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From: taz@athena.mit.edu (Brian P Shea)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Pals] Reunion
Date: 11 Aug 1993 10:48:52 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lines: 64
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <24aiqk$hsr@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: ceci007.mit.edu

ADMIN:	This is an idea I had the other day, hope it pans out.
	I may or may not be looking for someone to collaborate with
	on this, I guess we'll see.


   The woman in the plate mail sat at the table for nearly an hour,
spending the time sipping her water, examining both the commons room
and its patrons, and listening to the tales that some of the patrons
were exchanging.  She considered telling a story or two of her own,
but felt it would be unbecoming of a paladin to brag, and rejected the
idea.  The door to the inn opened again, and she sighed with a mixture
of relief and disgust.  He was late, as usual, but not as late as she
had expected.
   The man that entered the inn looked quite ordinary, and hardly
anyone looked twice at him as he entered.  His mouse brown hair was
tousled, his brown leather jerkin was rumpled, and he wore what looked
to be a serviceable but unremarkable long sword at his waist.  He
looked friendly, wearing the kind of smile that reached a person's
eyes, making them twinkle merrily.  
   To the patrons in the inn with a very keen eye and a good measure
of experience, however, they saw what must surely was a very skilled
rogue.  Several tell-tale bulges hinted at hidden weapons, and where
there were a couple that could by spotted there were undoubtedly
several more that couldn't be.  There were other tell-tale clues, the
fluid grace that he moved with, the way he didn't turn his back to
certain people, the subtle skill of noting all the corners and their
occupants in a single sweeping glance, and the way he very slightly
nodded in acknowledgement to the patrons that noticed these things.
   The man walked to the center of the room where the woman sat, and
bowed to her with an elegant flourish, dropping to one knee before
her.  "Lady Justine, I am at your service."
   Several curious onlookers noticed a grimace swiftly cross her face,
but it was just as swiftly hidden.  "Don't be foolish, Teejay.  Get
up."  He smiled a wolfish grin, and sat down across the table from
her.  "You're late," rebuked the woman.
   "I had to take care of a few things," he said, "tie up a few loose
ends."
   "I wasn't sure you would decide to come.  Actually, maybe you
shouldn't.  This will be dangerous, and there won't be any profit in
it for you."
   Teejay feigned a look of horror at Lady Justine's words, and his
voice took on an appropriately hurt tone as he said, "My Lady!  I do
this not for profit, but to protect you and keep you out of harm's
reach!  Even a paladin as capable as yourself needs a trusted
companion at their side."
   Gasps were heard from a couple of the less discrete patrons
listening in on the conversation, and Lady Justine gave them a
withering look.  "Believe me, Teejay, I can take care of myself."
   "I have no doubt of that, Lady Justine, but I would feel better if
someone capable was by your side."
   It was now the paladin's turn to act, looking confused as she said,
"But Teejay, I thought _you_ were offering to come with me."
   Teejay just gaped at her, flabbergasted.  The paladin laughed at
his expression, and Teejay soon joined her.  When they were done
laughing, the rogue said, "I've missed you, Justine."
   "And I you, Teejay."  They looked at each other, and anyone
watching could see that the two were in love.

-----
Brian Shea
aka Lady Justine the Paladin
aka Teejay the Master Thief

Well, whaddya think?