And Once More We Return

[Alydia Ettermire]

Part of the reason Alyida had never been caught, as odd as it seemed to her, was because she was very careful to travel legally. Now that it was especially important that she not get caught up in Corone over a trivial matter involving a certain painting, she made sure that she bought her boat ticket legally, checked her bag legally, and boarded on the ramp. She made sure her men in Corone didn't see her off at the ramp, and she'd sent word ahead to her men in her native country to be waiting.

Her mission, for once, had nothing to do with stealing. In fact, if she made a heist while in Alerar, it would be on information she got after taking care of the matter at hand. She would really rather not steal anything in her homeland; the case file would come across the desk of her one-time mentor, and he was most likely to catch her. He might catch her anyway. She had at least a dozen outstanding warrants in Ettermire alone.

This time, she was after a criminal, a ruthless murderer who had gotten away from law enforcement during her tenure on Ettermire's police force and had left not long after she had. This man...this man was nothing short of a monster. There had been other criminals that had slipped through the hands of the law; hell, she was one of them. But there'd never been one like this. This one was...the thought of him made her skin crawl. She'd never tracked another criminal like this, never obsessed over trying to track their movements, never chased them down as far as possible. After she'd left the force, she'd stopped thinking about the criminals she'd lost.

All except this one. She'd heard he was in Corone while she'd been on a heist in Salvar, so she'd ended the heist early to find him. Now he was boarding a boat back to Alerar. He'd been lying low outside of his home country, but when he got back...when he got back, he'd carve a path in blood.

So she'd be on his boat. She'd keep an eye on him. And the first opportunity she got after they disembarked...she'd grab him and tie him up for the Chief to find. From there, the law could do what it wanted. The evidence against him was all stored safely away.

And soon he will be, too.

She leaned on the ship's rail, pulling her hat firmly down over her left eye and scanning the boarding passengers, watching for him. He might recognize her as one of the ones that had almost caught him a few years before, but that was a risk she'd just have to take. She would find him. She would hound him. And she would take the bastard down.

[Izvilvin]

In the wake of Izvilvin's casual step, Corone faded away into the dusk. He hadn't stepped foot in the bustling city of Radasanth since his days with Letho and Christina Bredith, alongside whom the drow had fought against - and with - the corrupt branches of Corone's government.

These were simpler times, to say the least.

His reunion with the city was a bittersweet one, and the first sign of civilization he'd witnessed in months. Dheathain had been a cruel home, offering unique challenges with each rise of the sun. The drow had been softened by his comparatively simple struggles in Fallien, where he'd had a room in the Jya's Keep with a comfortable bed and more than enough food and water. Dheathain had hardened him once more, but Izvilvin retained the lessons he'd learned in the desert lands.

Though it was the first time he'd uttered a word in nearly a year, Izvilvin had no trouble purchasing a ticket for a boat to Alerar. On his breast, beneath his cloak and armor, a crumpled note detailed specifics about an organization so secretive the note itself was worth more than any of the drow's enchanted weapons. The details gave him Step's location - or at least an approximate area where the headquarters could be located. He had someone to thank, to be certain, but had no idea who.

Draped in a dark grey cloak that concealed his weapons, a hoodless Izvilvin crossed a creaky wooden plank onto the ship, a long vessel which would hold at least a hundred. The more the better, from his perspective; Izvilvin was wanted dead by so many people that he'd begun to forget about some.

A dangerous thing, that.

[Alydia Ettermire]

A dark skinned Alerian slunk onto the boat with a cloak wrapped around his shoulders tight enough to completely shield the rest of his body from sight. That made Aly nervous, the cloth wall around her prey's body meant only one thing: he was still traveling heavily armed. She only had a whip to defend herself with if it came down to it...and that probably wouldn't hold up against the honed edge of a murderer's blade. Aly tracked him with her eyes as he came up the gangplank, watched him cross the deck from beneath the broad crimson brim of her fedora, but she tore her eyes away after a moment. If she was caught watching, she was a dead woman...but there was one ray of hope for her if she did.

He won't kill on a boat. He'd be discovered and turned over. He'll wait until we've docked.

If she got caught, she'd have a few minutes to vanish into the streets before he found and killed her. She was a professional fugitive, a few minutes was all she'd need to lose him. It would also guarantee the safety of innocent citizens. Once this man had a target, he was a focused killer. She could lead him anywhere she wanted to by her own special methods and then pounce. Of course, the pounce would be the dangerous part...

She walked around the deck for a while, dressed brightly enough to catch any eye. If it didn't help to be dressed brightly, she'd still have done it, but help it did. People remembered her clothing rather than her face. She'd seen portraits done that ranged from a pretty elf to a scarred human, and even a Fae once. When she was labeled as a dark skinned Alerian, the descriptions were so off that it was as laughable as the fact that the key to her obscurity was her brilliance.

She rounded a bend to try and catch another glimpse of her quarry, and she saw him, then looked past him to something surprising. After so much time away from her home country, it was strange to see another face like hers, and yet there it was plain as day. She slipped out of sight after only a few minutes and found a place to sit and muse. There were unexpected factors on this trip. It was almost too big a boat to keep a consistent eye on someone, even if it helped her keep inconspicuous...and...

How much more difficult will you make this than it has to be....Izvilvin Kazizzrym?

[Izvilvin]

His boots met the hardwood of the ship with light, silent steps. A cabin-like structure split the boat in half like a median, multiple doors along its side offering entry into the lower recesses of the ship.

Drow weren't the most common of races in Corone, but other than an added second or two in someone's lingering gaze, Izvilvin didn't notice anybody paying special attention to him. It was more good news in this eerie series of fortunate events, put into motion by his initial discovery of the note wrapped around Icicle's hilt one morning. He'd ignored the obvious questions at the time: if someone so skilled in stealth had approached him, why didn't they simply kill him and take his things? Why was he being helped? Who could possibly know such sensitive information? Only now was he beginning to let the questions haunt him.

He'd been walking alongside the rail, overlooking the water as a sailor's call indicated that they were about to leave, but now he stopped. Instinct told him to look behind, so he did. People were everywhere, most traveling in pairs or groups, but aside from a colorful wardrobe or two, nothing stood out to him.

A breeze pulled his hair over his face for an instant, and the warrior turned to resume his walk. The weight of his weapons was becoming a factor on his weary body, but Izvilvin knew that setting them aside would attract for more attention his way.

So he walked to the back of the boat, mounted a short staircase which brought him onto an elevated lookout point, and leaned against the back rail. The sun was setting below the horizon, illuminating the ocean with a sleek orange hue and setting the sky ablaze. It would be the last sunset of its kind that he'd ever see.

There, he mused about all the faces he'd encountered in his years. Some were fading away. Some looked nothing like they used to. Some he would never forget.

[Alydia Ettermire]

Her quarry was dangerous...too dangerous, if she didn't play everything just right. She knew all too well that she'd be mown down like grain beneath the scythe if he caught her; she'd seen the bodies he'd left behind. And with his time to find other beings to kill, doubtless he'd perfected his art. She could only hope that if he caught her, he'd simply mow her down rather than make her regret every moment she'd ever spent breathing.

That train of thought is no good. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it carry the counterproductive fear on the exhale. I need a plan. I have time to plan. So that is how I will use my time. If I am not prepared in my route, then I will be easy prey. If I have my route planned, he will be easy prey for me.

Mind clear, Aly pulled her travel book out of her coat and sat down on a crate on deck so she could keep an eye on her rail-bound prey while seeming to simply read a book. The pages rippled beneath her gloved fingertips, wafting the soft, clean, deep scent of bound pages over the aggravating tang of the salt air, nearly purifying a breath or two. But that faded after mere moments. In the port and in Ettermire, she knew the roads well and wouldn't have a problem leading her prey on. But everything in between could prove difficult. So she studied while she still had enough light.

The book was old and didn't contain all the information, but she still had contacts in Alerar that kept her informed. There was a functional railway now. It wouldn't be hard to book a ferry into a rail town, then skip it once he was on for a horse. From there, it wouldn't be hard to jump from one train to another until she got into Ettermire.

I'll have to find a train schedule as soon as I've got my feet on solid ground. I wish I'd thought to write ahead for that, the boys would have gotten me one...I can't visit them until after this man is down, it'd be too dangerous to their safety.

There was one more problem with the train: the sheer unpredictability of it. A killer couldn't simply slip off a boat, but if he caught her same train, she didn't know if it would stop him from cornering her, killing her, and then jumping off the moment the train slowed. That wouldn't be a problem for him. But maybe if she booked a carriage, reversed her hat and coat, and then took the train? Of course, there would be law enforcement at the train station...but with so many people and shadows, any flunky at the station would be hilariously easy to evade. So that was what she would do.

Fortune favors the prepared, my fierce, false gumshoe. And that one will be me.

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin's contemplation slowly faded and his mind became blank. Rather than dwell on scenes of the past, he gave himself a temporary reprieve. His eyes unfocused and he stared idly out to sea, water dancing in the orange light as the ship slowly steered away from the city.

As the sun drifted out of his sight and Radasanth waved goodbye, the drow's mind went active again and he turned away, leaning his back against the rail. Seeing the city from such an angle, somehow, reminded him of his first arrival. From Alerar he had gone to Scara Brae, where he'd met the friendly Khalxaen and joined up with a rowdy crowd. It was there he'd had his first encounter with Step; only a day out of his cave, and he'd already signed his life away.

He remembered leaving Scara Brae to avoid punishment for the murders he'd committed, and remembered the first time Radasanth appeared in the distance. It seemed like a dream, an enchanted land he'd only ever read about as a child. It turned out to be anything but.

Suddenly he was looking at his hands. Over the years he'd rinsed an ocean of blood out of them, and every time without the slightest remorse. It was as if that once he'd made the decision to kill, Izvilvin no longer viewed a target as an individual, just a goal. It was an odd contrast compared to his emotional, loving approach to his allies.

His fingers were covered in callouses, scrapes and cuts, but they were difficult to see against his dark skin. He felt them all, though, as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

Letting his hands fall to his sides, Izvilvin's lavender eyes looked up. The back of the ship was populated now, the rails housing dozens of travelers watching as Corone began to retreat. He scanned them idly, but paused at a fellow drow whose face was almost entirely hidden by a wide-brimmed hat. The visible part of her face was exotic, but his eyes passed her by with only a moment's linger.

He leaned back, letting the wind explore his head. Alerar was a long way away.

[Alydia Ettermire]

A criminal who made her living by running had to develop a sense of when she was noticed. From over the edge of her book and under the brim of her hat she saw a dark face look into hers, and for the instant his eyes were on her, her blood froze in her veins. It was a long trip to Alerar, being seen this early was not good for her plans. For once, she considered that maybe some less conspicuous clothes would behoove her. And it was much too late to get some. Izvilvin had seen her, and that was potentially one of the worst things that could happen.

If he kept seeing her, then he would get suspicious. If he got suspicious, she might find herself at the bottom of the sea.

She turned a page quickly, to maintain the illusion she was reading a book. But while her eyes ran back and forth over the faded words, her mind raced. She hadn't thought of the possibility of being killed and then thrown into the sea when she came aboard. It would be easy. The creatures who saw during the day slept at night...if her quarry chose to and managed to find her alone, it would be easy and bloodless for him to snap her neck, and if anyone saw him carrying her around, well, how many people got dead drunk on these trips and needed a comrade to carry them to their room? All too easy.

Caution is a thief's best friend. Just be normal, and never look directly at anyone. Which is going to seem mighty shifty with an outfit like this. Okay...look at the humans. Humans are safe. Looking at Raiaerans is never safe, and looking at Alerians could be...

She realized she'd been holding her breath, and she let it out slowly, focusing for a second on just breathing in and out. Now was hardly the time to panic. Her quarry was on the boat, she didn't have to have an eye on him at all times to make sure he didn't flee, no matter how her old police instincts told him she needed to tail him.

She stood up, letting her gaze filter through the crowd for a moment while she tucked her book back into her coat pocket. Then slowly, calmly, she turned and went below to check out her cabin. It was little more than a closet, but that was okay. In fact, she could barely open the door to squeeze through, which was even better. A man was bigger than she was, armed he was much bulkier, and that meant that if he came after her, she'd be able to see past him to a shadow across the hall and escape long enough to find a good place to hide.

So far, so good. Dinner's in an hour or so, I'll find him again then.

[Izvilvin]

Without noticing, Izvilvin eventually allowed himself to slink down into a sitting position against the flat wood paneling. Legs outstretched and hands on his thighs, he opened his eyes, awakening from some deep contemplation. He had been remembering Laix, his Fallien friend who was the original owner of Icicle.

He was finally, firmly in the present. He stood and took a quick glance around, noticing the splash of red color to his left had disappeared along with several others. He had found something strange about her, he remembered, but struggled to remember exactly what it was. Paranoid though he may be, Izvilvin was facing an immense challenge ahead.

All the more reason to be wary, he thought. After all, he had barely considered that the note could have been a way to lure him into a trap. The ship could have been heading to the middle of the ocean before someone sunk it, so desperate was Step to eliminate their rogue agent.

It was too late now to entertain the possibility, and Izvilvin had been meticulous in masking his presence in Corone. He'd left Fallien magically, via a portal from the wizard Mazoo, and had hidden in Dheathain until months had passed.

Time passed quickly. Izvilvin often found himself looking to the sky as the sun retreated, watching as more and more stars adorned the black sea in the air. He avoided eye contact with the many people who passed by him, but often checked his peripherals for the elf in red. She was nowhere to be found on the surface of the boat.

Before long, a call came out from the cabins that dinner was about to be served. Izvilvin passed by his room, removed all but one of his weapons - a single diamond dagger strapped inside of his boot - and hid them under his mattress. Not the safest of places, but his cabin had a lock and he couldn't risk the attention in the mess hall.

Down a central staircase located at the matrix of the cabin hallways, a short but wide passageway offered a doorless portal into the dining area. To his great relief, tables were strewn about and passengers were not obligated to sit together, as was the case in most military ships.

Noticeably lighter than he'd been an hour earlier, and with his cloak hanging looser and less jagged, Izvilvin grabbed a plate of meat and vegetables and sat alone, facing the room. The meat was tough but good, salted. It stung the sores in his mouth brought on from poor diet, but it was satisfyingly heavy.

[Alydia Ettermire]

Aly considered reversing her coat and hat to the black side when she heard the call for dinner, but considered that shadowy and mysterious was more likely to get her into trouble than brilliant and mysterious. So she went down to the galley, pulling her hat firmly down over her eye again. The room was big and tables were scattered across the floor like flecks of paint that fell idly from a brush. Her quarry was already there, eating his meal alone with his back to the wall.

As quickly as she could, Aly grabbed her plate of limpid greens, overcooked beef and suspicious bread and tried to find a table where she could keep an eye on her prey...and anyone else who might have a reason to notice her as more than a mere curiosity. There were a few tables that met her needs, but they all had occupants. She found one with humans and approached. From the looks of the trio, it was a husband, wife, and their nearly grown son. This was perfect for her, better than eating alone, actually.

"Would you mind terribly if I joined you for this repast?" Her voice fell softly on their ears, sweet with a sultry curl, warm with a slight hint of condescension. The sheer exoticism of what they could see of her won the couple's grudging okay, and the boy's less than grudging welcome.

She sat down and sipped at her water. It tasted off, and she'd have rather had the wine, but the wine was probably cheap anyway, and it wouldn't do to be intoxicated. "Is this your first time to Alerar?"

It turned out it wasn't, and she listened with half an ear as the man described his business ventures in Alerian technology. She found it remarkably droll that he tried to throw in words in her native tongue, words she barely recognized for his ill pronunciation and accent. Most of her attention was focused on not grimacing at her meal and keeping an eye out for suspicious movement from anyone.

"And what brings you to Alerar, Miss...?"

"Call me Alydia. I'm going back to my homeland to meet up with an old acquaintance, if I can catch him. Ah, catch up with him, I mean. There are times your language is terribly confusing."

"And yours can be terribly hard to pronounce," joked the son. "What's your line of work?"

"I'm a..." She smiled, letting her painted red lips spread widely. "Collector of antiquities. And sometimes the items I desire can be difficult to acquire, you know how it is. But I find it rather fulfilling. The thrill of the chase is one of the most exhilarating feelings you could ever have."

[Izvilvin]

With half-shut eyes, Izvilvin hovered over his empty plate, listening to the room around him. He'd noticed her again, that colorful drow, and had been watching her fairly intently as he ate his food.

She'd made friends with a group of humans, which was a strange act for most drow, and it made him all the more curious. He liked the way she moved, with subtle grace that teased; her coat could do nothing to contain her curves, try as it might. He could hear them talk, or rather he would have been able to had it not been for the many other conversations in between.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, sucked on them briefly. His eyes moved casually across the other tables. Nobody seemed to be paying extra attention to him, so he rose and made his way out of the dining hall, up the stairs and outside. It was full nighttime now, but the moon was large and lit up the slick surface of the deck.

Only a few passengers remained on this level, staring into the vast reaches of the sky. Izvilvin had no interest in whatever it was they saw there, so he went to the front of the ship and sat against the ship's side, just as he'd done at the opposite end. Reaching under his cloak and breastplate, he produced a yellowing, crumbled paper and unraveled it carefully.

Ankhas.

To anyone who didn't know of Step, which was essentially everyone or noone within miles, it wasn't anything noteworthy. Friends would have questioned why Izvilvin put so much faith in a single word on a single, seemingly typical piece of paper, but the truth became clear as he held it up to the moonlight. In the upper-right corner of the parchment was a watermark, a simple crest of a circle within a circle.

For an organization so complex and secretive, a circle was a bland choice. Step's existence was about cycles, however. They came and went when needed, doing more when political times were complex and receding into the background once more when things were stable. Agents were brought in and replaced as needed, when the job demanded more than their fragile figures could handle.

It was a brutal existence. It had to be. Step was created for Corone's benefit, and people often needed to die for the good of the land.

Folding it more carefully this time, Izvilvin slid the note back onto his breast. A few days' trip, and he'd be able to develop a plan. That was his hope, at least.

[Alydia Ettermire]

Beingwatchedbeingwatchedbeingwatchedbeing...calm DOWN.

She felt eyes on her, watching her, tracking her, noticing every move she made, from the soft curve of her lips into grins that masked subtly sarcastic words, to the movements of her utensils that cut her meal into manageable bites, to the slight movements of her head as she let her eyes look over the crowd in the mess hall. The pressure of eyes on her made the already stagnant air of the mess hall stifling to the point of being oppressive. It clogged her nostrils, tightened her throat, and the sultry thief could even feel the back of her collar damp with perspiration. For the third time just at that meal, she felt her hand itching to reach up and pull her hat down to obscure her face more.

Still pretending to be interested in the conversation, Alydia forced herself to breathe slowly, in and out, in and out. If she stayed where people could see her most of the time and steered clear of the other Drow on the ship, she was probably safe. So long as she never spoke with the same people twice and picked her acquaintances at random, no one could learn more about her than what she wanted. It was just few days of being on her toes. That was the sort of adrenaline rush she thrived on; it was what she sought out by stealing valuable items from dangerous sorts. It was nothing new to her. In fact...the only difference was she hadn't stolen anything from the man she felt a need to run from.

That, and it isn't a game this time. When it was a game, it was fun. She'd take what she wanted, lead people around until she got bored, and if she got caught, just vanish into thin air. She was reacting differently now that she was thinking like a detective again. I need to make this a game.

She didn't know if it was her target staring at her or not, since she kept her eyes very carefully away from him, but she assumed it was. Even if it wasn't...for the highly vulnerable thief, erring on the side of caution was the wiser option.

Maybe I should ditch the coat...never. After all...what would Alydia Ettermire be without the drama of the coat and hat? Nothing.

Calmer, the young Alerian prepared to get up from the table. The young man with the group she had joined stood up almost the exact moment she set her fork and knife down across her bland ceramic plate and put her napkin on the rough wood grain of the table. He stacked her plate on top of his to take to the collection bins, then pulled out her chair for her to stand up. "Would you care to join me for a walk around deck, Alydia?"

"I'm afraid I can't..." what was this idiot's name? "Bailey." She smiled, taking her feet with the supple grace that came naturally to those who lived by stealth. "I'm just dying for some fresh air, but I only have a minute for it. I have much correspondence to prepare, and plans to make before we reach Alerar. The life of a collector never leaves a chance for respite."

She scanned once more over the crowds of people that had gathered in the mess hall, this time looking for her target to know where he was, but in her moments of tension he had slipped out, for she didn't see the cloaked figure at the back. A gesture to her dinner companions, and Aly left the galley and stepped into the soft light of night that had soothed away the harsh glare of the all-seeing day star. After the rank air of the ship's mess, the bite of salt air on her tongue almost felt sweet. Even better: she'd missed twilight.

Aly hated twilight. Sunlight was harsh, but she could see in it, and it was simple to pick out heat signatures in the dark; that was natural for her kind. But dusk and dawn juxtaposed the two in such a way that made her wish she was blind. Still...the cool air did much to calm her rattled nerves, and the creaking of the ship beneath her feet, thuds of footfalls all around, and lapping of the waves against the sides of the boat gave her enough auditory clues to keep her out of most trouble.

She started walking once around the ship. The quick walk would clear her mind, then she could go below deck to see what nooks and crannies might be useful to her in an emergency.

[Izvilvin]

The boat had grown silent by this point, cutting quietly through the moonlit water. Those who remained on the surface spoke in whispers, considerate of others the way people often forgot to be back on the mainland. Perhaps it was the impossibility of getting away from an adversary that changed their behavior.

Alydia rounded the corner of the central structure at the back of the ship, making her way down the side of the vessel. Izvilvin had followed at a distance, moving with the utmost of stealth and patience, using every method and skill he had to remain hidden from the other drow. He knew she had an advanced ability to hear, as he did, so he made no attempt to get very close.

There was nobody ahead of them to interrupt. Izvilvin closed the gap between them, purposely abandoning the silent step and slapping his feet against the wood.

They stopped in unison, both facing the front of the ship and standing no more than ten feet apart. Izvilvin's downcast face presented illuminated, intrigued eyes that bore into the back of Alydia's hat.

His feet were spread a few feet apart, calves flexed and poised to spring. His diamond dagger was no longer in his boot, but tucked into the back of his belt. Cloak billowing in the gentle breeze and armor glinting in the moonlight, Izvilvin felt the blood dancing in his veins.

"Ele xun dos plynn folt isintol wun uns'aa?"

(("Why do you take such interest in me?"))

[Alydia Ettermire]

The cold demand in her native tongue almost made Alydia reach for her whip, almost made her spin around, almost made her slip into the darkness and out at a safer distance than a mere ten feet, even though thirty feet would buy her but a moment. Instead, she shoved aside the chill that raced down her spine and analyzed the voice. She knew the harsh strains that belonged to the man she had followed to the middle of the sea, and while the tones of this voice were in no sense gentle...they were by no means harsh enough to belong to her target.

Almost languidly the scarlet thief turned on her heel, dipping her chin slightly to keep her hat brim between the man who confronted her and one of her eyes, and then looked up so that her visible blue eye could meet his lavender ones. Slowly, that mocking smile unfurled on her lips, and nonchalantly a gloved hand swept the thick black hair off of her shoulder.

"Usstan gumash joros dos lil toha erg'les, Izvilvin Kazizzrym." The voice teased just as much as her body, its husky, sultry tones belying the very real fear that if she played this wrong, a man on the ship by mere happenstance might be the end of her. "Ele...ele ke? Ele orn'la natha j'nesst saph uns'aa inbal isintol wun zuelyi harl Fallien's alurl nika? Ele orn'la uk ssrig'luin ulu flohlu natha j'nesst vel'uss uriu naubol ulu xun xuil ukta wund l' olath?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nau, vel'bol tahe dos uriu naubol ulu xun xuil uns'aa." All of a sudden the sultry tones had dropped out of her voice, leaving it cool and almost brusque; more like she was talking business as quickly as she could before getting the hell out of wherever she happened to be. "Usstan tlun p'luin jalbyr. Ukt kaas zhah Shynt Aubrey. Uk zhahus natha elggur wun Ettermire vel'drav Usstan zhahus natha usulii d'lil Kyorl ulu sslig'ne ol."

The cool air that had been so refreshing when she'd first stepped out of the galley was now freezing, leeching all warmth from her body, but she would never let that show on her face. If he decided she was lying, Izvilvin would be much more dangerous than Aubrey. This was exactly what she'd been afraid of: if he decided that she was an agent of Step out to get him, she was a dead woman, and Shynt would be released back into the hapless citizens of Alerar.

(("I could ask you the same question, Izvilvin Kazizzrym. Why...why indeed? Why would a woman like me have interest in tracking down Fallien's favorite foreigner? Why would he need to follow a woman who has nothing to do with him into the dark?"

"No, what hunts you has nothing to do with me. I am after another. His name is Shynt Aubrey. He was a killer in Ettermire when I was on the police force."))

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin weighed the drow's words as she spoke, hearing the changes in her tones, the inflections. Her question was a good one, but one he could provide an easy answer to. More than that, it suggested to him the thing that he'd feared earlier on: that this whole conversation was part of a trap that he'd walked unknowingly into.

He resisted the urge to look behind him. His pointed ears would keep him notified, as they had done so many times before.

"Usstan flohlu dos p'wal Usstan xun naut zhaun nindel dos inbal naubol ulu xun xuil uns'aa," he said, voice level as it typically was. His eyes betrayed his frustration, however, the eternal struggles he had with trust, anger, betrayal, paranoia. "Usstan xun naut inbal l' lexus d' zhaunl ussta ogglinnar."

Izvilvin sucked his teeth again, wondering. He then reached behind, pulled the diamond dagger from his belt and presenting it - it caught the moonlight and held it in a million tiny prisons. The drow took two quick steps to close the gap a bit, but stopped short of Alydia. Finally breaking eye contact with the mysterious woman, he reached out to one of the structure's doors and quickly tugged it open.

"Jous uns'aa nindol Shynt Aubrey." he said, shoving the dagger into his belt and pulling his cloak around to conceal it.

(("I follow you because I do not know that you have nothing to do with me." ... "I do not have the luxury of knowing my enemies."

"Show me this Shynt Aubrey."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Alydia considered her options carefully. Finding Shynt to show him to Izvilvin would likely mean the exact confrontation that she'd spent her entire day planning to avoid. Refusing to show him would convince him that she was indeed after him. Showing him that Shynt was real would likely get Izvilvin to lose interest in her, and then with the knowledge that he knew she was not only on board, but seeking him out, she could plan more effectively.

She looked once more on the harsh face of the one-time member of the Jya's household, the man who had single-handedly thrown a big enough wrench into her plans that she'd been forced to call off a heist early, and then proceeded him into the dimly lit ship's interior. While she'd much rather not have a trained assassin walking behind her when she knew he wouldn't hesitate to send that glittering dagger into her heart if he convinced himself she was a threat to him, she had to hope he hadn't decided her fate yet and trust that he'd at least do the honorable thing and kill her to her face.

She led him deep into the ship, past the area that most passengers would venture, into the areas of the ship deepest and dankest, areas most like the ones she'd chased Shynt through all those years ago. Once she crossed that threshold, her hand automatically went to her hat, pulling it more firmly over her eye. Every creak of boards underfoot was magnified a thousand times, each soft sigh of water passing underneath sounded in her ears like a klaxon.

Shynt Aubrey was a creature of habit, he had to be around here somewhere. He always killed in the night, and even if he didn't intend on committing a murder here on the ship, he needed to at least hunt. Murder and the urge to murder, the act of murder, from the first glimpse of a target to the coppery bite of blood rising from the fresh carcass, it was an obsession for him. And maybe his only way of getting sexual release.

A shadow shifted ever so slightly around the corner, and Aly held a hand up to stop Izvilvin before standing up straighter, closing her eyes for a second to steel herself, and taking that final step into the sight of her target. Staring at her with red eyes that hungered for blood was the man she'd dreaded coming face to face with. His charcoal face turned grotesque with his sneer, and the rest of him was wrapped in an inky blackness that contained his body and at least a dozen weapons. Once more, for the first time in almost a decade, Aly was face to face with pure evil.

Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure everyone shipboard could hear it, her hands were cold and clammy, and her mouth was dry. But her smirk was as firmly entrenched on her face as his sneer was on his.

"Inbau noamuth, S'argt Ettermire?" His voice rumbled and rasped like a pair of stone wheels one on the other, an instrument of death ready to crush anything it decided to. "Dos zhal'la zhaun alur taga ulu tah phindaren wun natha belgareth."

"Dos kat inbau uns'aa t'yin, Aubrey," she purred in response. "Dos orn naut inbau uns'aa nin. Ol orn'la naut tlu jala jivvin."

"Nau jivvin?" he approached her, dominating the narrow hallway, filling it with the image of picturesque death. He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to hold a simple steel dagger to her delicate throat. "Ol orn'la inbal tlus jivvin t'yin ulu kyorl dosst vlos z'hren harl dosst ichl sel'tur waess, S'argt. Ulu yllssigul dos xuil ussta velve. L' uss dos morfel uns'aa noa. Ussta yuluwyl uss."

Her heart felt like it had stopped; this was way too dangerous a position to be in. "Drill natha elgg ghil lu' nin orn'la naut tlu khurzon d'lil Shynt Aubrey Usstan xunus tah ji verve." It took a fight to keep her voice smooth and teasing, and despite all her efforts, there was still a slight waver on his name.

"Dos phuul ditronw, del heen, S'argt." He removed his blade from her neck and cut a lock of hair from just in front of her ear, then left, walking down the hall instead of turning the corner.

Aly's heart started pounding again. All of his victims had the same lock of hair taken post mortem, and the fact that he'd taken hers and left her alive sent a very powerful message. If I can't outmaneuver this guy...I'm already dead.

Rather than start hyperventilating right away, Aly stepped forward, looked at Izvilvin, and started back up for the guest cabins. She'd panic in the safety of her closet sized room.

I need to make it to Ettermire ahead of him. I need to make it to Ettermire intact. I need to keep him moving through Alerar and bring him straight to the Chief. If I can do that and he still manages to kill me...well, I'm still dead, but at least I'll have wrapped up that case.

(("Get lost, Detective Ettermire? You should know better than to hunt monsters in a maze."

"You didn't get me then, Aubrey. You won't get me now. It wouldn't be any fun."

"No fun? It would have been fun then to watch your blood flow over your too soft skin. To caress you with my blade. My prized one. The one you made me lose."

"A kill here wouldn't be worthy of the Shynt Aubrey I hunted so long."

"You're right, of course, detective."))

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin followed Alydia with a contemplative mind. He wasn't one to fall for many women, but his friendships were mostly with females and the males in his life often filled a business-only role. An organization like Step, naturally, had access to this kind of knowledge. Anybody with eyes did.

Truthfully, the drow's only true male friends had been Laix and Palmer, fellow soldiers in Fallien during Izvilvin's early days there. They were long dead, though Laix's legacy carried on every time the drow drew that icy blade. The bond they'd had was strong, to be sure, but Izvilvin had several friendships that were on par; Khalxaen, the Jya herself, Ira Shinkara, Rheawien (for a time, at least), Witchblade, Christina Bredith... All women.

Why he gave Alydia the benefit of the doubt was a mystery, but Izvilvin imagined it was just this type of approach which made a woman assassin such a good idea.

He heard the man's excited breath before he saw him, a figure visible in the darkness by the heat given off his body, giving him a faint red glow. Aubrey stepped out of the blackness and gave off an aura, an innate smell or feeling or reflex, which had Izvilvin struggling not to show any response.

Izvilvin seemed to melt into the shadows, then, to disappear among the darkness into a place where he could watch without being watched. Aubrey had no idea that Alydia was not alone.

Watching but making no move, Izvilvin witnessed the conversation unfold. It seemed, indeed, that Alydia had been telling the truth. Part of him wanted to doubt it, and part of him did, but anything short of an incredibly elaborate and foolproof ploy could have been accomplished this way. Step would have had to predict his every move, and Izvilvin doubted such a thing possible.

Finally Aubrey was gone, leaving an intangible sense of dread in his wake. Izvilvin watched him walk, the comfortable confidence which surrounded him. "Uk nau mzild satiira l' maunech d' ukt elggen," he mused, mostly to himself but loud enough to be heard.

He was contemplative as Alydia once again led the way, but he stopped her when they reached the guest cabins. Pointing to indicate a change in direction, Izvilvin took the lead for a quick moment and unlocked his cabin door. Methodically, the drow retrieved his weapons and strapped them carefully all over his body, once again wrapping that gray cloak around himself.

Security was a much truer concern, suddenly.

"Lu'oh xun dos zhaun ussta kaas?" he asked suddenly, facing the detective. "Usstan zhahus natha izwin glenn whol natha draeval, drill Usstan'bal naut belbaunin ussta vaen kaas ulu jalkhel wun jal d' Fallien."

Much of Izvilvin's concern had shifted from Alydia to her quarry, but too many questions flooded his mind. Knowledge made the drow uneasy, for he knew how valuable it could be.

(("He no more feels the burden of his crimes."

"How do you know my name?" ... "I was a known soldier for a time, but I've not given my last name to anybody in all of Fallien."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Wisely, Izvilvin took Aubrey seriously, and Aly waited for him while he armed himself. She didn't think it was wise to encumber himself too much when lightness of foot might make all the difference between life and death, but what she knew of Izvilvin told her that in a fair fight, Aubrey stood as much of a chance against the assassin as she did against the serial killer.

But just because her body was still didn't mean her mind wasn't racing. What was the fastest route to Ettermire from the port? The main road, of course, but she'd be seen and maybe picked up before making it halfway there. It wouldn't do to have law enforcement on her tail until she reached Ettermire, because that was when she'd be able to give them Aubrey and make good her own escape.

Where was he most likely to follow her? Anywhere, of course. I'm his next kill. A train didn't seem such a good idea anymore, a coach or on foot would do better...or just horses. No...if she could get a fast horse, he could get a faster one. On foot would take easily a week, longer if she went through treacherous terrain that was as likely to kill her as her target was, but then again, he was used to harsh terrain, she was a more refined criminal.

I'm not going to make it out of the port, if I even make it off this ship with a suspicious trained killer on one side and a single-minded murderer on the other. I'm dead, I'm dead...don't panic! Stop panicking!

His voice interrupted her scattered thoughts like the blast of a gun shot into an unruly crowd of people, bringing her back to reality.

"Dos zhahen aluin ulu ol'elg Senger A'ni Vordutin," she answered, too flustered to bother with her sultry purr. "Usstan zhahus pholor nindel whol natha lotha draeval, vel'drav Usstan zhahus sel ulu l' fashka. Dosst kaas zhahus pholor ol."

She looked at Izvilvin from under the brim of her hat. "Lueth Usstan zexen'uma dro xuil mzild zhaunil taga byrren. Ol orn'la tlu waela ulu er'griff dryss'ho ol dal Fallien." She quirked an eyebrow. "Vel'uss ph' nindolen ogglinnar dos xuat zhaun? Xal Usstan xal."

(( "You tried to assassinate Lord General Vordutin. I was on that case for a little while, when I was new to the force. Your name was on the file."

"And I stay alive by having more information than others. It would be foolish to only gather it from Fallien. Who are these enemies you don't know? Perhaps I might."))

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin was taken aback by her knowledge and the fact that she'd worked the case herself. His attempt at Vordutin's life was the catalyst to his fleeing civilization, retreating to the mines of Kachuck. It had happened more than a hundred years ago, but the memories were still fresh in his mind. The fact that they'd kept the case open so long was frustrating to his current goals.

Drow memories were far too honed.

Her next question shut the thoughts out, however, for he supposed something that he hadn't given much thought before. If Alydia's recent confrontation was any indication, she was someone who might have access to the kind of information he needed. Then he remembered what Step was, how long they'd existed, how little help he'd found throughout his years of searching for a lead.

All the same, it spilled out of him. "Ol orn'la xun nau bwael ulu tesso dos. Nind veldri wun l' veldrin, elgg xuileb ul'trin, wael gordo thac'zilen. Usstan zhaun naut ka nind ph' mzil xor stath, er'griff nindel nind ph' equidai."

A breath escaped him, a steady rhythmic relaxation technique to still his nerves. The cabin was not large, but it held a small table with a candle lamp and some matches. He approached it.

"Usstan zhahus uss d' mina. Ussta quarthen zuch doerrus a char'riss lu' ulu hojh mina zhahus ulu el. Usstan hojjau uss."

He struck a match and produced something from under his shirt. Unfurling the note deftly with one hand, he held it out for Alydia to see while holding the match behind it, revealing the watermark in the upper-right corner. A circle within a circle, dancing in the match's light. After a mere moment, he shook the match out and put the note away.

"Nindol zhahus naut natha char'riss belbaun biu quarth, ol zhahus xxizz. Usstan orn alu ulu Ankhas lu' ragar xxizz gaer, xor el."

He shrugged as if it didn't matter, and truthfully, it didn't. It was the necessary step, as Izvilvin hadn't lived for some time.

(("It would do no good to tell you. They sneak in the shadows, kill silently, manipulate entire countries. I know not whether they are many or few, only that they are effective."

"I was one of them. My orders always came by note and to disobey them was to die. I disobeyed one."

"This was not a message giving an order, it was advice. I will go to Ankhas and find help there, or die."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Aly looked at the watermark and recognized it instantly. "Step. Usstan jal'yur zhaunau nind zhahen p'luin dos. Usstan ssiggrin ol zhahus b'vecko ulu kyorl dos wun Corone a jal. Alerar orn tlu naut 'zil sreenath whol dos. Whol natha lotha draeval. Hwuen dos ph' muth."

She sat down on the lumpy board they called a bed, crossing her legs at the ankle. Of course she knew of Step. The details were just a little fuzzy. Why there'd be enough good stuff at Ankhas for him to start making his own plans, she didn't know. Neither very large nor very small, it was dangerous enough that one of her helpmates had decided to do a little more research on it. If Bron Retla had any more information on Step...maybe he'd taken an interest in Izvilvin's plight, too. Bron was a shrewd man, he'd know the value of a powerful ally.

"Ol orn'la tlu rescho ulu ragar vel'bol dos ssrig'luin," she started slowly, letting her voice drift into a more hypothetical tone. "Usstan xal al tlu izil ulu plynn dos ditronw ulu ol, drill F'sarn stre Usstan xuat inbal lil draeval."

She flicked the short hairs that remained from her stolen lock of hair. He'd be able to connect the dots to Shynt's threat. Aly didn't normally like negotiating with people she didn't know well, but she didn't have many other options available to her at the moment.

(( "Step. I knew they were after you. I was surprised to see you in Corone at all. Alerar will be safer for you. For a little while. Until you're found."

"It would be easy to find what you need. I might well be able to take you right to it, but I'm afraid I don't have the time."

[Izvilvin]

There they were. The cards were right on the table, plain as day and easy to read. Just the fact that Alydia knew the name was enough for Izvilvin to attribute some amount of competence to her resources.

Izvilvin didn't fear any assassin who came for him, but the more time passed, the less chance he had of deflecting any attempt on his life. He would eventually be killed, he knew, if not by a mercenary then by a wizard, a magical beast, a trap... His instincts could save his life only so many times. This was his only chance to get any sort of lead besides a single word.

He weighed his words carefully.

"Dos ph' ditronw ulu treemma dosst nesst, Aubrey. Elghinn flohlun ukta saph natha sariya d' elg'cahl. Ka uk zhah alus, dos orn inbal draeval. Zhah ol llaar dosst ssinssrin whol ukta ulu alu ulu kul'gobsula wun Ettermire, xor xun dos daewl ukta elghinyrr?"

As if the saying of his name reminded Izvilvin of the danger at hand, he beckoned Alydia turn around as he gathered the blanket from his mattress. They left his cabin, locked the door, and he began to lead the way back up to the surface of the boat. It would be safer there, if cold.

"Dos xun naut ssrig'luin ulu plynn uns'aa jal'klar. Fridj jous uns'aa vel'klar ulu alu."

Noone else remained outside, and by the height of the moon Izvilvin could tell it was approaching midnight. They went to the back of the boat and he handed the blanket to Alydia, not needing it for the time being.

(("You are right to fear your target, Aubrey. Death surrounds him like a cloud of poison. If he is gone, you will have time. Is it really your desire for him to go to prison in Ettermire, or do you wish him dead instead?"

"You do not need to take me anywhere. Just show me where to go."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Aly waved the blanket away, merely closing her coat to shield her against the chill of night. The deck was open, desolate, and abandoned, save for the scurrying rats and two fugitives. It made Aly uneasy; an attack could come from any direction in the open. Shynt was a killer, she'd seen twenty of his confirmed kills herself, read the files on ten more, and there were more than a hundred suspected Aubrey kills. He was Alerar's most successful modern serial killer, and now that he had confirmed her as his target, Aly didn't trust him to be able to keep his blade in its sheath for the duration of the voyage.

"Nind orn elgg ukta whol ukt ramak wun Ettermire," she murmured. "Usstan fridj ssrig'luin ulu inbau ukta gaer."

She walked to the railing, then sat down slowly so that she could see the rest of the deck, and any potential attackers coming. Not that running away would help indefinitely if trouble should come, but...at least she was doing something for her own well being.

What she was about to do next would either assure her his company - and potential protection - the entire way to Ettermire, or it would mean that he'd leave her on her own again and she'd have to play her trip very carefully with Aubrey no more than half a step behind her the whole way. Either way, the gamble was all but certain to put Izvilvin at ease enough that she wouldn't need to worry about him coming after her out of paranoia, which would take a little off her mind.

"Wun l' shuk k'lar d' Ettermire, gaer zhah natha beldraein huthin ulu l' el'inssring l' Tonaik Ujool. Ol uriu a'leai klezn. Gaer zhah natha nesst nindel xunden l' k'lar, uk seren ol nzet. Ragar natha lotha lgor ulan l' rath lu' lor a ol. Vel'drav uk chu ulu dos, tesso ukta 'nindol zhah yugho.' Uk orn telanth 'bronretla.' Nindel zhah Bron Retla. Tesso ukta nindel l' phish linath olplynzhah dubo ulu ragar, lu' uk orn zhaun dos ph' dal uns'aa lu' xxizz dos."

(("They will kill him for his crimes in Ettermire. I just need to get him there."

"In the market section of Ettermire, there is a shop next to the tavern the Dirty Mug. It sells antiques and curiosities. There is a man that works the floor, keeping the place tidy. Find a little statue toward the back and look at it. When he approaches you, tell him 'this is nice.' He will reply 'wonderful.' That is Bron Retla. Tell him that the red song thief is hard to find, and he will know you are from me and help you."))

[Izvilvin]

Alydia's words went directly from Izvilvin's ears to his memory, held in place by the sheer need for him to remember the details. The drow didn't like the idea of returning to Ettermire, didn't like that he'd need to put himself in such a public place where many eyes could see him. Many Alerians lived in the city, though, and he wouldn't look out of place to anybody who did not know him. It was the eyes that would potentially give him away, but it was a risk he needed to take.

"Ka uk chu ghil, Usstan orn elgg ukta. Xo'al ulu v'dre."

Time passed slowly, the two drow sitting side-by-side but some distance apart, their backs to the side of the boat and nothing but the splash of the ocean to keep them company. Izvilvin would occasionally watch with passive interest as the moon moved over them, its progress so slow he could hardly observe it.

They didn't speak for some time, and neither of them slept. Izvilvin admired the woman's ability to be attentive, for he had spent many years learning to go without rest without suffering a penalty.

By the time the sky began to light up, Izvilvin had wrapped himself in the blanket, sitting erect at the stairs. His eyes were half-closed. Aubrey had made no move, was probably sleeping comfortably in his cabin below while the two drow above foolishly waited him out.

"L' sssiks orn ku'lam wund l' klew'kin." he said with a hoarse voice. It was the first thing he'd said for hours.

(("If he comes here, I will kill him. Try to rest."

"The sun will rise within the hour."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Try to rest, when Aubrey was after her and she had nowhere to run? What sort of joke was that? It didn't matter that the killer would be a dead man if he ventured above deck beneath the light of the stars, she sure as hell wasn't about to sleep during the hours Shynt made his kills. The hours of darkness.

The very real knowledge that she was a cornered rat in this situation kept her alert. Every brush of wind against her face made her gaze dart toward it, every creak of waterlogged boards and sigh of sails against rustling ropes caught her attention. She'd been chased overseas often enough, but never on the same boat as her target. And Shynt thought she was still a detective, which is what she got for not changing her wardrobe when she left the force.

"Lil sssiks silara sreen'aur," she told him, standing up for the first time in hours to stretch out cold, stiff muscles. "Aubrey zhah natha aterruce d'lil isto, uk uriu neitar elggen wun l' tangi ka uk xunus naut ssrig'luin ulu."

She knew that well. He was a creature of habit, of ritual. She had it burned into her brain what he did to his female victims and how he treated his male victims differently. She knew how he treated random individuals and how he dealt with families. She had read each victim's page a hundred times over the years she'd worked on the Aubrey case, she knew each of his movements and how he'd react.

She knew that if she only booked one method of transportation, or even two, she was likely to be found, because she knew that he knew her moves as well. They'd had so many close encounters over the years, she knew that he knew if she booked a train and a ferry, she'd take the ferry. If she booked a ferry and a horse, she'd take the horse. Never before had she booked a train and a horse...but he'd know she'd feel safer on the horse.

So I'll take the train. She'd have to plan more details later, she'd been up more than twenty four hours and wasn't used to doing without sleep. She was so tired her thoughts were getting hazy, and that was dangerous.

"Usstan ssinssrin ukta talinth Usstan tlun maglust," she told Izvilvin, "ji Usstan orn alu ulu ussta cuass'ili nin. Dorn inbal natha inth pholor lu'oh ulu inbau wund Ettermire a istolla."

(( "The sun brings safety. Aubrey is a creature of the night, he has never killed in the day if he did not need to."

"I want him to think I am alone, so I will go to my room now. I'll have a plan on how to get into Ettermire by nightfall."))

[Izvilvin]

The pair separated moments before the tip of the sun peered over the ocean's bed to the east. Izvilvin squinted toward the horizon, the sun burning him with morning light. He'd felt heavy for days, strained because his muscles hadn't relaxed for so long.

He skipped breakfast and rested instead, using a dagger to jam the door of his cabin shut. It was the only way to enter, and any sort of attempt to force the door open would wake him. It was a bittersweet rest for he took no pleasure in it, using the few hours he slept as a way to do maintenance on his battered body. He did not dream or think. All that was left was to wait, for the moment.

Lunch was a thin stew, the price one paid for traveling within a budget. Izvilvin ate it hungrily at the same location he took the evening's dinner, a table against the wall closest to the entrance.

Alydia was nowhere to be found at lunch. Izvilvin took pause initially, concerned and confused, but upon seeing Aubrey eating alone at the other end of the hall, assumed she was merely sleeping. Her presence at dinner confirmed that she was alright.

At both meals he kept his eyes out for Aubrey, and at dinner, Aubrey's eyes found Alydia and stared openly. Izvilvin was invested in the detective now, or at least felt he owed her some protection.

Several passengers made attempts to speak with the drow, but he would have none of it. He turned them aside by feigning confusion, pretending not to understand - even once when a human used a broken drow language to speak. The dining area was a lively and social atmosphere, but Izvilvin had no love for it.

Finally, as night began to fall once more, Izvilvin found himself outside at the back of the boat. The sky was clouded and hid most of the stars, and it was cooler than the night before. The frigid air against his skin was refreshing, made him feel lively and awake. He knew Alydia would find him again. This was the final night of the journey across the ocean, and the night Aubrey would make a move if he had one planned.

[Alydia Ettermire]

Alydia had taken breakfast and slept through lunch. Aubrey wasn't a breakfast sort of person, so she felt safer in the galley for that meal. Her sleep wasn't good; just because she knew that Aubrey's habits did not include daytime killings when she knew him didn't mean his methods couldn't evolve. She slept sitting up on the mattress, whip in hand. As far as weapons went, it was pretty pathetic and very non-lethal, but hit someone in the face with the thing and they'd back off and give her an instant to run. Every footfall past her cabin woke her, so she was still feeling tired when she got up at dinner time.

She found a different group to sit with that night, partly because if she was forced to exchange conversation, she could make herself look calm and collected, while she knew that if she ate on her own she'd be a jittery wreck. The other part was because sitting with a group of females would discourage the boy from the previous night's repast...what was his name? Bradley? Whatever...from making another pass at her.

When the sun had been swallowed by the horizon and the sleeping stars opened their eyes, Alydia came out on deck, pulling her map out of its case. She'd made a lot of modifications to the map since she'd bought it at the bazaar a few months before. She'd added details important to her, put in roads and rivers...and, in the case of Alerar and a little of Salvar, railways.

Izvilvin's heat signature was unmistakable, and she walked toward him, purposely abandoning stealth because she didn't want to have him turn on her in a moment of thinking she was Aubrey.

"Ghil's l' inth. Gaer zhah natha train station wun l' che'el udos alu ulu. Ji vel'bol udos xun zhah inbau natha zaphodiop, ori'gato ukta kyorl uns'aa alu pholor ol...lu' t'yin inbau pholor l' train."

(( "Here's the plan. There's a train station in the city we're going to. so what we do is get a horse, let him see me leave on it...and then get on the train."))

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin had to think for a moment just to remember what a train was. When he remembered, he nodded slowly. It wasn't a method of travel he was at all familiar with, obviously, and he didn't like the idea of not being able to escape it if needed.

For convenience and speed, however, travel of the sort was often necessary. Izvilvin reminded himself of this while peering out at the surrounding waters.

"Kluthak 'zil bwael natha inth 'zil jala. Udos orn aglust wun l' kre'tan lu' naut thalra phor 'sohna hwuen l' exao."

He took a look at the map, studied the makeshift railroad drawings and wondered to himself how accurate they were. Alydia seemed the meticulous type, so he trusted them. Ettermire was north of where they would land. Even looking at the map, Izvilvin's heart began to race. He had not seen drow civilization in many, many years.

"Udos gumash thalra wun l' lorulmen ghil, vel'klar udos orn sevir dosst zaphodiop," he said, pointing to a forest to the northwest of the port city. It was probably only a few hours' walk away. "Dos shlu'ta alu l' i'dol rath ulu l' ul'mubar k'lar, xuil uns'aa tluin dos a natha feir ulu morfeth zhaunus dos ph' naut tluin flohlu."

He watched her, waiting for her response. It was a plan that gave him the option of completely ditching her, he realized, but Alydia had the power to give him information he needed - Izvilvin knew that she knew it.

"Xor Usstan gumash elgg ukta maristo, lu' tai'luen udossa l' degahr."

(("Seems as good a plan as any. We'll separate in the morning and not meet up again until the train."

"We could meet in the woods here, where we'll abandon your horse. You can lead the way back to the train station, with me following you at a distance to make sure you are not being stalked."

"Or I could kill him tonight, and spare us the trouble."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Aly snorted, then grinned, trying to suppress a laugh without a lot of success. Izvilvin had the best of intentions here - unless he chose to abandon her, which wasn't anything like what she knew of the man and would leave him without what she knew or knew how to find out - but the offer was just too funny.

"Usstan tlun Alydia Ettermire," she boasted. "Usstan dro p'wal vel'drav Usstan z'haan, Usstan shlu'ta naut tlu atsus. L' uyl'udith olplyn z'klaen tlu l' uyl'udith ulu z'haan."

She rolled up the map. "Thalra uns'aa a l' train. Usstan orn inbau gaer a usstan. Aubrey z'klaen inbau ulu Ettermire." There was a grim note in her voice that caught at the determined tone. Whatever else happened, Alydia would get Shynt Aubrey to justice in the capital city.

She tucked the map case back into her voluminous coat, turning to lean on the rail. For a few moments, she looked over the empty expanse of wood and crates that was the deck. She had to tell Izvilvin why it was important that she lure Aubrey to Ettermire.

Szithuel drasven p'los nin...nau, szithael...udos nym'uerus d' elggen. Ilythiiri tluin elggen wun Ettermire zhah naut sel, drill ichl mzil d' mina zhahen elggor l' toha i'dol. A ust, udos ssiggrin gaer zhahen llar elgguren - uss whol l' nesstren, uss whol l' j'nesstren, lu' uss whol lil fumas. Drill p'luin natha stath elggen, udos gumash kyorl nindel gaer zhahen ichl mzil klezn l' toha. Ol zhahus uss nesst. Udos xunus tahh ukta, l' Karliik lu' Usstan. Ol zhahus udossta malar."

Unconsciously, she tugged at the lock of hair he'd shorn. That was part of his m.o. His trophy. The other was the pictogram carved behind the ear, easy to miss, which is why it had taken so long to identify it.

"Uk uriu elggen a mzulst huela nesstren, draszith j'nesstren, lu' szith dalharen. Fol d' mina zhahen naut tangis' zhuanth z'lonzic z'hin. Uk xal inbal elggen phor ulu draszith nesstren, rrauszith j'nesstren, lu' llaszith draa dalharen. Fridj dal p'los Usstan zet l' fashka. Uk rytho'len ulu el. Drill Usstan ssinssrin l' Karliik ulu kyorl ukta el lu' tesso l' lodias d' Ettermire nindel uk orn neitar jivviim mina 'sohna."

(("I am Alydia Ettermire. I live because when I run, I cannot be caught. The greatest thief must also be the greatest fugitive."

"Meet me at the train. I will get there by myself. Aubrey must get to Ettermire."

"Fifteen years before now...no, eighteen...we heard of kills. Drow being killed in Ettermire is not new, but too many of them were dying the same way. At first, we thought there were three killers - one for the men, one for the women, and one for the families. But after a few kills, we could see that there were too many things the same. It was one man. We did chase him, the Chief and I. It was our fight."

"He has killed at least five men, twenty women, and ten children. Some of them weren't even old enough to walk. He might have killed up to twenty men, sixty women, and thirty two children. Just from before I left the force. He deserves to die. But I want the Chief to watch him die and tell the people of Ettermire that he will never harm them again."))

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin listened carefully, his hair and cloak moving slightly in the night's breeze. The night chilled them both, but neither seemed especially bothered by it. If nothing else, the cold helped them stay awake and alert.

He started to nod as she continued, speaking of Aubrey's evil ways and the need to punish him publicly. It made sense to him, but it didn't appeal to Izvilvin's personal view on justice. Politics complicated things, would only succeed at making Aubrey's life longer. The killer would probably take extra joy in seeing the fuss he'd created, though that joy would not last for very long.

Izvilvin would have him die alone in the forest, left to bleed out and contemplate the choices he'd made in life. He himself was not innocent of murder - far, far from it - but many of them had been committed without an available alternative.

"T'yin Dorn thalra dos gaer. Rraun klew'kinen p'luin udos thac'zil, Usstan orn ragar ussta i'dol ulu l' ero. Usstan xun naut ssinssrin tlu doeb wun l' pahntar whol verve, ji Usstan orn kyorl whol dos tlu a l' ereua sorrn." He looked her up and down, examining the colorful coat. "Dos zhal'la naut tlu dubo ulu briz'esii dal l' byrren."

Izvilvin heard thunder in the distance, miles away and very feint even to his ears. He didn't believe that it would rain over them, but if it did they would have to find another place to spend the night.

If Aubrey was going to make a move on the ship, it was going to be tonight. Swords heavy at his sides, Izvilvin was ready.

(("Then I'll meet you there. Six hours after we land, I will find my way to the train. I do not want to be out in the open for long, so I will watch for you to be at the ticket booth" ... "You should not be hard to distinguish from the others."))

[Alydia Ettermire]

Aly let out a dry chuckle at Izvilvin's comment about how easy she'd be to see. She couldn't very well deny it; not many people went around dressed in bright red. "L' mzild lodias kyorl uns'aa, l' medose Usstan tlun ulu kyorl," she told him. So far it had worked.

The rest of the night passed wordlessly, each of them keeping watch for Aubrey, should he decide that he didn't want to have to deal with the slippery nature of the ex-detective he'd marked for immediate death. It was a tense night for Aly, although she was better able to feign nonchalance than the night before. She was prepared now, had a plan of escape and the ability to lure her prey all the way up to the noose. Now all that was left to do was not screw up.

When the sun started edging its way up over the horizon, a slight sense of relief coursed through Alydia's cold body. With the sun came the knowledge, however dated, that her hunter had gone into dormancy. She stretched out, preparing to go below deck, and on a whim, leaned over to give Izvilvin a quick peck on the cheek.

"Kyorl dos gajak!"

With that, she disappeared below deck to wait and sleep. They'd be in Alerar before morning was over.


~*~*~

The boat docked with a gentle bump, and Alydia scanned the crowd briefly for Shynt Aubrey before disembarking as quickly as possible. She booked a ferry bound straight for Ettermire, slipped on...and then back off as fast as soon as it started moving. It wouldn't be hard to get a horse from here...and then it was as home free to Ettermire as she was used to.

She hoped.

(("The more people see me, the harder I am to see."

"See you later!"))

Continued in Homecoming (http://althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=18461).

[Taskmienster]

And Once More We Return


STORY (20/30)

~ Continuity ~ 7.5
I wasn’t quite sure what was going on at first, but as it progressed I picked it up quickly. I enjoyed the way it was explained throughout the story, not just you telling the reader who the characters were, but using clever little ways to show who they were and what they had done in the past.

~ Setting ~ 6.5
Aside from a few things here and there, the setting wasn’t every really used. I’m not one to even think about being picky about that, since I don’t believe that it’s necessary to ‘use’ the setting and judge it here. However, this was mostly dialogue and what felt like a very long prologue to a fantastic story. The setting was well described, though at times it was just somewhat blandly described as well.

~ Pacing ~ 6
The opening was VERY long, and the transitions in time felt like they were done really quickly. If you had taken a little bit more time to spread that out it would have flowed better. However, I understand the back and forth dialogue without bunnying each other is hard, and that nothing really exciting happens every minute in 5 hours of sitting around. So all in all, it was alright for what this thread was meant for, just slow and at times sudden compared to normal stories I read.


CHARACTER (20.5/30)

~ Dialogue ~ 8
WHOA dialogue! There was a lot, but it was well done. The authentic drow at times was hard to follow, since I had to scroll to the bottom and then back up to the top. But I can’t knock that at all, because I love that you both used the actual drow language.

~ Action~ 6
Not a lot of ‘action’, per se. It wasn’t bad, but it was somewhat slow.

~ Persona ~ 6.5
Personality wise, I got a little bit through the way you both wrote, but all in all it felt somewhat lacking. At times you were one way, and then suddenly you were different. It just felt a little out of place at times.

WRITING STYLE (22.5/30)

~ Technique ~ 7

~ Mechanics ~ 7.5

~ Clarity ~ 8


WILD CARD!!! 7



TOTAL

(70/100)


GAINS/REWARDS!

Where in the world gains: 1728 exp | 200 gold
Izvilvin gains: 3230 exp | 200 gold

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added