From alt.pub.dragons-inn Mon Oct 9 21:35:59 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8773 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!nott!cunews!freenet.carleton.ca!FreeNet.Carleton.CA!av641 From: av641@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael-John Almon) Subject: [LoT] A wuestion of Sanity Message-ID: Sender: av641@freenet3.carleton.ca (Michael-John Almon) Reply-To: av641@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael-John Almon) Organization: The National Capital FreeNet References: Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 18:14:48 GMT Lines: 105 A. H. (ajh@connix.com) writes: > Cabot looked at A'arden the story buyer. "No" Cabot said, "I > have no story to sell or tell at the moment. Forgive my > abrubtness but it has been a long road for me. Perhaps come > morning...?" > > Dropping the necessary coins on the bar, Cabot said "Meet me here > for breakfast if you care to discuss possible business." Turning > back to the writer before he left the Inn he said "As my guest of > course, the least I can do to appologize for my brusqueness this > evening." > > Cabot stepped out into the night air shutting the door behind > him. It was dangerous to travel out at night so he had little > intention of leaving the porch of the Inn. > > As he stared at the stars, stars which he would some day travel > amongst again, a riderless horse galloped past. Stepping back > into the shadows. He saw a man give up chasing the horses at the > same time he heard other horses and men. The lithe figure then > ran into the shadows across the street and virtually vanished. > Cabot watched, but he had lost track of the person. A talented > individual Cabot thought. > > As riders approached, one stopped and with a torch held high, the > light reflecting off of the brass on his uniform, barked a > question to Cabot "a rider just passed here, where did he go?" > > Cabot did not speak but came to a decision. He raised his hand > and pointed in the direction which the riderless horse had > galloped. > > Cabot waited for the riders to dissappeared in pursuit. Then, > hoping that the shadowy figure was still close enough to hear > him, he addressed the darkness: "you owe me a favor, meet me in > the Inn for breakfast tommorrow". > > There was no answer, but then Cabot had expected none. He walked > back into the Inn and up to the room which had purchased for the > evening. Thinking on it, he secured the door and the window - > the only entrance and exit to the second story room and went to > sleep. > > ***** > > The next morning he awoke and, after dressing went down to the > common room. He ordered tea and waited expectantly. He hoped > that if the story buyer, A'arden, showed, he would be able to > sell Cabot some stories. > > Cabot wondered if he would recognize the second visitor he > expected. Under normal circumstances not, but then again, there > were not many people in the Inn... > * * * Jaylor moved down the street, confident no one would recognize him as he wasn't wearing a black mask over his face this time. Instead he was wearing a light blue tunic and loose fitting blue pants. His blue eyes flickered with amusement as he tossed a coin in the air and caught it. Will some people ever learn to not leave coins in their pockets, was the question that echoed throughout his thoughts, but it was another one that was upon that had him worried. Was he insane? He was going to the Inn like he had been asked, but need he? No, he didn't have too, and that had him worried. His face was handsome by most human standards and unscarred, as most of them were on his back and his front, mostly whip marks. His steps still hurt a little and he wasn't going to be standing much if someone decided to hit him on the back. His elvish heritage was almost immposible to hide. His ears were pointed, had high-cheek bones and he was short. But his human side was equally hard to hide, as he wasn't as fair as most elves were and he stood at 5 foot 6 inches, tall by elven standards. A half-elf, one of the more socially acceptable half-breeds, but still it was less welcome in either human or elvish societies then their own kind were. An outcast by birth, something that had never bothered Jaylor. Behind him he heard a man yelling. Jaylor turned to see a man yelling at a young boy who he had caught stealing from him. Jaylor shook his head, not at the boy stealing, but that the boy was stupid enough to get caught. His steps moved with that ever present elvish grace that made him stick out in this crowd of humans. He could feel every merchant's eyes bore into him as he walked by, with good reason, the only elves in this part of the market were all pick-pockets. Jaylor looked up at the building before him; The Dragon's Inn, so it was called. He arched an eyebrow as a very large man walked into the Inn, Jaylor was muscular for his profession and race, but that man was a walking building. He wondered if perhaps this was the right place. Sighing and biting any quip remark he might make in front of the building that walked past, he entered the bar to look for this man that had seen him. Quickly his eyes scanned about the room, checking every corner, and there were many! Jaylor had never seen an Inn with 19 corners before and so he arched an eyebrow in curiousity, but let it pass as he spotted the man he was looking for. Not very impressive was the first words that came to Jaylor's mind, slowly he eased himself into the chair that was at the man's table. He looked at the man who was wondering who he was to sit there. Jaylor's lips curled into a slight smile, "I hope your buying"