3 Lamashan 4715 – Starday
By the time we reached the coffeehouse, there seemed to be a book signing in full swing so it was easy to avoid notice and slip below.
Niccolo sat down with Zea, but honestly we were all listening in. It’s basically my forte. According to Zea, because no one has been docking the supplies have just been sitting in warehouses in the harbor. She decided that would be better if those supplies were actually being used so she commandeered a dingy and cut a hole in the bottom of the warehouse to steal a few of the crates. I honestly have to admire her tenacity, and her gall. Her heart’s in the right place, but she very much lives in the moment, and doesn’t seem to consider the consequences.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one with such a bright idea. The Red Jills decided to attempt the same thing and the ensuing fight led to an oil lantern starting a fire within the warehouse. The dottari showed up, and she evaded them only to run into the lovely members of the CCB.
Niccolo once again explains our purpose, and Zea seems much more interested in joining us this time around. She suggests we do something about the Red Jills. They’ve been causing issues in the Red Roof district bringing a good deal of unwanted attention. Niccolo suggests that we deal with the leader, and the rest will likely disband.
Zea informed us that the Red Jills have expanded their operation and managed to figure out a way to get across the bridge at night without getting caught. That would be valuable information. The group members are easy to spot as they wear red cloaks, but Zea warned they are unorganized and opportunist. A dangerous combination.
Best if we gather information first before we rush in. With that decided we head back upstairs taking turns exiting the Wasp’s Nest. One of these days I would like to explore through the portcullis and see about securing another means to enter and exit.
Before I could take my leave, I glanced at the sign for the author in question, and it stopped me in my tracks. Marquel Aulorian. I moved through the crowd until I could see him. It’d been several years at least since I’d seen him in person, but at that time he didn’t recognize me and we didn’t actually get to speak. I had other matters, and what good would it have done. The family had all but forgotten me at that point except for him.
All through my years at school he continued to write to me. The brief time I lived in the Greens, he and I connected. Over time I became his unofficial editor as he sent me his grand adventures in writing. It broke my heart when I heard of his injury, but I wasn’t allowed to see him. When I left school, I wanted to make my own way, and told him that I needed to stop writing. I promised him that I would contact him, but with every passing week, I didn’t know how to start it again.
Those thoughts aside, there was nothing to stop me now. I had my own life and could make my own decisions so I got in line and bought one of his books. And then he signed with that cliché phrase, but calling him out seemed enough to trigger his memory.
I stepped away and sat with Adria. I ended up telling her some of what I wrote here. It is surprisingly easy to open up to her. I didn’t realize she was also an orphan, though my circumstances were a little different.
Marquel did remember, and he came over and sat with us. I shouldn’t have ended up so tongue-tied, but when the majority of your conversations have been through the written word when you have time to sort out exactly what to say, an in person interaction becomes shockingly difficult. But it was nice, even if it was awkward. I don’t think I realized how much I missed him.
I left feeling light in my heart, and I looked forward to putting pen to paper once again. But for now, I have work to do.
4 Lamashan 4715 – Sunday
It seems my information gathered proved the most fruitful as I learned gangs were seen around the eastern slopes of Temple Hill. And I heard that the Red Jills’ boss had, “gone some kind of crazy.”
This information immediately caused Niccolo to tense and he said that’s where he was found as a child. He suggested having a visit with his mother which I don’t think was meant as an invitation for us all, but that is definitely what it became. I find myself eager to meet her.
Rexus then shared with us more of his translations. As the Silver Ravens’ fame grew, they shifted more to public defense even thwarding 4 attacks by the Thrunes, 5 attacks by the nobles, and one attack from the Borjanni noble family. They even stopped an invasion of skum, stopped Nidalese vampires, and a blue dragon! All at different times, mind you, not at once, but impressive nonetheless.
They had some sort of weapon that helped them defeat all of these challeges. Their headquarters was in the opera house, which makes me think Barzillai has knowledge of the Silver Ravens as well. Perhaps more than we do.
V.