From: hutch@hutch (Stephen Hutchison) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: 'Raelf gets a note from nowhere Message-ID: <1992Jul12.023934.28189@intelhf.hf.intel.com> Date: 12 Jul 92 02:39:34 GMT References: <1992Jul10.165053.21249@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> Characters: Zia, 'Raelf, Kadrys Time: Late afternoon, just before SunStorm and Lancos come back in. +Atop the tower of Celestrion the Mage, a slight, willowy figure +reclines. Zia leans back and grins out over the city, face open with +satisfaction. + +Then she leans back and lies down, closing her eyes... a little while +latter her last scroll fades from existence, but she seems not to have +noticed. + +-- + +Back at the inn Kadrys and Raelf, and many others are closed in the cool +confines of the inn. The murmur of conversation rises and falls... + +It changes not a whit as a scroll, sealed in black wax imprinted with a +complex geomtric pattern imposes itself on the table. + +It unobtrusively fades into existence in front of Raelf. And somehow it +makes itself clear that it is meant for Raelf. + +-- + +Up on the tower all is quiet. + +Nothing moves except a slow trickle of liquid as it slowly, ever so +slowly slides down her face and drips, gradually slides down the roof, +til some time later a drop of purest red falls to the ground... and suddenly 'Raelf stops, in the middle of a comment to Kadrys about the new minstrel. He stretches a hand out, palm up. The air ripples. A spot of red appears on his hand, then sizzles out like a drop of water on the glittering steel of the Plaza outside. He stares, unseeing, at the spot on his hand. Kadrys coughs, gently. Raelf looks down, seeing the curls of the scroll sitting in front of him. The seal is black wax, and there is a pattern, a torus made up of hundreds of interlinked rings, imprinted on it. He looks up. That was HER sigil. "It can't be her. That was so long ago. Friend Kadrys, do you know a woman called Zia?" "There is a woman going by that name, who has come here from time to time. Why do you ask?" The dark eyes show no emotion, though the voice hints that the answer is already known. "Because she seems to have sent me a message." 'Raelf touches the seal on the scroll, gingerly. His eyes flicker red, blue, icy white, flint grey. The seal does not reveal its nature. "No pain, no gain," says 'Raelf, and snaps the seal. A metallic TING and a brief sharp spark. The blonde man unrolls the scroll, a faint light illuminating it from within. Ideograms of fire and wind swirl across the page, elegant and crisp and totally flawless in their execution. The scroll consumes itself in its message. 'Raelf absently FLICK touches the burning ash and it disappears. "May I inquire?" says Kadrys. He toys absently with an empty cup. "It was written in a very old language I know from my five-times-great grandsire's memories. There's also a memory of a place and a time, a long long time ago. My people can live a very long time, and our memories can be gifted to our offspring. My ancestor met this woman, she had lovely black hair and silver eyes. She was very old and very young. They had become friends. She taught him to fight. That's all I was given, that and the language of that place, because it has some uses in the creation of certain kinds of spell." 'Raelf picks up the mug of ale and glares balefully at it. <restruct ++Au Fire(.8) Earth(0)>>> The words spoken out loud in 'kani are like rocks exploding. Rowan looks up from the bar where he is fingering the edge of a plate which has been evenly, exactly, divided into four parts, as though it were cut by the finest magic sword. Seeing nothing violent happening to his crockery, he returns his attention to the bar. The thick black liquid seems to catch fire, then, losing volume, becomes a perfectly transparent sparkling fluid filled with flecks of gold. 'Raelf raises the mug, saluting Kadrys. "To a death in its proper time, and to the foresight to prepare for it." Kadrys grows an inscrutable expression, but raises his empty cup all the same. 'Raelf drains his cup. A shudder passes over him - he is unused to strong drink. "The note read, approximately, as best as I can translate, 'Time turning her path Brings death brings life to all things Knowing is blessed Blessing comes to me Sunset brings further blessing In friends company As sun yields to stars I climb to the hills' high crest all lamps glimmer below Night passes slowly contemplate eternity and wish it to end Strategy is All' Kadrys, this is a death-poem in the old style. She's asking me to join in her death watch." 'Raelf shudders again, then gestures to the waitress for more liquid. He looks up, his expression unusually serious in the late afternoon light. "Bringing be any strong liquor - you got everclear? Not want to go too sober at start of wake. Time for sober when is started" CREDITS: Zia belongs to Jeremy Nelson (gujn@uniwa.uwa.edu.au) Kadrys belongs to Andrea Todkill (address unavailable) 'Raelf belongs to me, Stephen Hutchison (hutch@hutch.intel.com) Please handle them with care. When in doubt, ask.