From alt.pub.dragons-inn Thu May 18 07:26:58 1995
Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8443
Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!noc.netcom.net!news.sprintlink.net!gatech!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!news.iag.net!rutgers!dziuxsolim.rutgers.edu!er6.rutgers.edu!not-for-mail
From: jimmoore@eden.rutgers.edu (James Moore)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: This if for You Liz.
Date: 17 May 1995 16:01:42 -0400
Organization: Rutgers University
Lines: 148
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <3pdkn6$2ug@er6.rutgers.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: er6.rutgers.edu

The Elves silently walked into the Inn.  Individually they came in and each 
surveyed their surroundings.  The first was Fango, a masterful spy and cunning
thief and romantic.  Next came a female, her name was Fyre Toryll, a skilled
mercenary that owned her own company of cutthroats.  Then in from the night 
came a male.  His name was Weehawk Darkwolf.  He was also a high-priced 
mercenary.  His reputation was known far and wide.  Then came in a Drow.  He 
looked about with suspicion and the entire populace could see the dagger tattoo
that cover most of the right side of his face.  He was a cunning and quick 
ranger named Ghaunden Hyluan.  Right behind him was another male, less obvious
that he was an Elf, his appearance gave him a dark and forboding look.  It was
Azurecon, master-assassin and over-all bringer of death.  Death-incarnate some
would say later.  About five minutes later a sixth came in.  She was stunning 
to behold, like a priceless treasure.  Her name was Diana Bluerock.  She was 
also a mercenary and some would say, a princess.  They all sat together talking
in their native tongue.  

Just then a group of friendly but unsuspecting Gnomes sits down with the Elves
and tries to make interesting conversation.  Ghaunden looks at them, his red 
eyes burning holes into their souls.  "And what pray-tell do you think you are 
doing?"  His toned tells them that he is very annoyed.  "Don't you know that it
is impolite to sit where you are not invited?"  He starts to stand, his hand 
on a knife, when Diana puts a reassuring hand on his arm.  "Ghaunden, they mean
no harm and you are being rude to them."  Her tone was as gentle as her nature.
Slowly Ghaunden sits back down.  "Very well, but do not expect me to like it."
He sits down and then one of the Gnomes realizes exactly who the Drow is.  "The
Light of Death" is what most call him.  A fitting name considering all those 
that he has sent to the afterlife during his short time on this planet.  Then 
with out warning, a woman on the other side of the tavern screams once and 
slumps forward into her dinner, dead.

The Elves react to the woman's death rather indifferently.  The Gnomes think it
odd that Elves would be so cold.  Quickly the town constable was called in to 
see what had happened.  Unfortunately for him no one had seen a single thing.  
It was bizarre, absolutely no one in the tavern could say that they had seen 
the crime of poisoning the woman by any one given person.  Now the woman was 
known by virtually everyone in the bar and they all knew that she was not the 
sort of person to take her own life.  No one was being allowed to leave until
it could be determined how the crime was done.  Then with a grand display 
Azurecon stands up and walks over to the dead figure and checks her body.  Then
he turns to the constable and denounces it as being a case of poisoning.  He 
shakes the constable's hand and marches right out into the night.  Then a Mage 
steps forward to say that the circumstances of the woman's apparent death is 
familiar and she is not really dead, atleast not yet.  During his grand speech
the other Elves quietly slip out of the tavern without anyone noticing.

Slowly they all made their way to the Stumble Inn.  They all agreed to get 
separate rooms and then settled in for the night.  
In her room Diana was getting ready for bed.  It had been a long day and 
Azurecon's little antics had not been amusing.  She never really trusted him, a
man that preoccupied with death was not for her.  She shook off the thoughts of
the tavern and quietly stripped off her garments and got into bed without 
another word.  In minutes she was "asleep".
Meanwhile Ghaunden was preparing for the night.  He had despised the company of
Gnomes that had intruded on them.  However his code as a ranger prevented him 
from teaching them a lesson in respect.  He silently rubbed his red eyes and 
went to the washroom and cleaned up.  Slowly he rubbed the blue makeup from his
face that lent some character to his tattoo.  Then with some ceremony he 
replaced the blue with white.  Then with much of the same ceremony he strapped 
on his blades, put on his black leather trench coat, and walked out of his room
and took to the darkness that he called friend.  
Fango was busy talking to his girlfriend Amber down at the bar.  She was 
beautiful and he loved her with all his heart.  He would die for her if it 
meant she would live.  He talked to her for a few minutes more then kissed her 
once and told her that he had some business to attend to and that he would 
return later.  With that he walked out into the darkness and disappeared.
Weehawk had already finished preparing for bed.  he tried not to think of the 
job that he had been called hear to do.  It would be a rich one if he returned
from it, and that was what worried him.
Fyre slowly stepped from the bathtub, clean for the first time since she had
left Daggercrestand her entire company of Marauders behind.  Why had she come
on this foolish trip with the others?  She had been perfectly happy with her 
present job, but Fango had insisted that she go with them.  Silently she put on
her nightgown and got into bed for a restless "sleep".
Elsewhere Azurecon was watching from the darkness.  No one knew he was there, 
no one suspected him, no one even seemed to care that Death was in town with a 
few daysto kill.  Then he saw his prey come out of the tavern and go off down 
the road.  Slowly he bagan to stalk his prey...

A young cleric walks into the tavern and the sight of the dead woman being held
by the mage makes him go green.  He quickly steps up to the bar and produces a 
gold coin for a pitcher of ale.  Taking the pitcher he sits down with a little
merchant Dwarf and starts making conversationand pouring the ale quite freely 
to him.  He makes much small talk with the Dwarf and tries to discern what had
befallen the poor woman.  The Dwarf, drunk from hours of carousing, answers, 
"AAHhh, thnnk, tha, thee, laddie wass, <hiccup> merderedddd..." And with that 
the merchant slumps forward and begins to snore very loudly, belching happily
every so often.  The cleric pats him on the back and head and then puts 
another gold piece on the table and instruct the barkeep to get the man a room.
The cleric then walks out into the night.
Ghaunden walks back into the tavern and absently bumps into a departing cleric.
"Excuse me brother," the cleric says and winks at the ranger.  Then without 
another word he leaves and goes out into the darkness.  Ghaunden looks puzzled 
for a second.  Then he just shakes his head and walks to the bar.  He orders an
ale and then goes to a far-off corner and sits down at an empty table.  On his 
way he passes the Gnomes and coughs.  
Back in his room Fango produces from his clerical robes a purse that he had 
lifted from the drunk merchant and smiles.  "They bought it.  One of the worst 
perfomances of my career and they never doubted it for a second."  Then he 
quietly hides the pouch and goes back downstairs to Amber.  As he walked he 
couldn't help but think what the Dwarf would do when he finds he'd been rolled 
by a priest.  
Finished with the darkness for tonight, Azurecon strolls back into the tavern.
Upon seeing his "friend" at the back of the bar he quickly orders an ale and 
joins Ghaunden at the table.  Upon sitting down he says, "Quite an interesting 
place we've got here.  Don't you agree, Ghaunden?"  His smile to the Drow would
melt ice. 
 "I don't know.  I suppose so," the ranger states, nodding his head.
"Much like the town of Westerhaven."  
"Quite right, quite right," Azurecon 
agreed, still smiling.  
"You had something to do with this," Ghaunden wasn't asking a question, he was 
making a statement.  "I know you and this is your handywork."  He gazed at his 
Elf "brother" with those same burning red eyes.  
"Why, Ghaunden, I'm hurt.  Do I look like I would hurt a fly?"  His tone was 
slightly mocking, but still held a sharp tint of seriousness to it.  "I helped
the constable out on this one.  Now why would I tell the authorities how I had
committed a crime?  I am not that follish."
"Yes you are." Now it was Ghaunden's turn to be sarcastic.  "You would do just
that to prove you'd gotten away with it."
"Well in that case," his voice lowers and retreats to his native tongue, "I've
gotten away with it.  No one knows us here.  We are just six Elves that are 
travelling together and..."
"No you're wrong."  Ghaunden interrupts.  "That follish little Gnome Temoc 
knows all of us, even me.  I do not think we are as obscure as you think. He 
knows us, count on it."  With that Ghaunden motions his head towards the group
of Gnomes and Azurecon turns his head to stare at Temoc.  
Temoc suddenly gets the feeling he's being watched and when he looks he can 
see the two Elves staring directing at him.  
Up in her room, Diana "wakes" from her "sleep".  Clutching the blanket to her
chest she rises and goes to the window.  Wrapping the blanket around her for 
warmth, she gazes out into the starry night...

The next morning the six of them rejoin and sit down to breakfast.  Morning
obviously does not agree with Ghaunden as he is wearing a pair of dark glasses.
Azurecon is the last to come to breakfast.  When he does arrive he is whistling
an old Elven war song.  They all just turn to him.  Word spread through the 
town that seventeen people were found dead this morning.  And only the other 
five Elves knew who could have done the deed.  The Authorities were completely
baffled by this whole thing and were quite upset that such things could happen 
here.  Azurecon just ate his breakfast peacefully, with a smile on his face.


Sorry it took me so long to repost this whole thing Liz.  Forgive me.

--James Moore

"Oh what a cute little bunny rabbit.  I will hug him and squeeze him and rock 
him to sleep and I will name him George."