed to put on a shirt before Elthel came barging into the room, nearly knocking aside Ibdur in a manner that Leon was surprised did not earn her an axe to something vital.

"Please, do come in," Leon said, unable to help a bit of sarcasm. He made no move to further dress himself. Armor would not mean much in a room full of murderers and he was not going to cede the initiative of the conversation for the sake of modesty. His body was no more of a secret than the rest of his equipment anyways. He looked past Elthel to Iliskra, as though confirming that she was okay. Not that he had any reason to suspect otherwise, but there was no harm in checking. He made sure to keep Ibdur in his peripheral though, after all this would be the perfect moment to assassinate the one person it seemed that the Talons leader relied on.

"You promised us some more work," Leon added after any retort that Elthel might offer, "what's the job? Or is this more of a 'your services are no longer required' then you stab me kind of thing?"

“As much as the latter might please me in your case that is not why I am here,” Elthel said, turning away from Leon as she spoke with obvious annoyance at him, “I do in fact have a job for the three of you. Or at least you and your elven companion.”

“Half-elf.” came the expected input from Iliskra.

“Yes, pardon me.” came a rather genuine response from Elthel.

“More skulking about I take it.” Ibdur said with obvious disdain as he slid on his breastplate.

“Yes,” Elthel said with a smirk, “hence my admitted preference for your two comrades over a dwarven berserker.”

Ibdur opened his mouth to retort when Iliskra interjected asking pointedly what the job was exactly. Elthel went straight into the details - she and Iliskra both avoiding looking at Leon and focusing on each other.
“Last night Firoz and I tracked someone we believe to be a very high ranking lieutenant of Shagarm’s to a particularly prominent estate on this side of the river. We had seen the man before but never had the opportunity to follow him to his place of residence. He usually is accompanied by a heavily armed contingent and all of Shagarm’s men seem to answer to him. He may even be Shagarm’s right hand, but we cannot say for absolute certain.”

“How did you finally have an opportunity to follow him?” Iliskra asked.

“Well, we had originally followed a close associate of his that Firoz had marked. He frequents this district. The associate in question is a mage and seemed to have some standing among Shagarm’s men out in the streets. He met with the aforementioned man yesterday morning before parting his company. Realizing we had been lead to a ‘bigger catch’ as they say we shadowed this man to his estate which is heavily guarded. By armed patrols and magic alike.”

“This ‘associate’ - the mage - is he a human man of average size with thick, golden hair?” Iliskra immediately questioned.

“Yes,” Elthel replied with raised brows, “you have seen him then?”

“He is staying at this very tavern in fact,” Iliskra grinned, “I eavesdropped on he and some of his men yesterday afternoon. They mentioned serving a ‘Jadarl’ who apparently tasked Gunalar with wiping out the last of your guild in exchange for being allowed to join Shagarm’s ranks.”

“I see.” Elthel nodded slowly, her blue eyes lighting up with consideration even as a glower tugged at her brow. “So… this Jadarl was the one approached who Gunalar… or perhaps it was the other way round. Either way, between having the position to bring people on for Shagarm’s forces and holding authority over so many of Shagarm’s men I dare say that we indeed know now who Shagarm’s right hand is. This Jadarl that Firoz and I followed last night.”

“I take it then that the job in question is that you wish Leo and I to partake in infiltrating Jadarl’s estate.” Iliskra queried.

“Yes indeed.”

Leon shrugged at Elthel's comment, though part of him wondered why he bothered to defend the Talons when Ibdur implied that betraying them would be the wiser move. Clearly however Elthel felt about him she was still here to give them a job. Anything beyond that was beginning to matter less and less as it became clear how little the Talons knew about their foes. Right hand was a bit of a stretch given their current intel, but that mattered very little as well. Clearly Jadarl was placed enough that infiltrating his estate and either raiding his notes or eliminating him were valuable targets of opportunity for the Talons.

"Prominent estate. Magical and physical defenders, all probably with order to kill unverified guests on property. High priority target on site with a lord's ransom of intelligence if we're lucky," Leon said. It was practically a suicide run, but not impossible. He just didn't like how slated towards the Talons this operation was. If he and Iliskra were caught, they knew too little of the Talons to be worth keeping alive. If they were successful, they will have crippled the Talon's enemy in exchange for... what exactly?

"Do you care if Jadarl is alive or dead at the end of this?," Leon asked, "what's the pay? Because this sounds like an opportunity to end up with my body weighed down by rocks under the piers."

"There are other factors in play as well. Do we have a point of entry? I don't suppose he's suddenly throwing a party or recruiting event for Shagarm we could slip into?," Leon asked.

“Firoz and Willory are casing the estate as we speak,” Elthel replied, “if anyone can find a way inside that place it is Willory. As for this Jadarl himself… well, I am most interested in what we will find inside his abode. If we have an opportunity to kill him then we shall take it. That said I would not mind questioning him if we could. But I’m not counting on that.”

Elthel gave Leon a sideways smile, “As for your payment, you will get a fair share of any treasures we might find inside Jadarl’s estate. And I have more precious gemstones that I think you would all like.”

“I assume we are going to break in tonight?” Iliskra asked.

“Yes,” Elthel said, “but if it is all the same I very much want you two to come with me now and have a look at estate.”

“I take it you are staying here then?” Iliskra asked Ibdur, indicative that she planned to oblige Elthel.

Ibdur groaned quite loudly as he planted his backside on his bed, “Of course I am. I… will re-rent our rooms.”

“I apologize Ibdur,” Iliskra said in a meaningful tone, “I…”

“Nevermind.”

Iliskra gave Leon a curious sideways look, keeping her eyes upward of course.

Leon watched Ibdur as he groaned and sat down on the bed, grumbling about his glorious assignment of... making sure the bed didn't run off more or less. He wondered how much further they could push the man before something began to snap. The tempuran had already made one comment about switching sides... how long before the thrill of battle outweighed whatever loyalty or duty he felt to Leon and Iliskra. In the end there were really only two options: Murder him now, or trust him for however long this assignment took. Leon chose the latter, though it was concerning how much of a coin flip it was in the moment.

"I'm not seeing much a choice," Leon said, standing up and reaching for his gear, "employer wants us to slip inside. We slip inside. Though I would feel better about it if our companion here had a role to play in the mission." Leon purposefully did not use Elthel's name, preferring to keep the stark reminder that this was just business for both of them so far.

"Get in, raid for information, capture the target if plausible. Though considering the target is almost certainly an arcanist of some power they are better avoided or killed very quickly and quietly," Leon added with a shrug, "I'd rather know things like how many guards there are, how many exits, and what their routines are, but we can't have everything in life. Let's go have ourselves a chat with the rest of your companions."

Leon began putting on his gear, ensuring each item was in place and ready for the stress of combat. "Oh, and if we don't return, avenge our deaths, would you please Ibdur," Leon said with a grin.

Ibdur grunted in response.

Iliskra and Leon hastily equipped themselves and gathered their things, following Elthel back into Iliskra’s room. The three slipped through the bedroom window out into the cold, Elthel pulling the window shut behind them. Iliskra stiffened as her first draw of outside air was sharp and piercing in her chest. It was snowing, quite heavily so, and a notable wind was whistling through the city. Ibdur would not be pleased. Iliskra thought as she pulled her hood up taut around her head. Like Leon she was worried when it came to Ibdur and his continued loyalty to them. More than worried. She had in fact grown fond of the dwarf and had no desire to see him part their company, or worse she and Leon be forced to kill him. But… if it comes to that-…

Iliskra’s thoughts were interrupted by Elthel who told them that the estate was not far. “It lies on the right side of the south road near the gate. We can stay on the streets so long as we not draw any attention to ourselves. The snow will make for good cover.” Elthel hopped the short distance down to the ground followed by Iliskra and then Leon. The snow on the ground was soft and powdery, Iliskra noticed, so if they needed to run for it at least they would not need to worry about slipping and falling. The accompanying wind in the small storm blew in out of the east meaning it would be against their left side all the way to the estate. The streets were less occupied than the day before but not totally deserted. Like Elthel said, so long as the three remained inconspicuous they could freely move through the open.

Leon's boots struck the ground outside of the inn and thankfully found solid purchase through the snow. The last thing he wanted to hear was any more sneerful chiding from Elthel. With the snow blowing in so heavily it also gave them good reason to travel about with their cloaks gathered tightly and their hoods up. They were just another three unlucky citizens trying to make their way to their favorite bar or perhaps their home. The lie felt comfortable around Leon, though he had little else to say until he could get eyes on this estate they were to infiltrate.

As they walked, Leon let part of his mind fall into his divine connection, refreshing himself with power drawn from the shadows his god called home for all of his followers. Claiming to know the mind of Mask was a fool's boast, but the fact he still felt the pull of Mask's power echoing in his soul meant this mission at least amused the Lord of Shadows. As he turned his mind to the mission ahead, he tried to wrack his brain for ways to deal with the thousands of variables that could occur, but there were just too many to account for.

He followed Elthel, keeping a close enough pace that the three seemed to be traveling together but not at a rush or any more urgency than would be normal for wanting to get out of the snow. As the estate loomed ahead Leon busied himself with trying to spot Elthel's companions or any other signs of trouble.