Masquerade

[Brian]

"Yeah, a bit," Durant grumbles.  "Along with robo-Bjorn, Phil seems to accept killing people a bit too casually for my tastes."

[Rezantis]

"Mm, I know what you mean . . . but then, I know it is bugging Bjorn some.  That's half of why he is acting like this, he ain't reacting well to it.  Wheeee.  At least nobody's quite Lindsey-level-callous yet."

[Brian]

"Oh, she came that way," Durant replies flippantly, falling silent as Nathan wends his way through the kitchen and out into the rear courtyard, where Ekim's forge sits.

[Rezantis]

Nathan walks up to Ekim's forge and looks around for the guards-expected-to-stop-him.

[Brian]

The guards are standing around the area and look at Nathan knowingly, making no move towards him or to take his sword.  Ekim is within his forge, working away on arrowheads, and glances up when Nathan enters, but does not stop working.

[Rezantis]

Nathan bows respectfully to Ekim.

"Friend Ekim, I wanted to thank you for the help you gave us when we had to fight Estin.  I'm . . . not sure how that would have gone without your assistance."

[Brian]

"I'm sure you would have prevailed," he says, setting his tools to one side of the forge (his shield), and turning his attention to Nathan.  "Your praise is kind ... but I would be a poor Younger Brother were I to ignore the troubles a corrupted Older Brother had caused.  Too long did I hide in my forge and ignore what was done."  He sighs, a deep, breathy exhalation with the slightest traces of smoke on his breath.  "But ... what is done ... is done."

[Rezantis]

Nathan blinks in surprise.  "Estin was . . . your brother?"

[Brian]

"Not mine," he snorts.  "No.  But one of ours none-the-less."

[Rezantis]

Nathan nods slowly.

"Well, it would have been somewhat remiss of me not to thank you before I got busy again - but I thought that yesterday, perhaps, you'd prefer to be left alone.  And . . . um . . . you know . . . I'm sure there was something else I was going to ask you, but I've completely forgotten it.  Figures.  Can't have been that important, I suppose."

Nathan scratches his head, looking more than slightly embarassed.

"I'd probably better get moving, and leave you to your labours."  He bows respectfully, "Good luck with your work, Friend Ekim."

[Brian]

Ekim looks vaguely bemused, and nods.  "Very well," he says.  "Take care of yourself, Friend Nathan."

[Rezantis]

"You too."

Nathan bows respectfully, and walks off.

Looking for somewhere he might be able to have a vaguely private conversation with Paul.  Possibly the library again.

[Brian]

As Nathan heads towards the library, Paul adds (during a stretch where there are no servants or guards around), "You know.  For what it's worth, you might want to have a word with Bjorn."

Before a reply can be given, however, Phil comes into sight, spotting Nathan and then beelining towards him.

[Dracos]

"Hey Nathan."  Dracos glanced briefly around to make sure there wasn't too many people around or at least, no one he noticed paying close attention to them.  "Found something interesting in the library I figured I'd mention before you got off if I could.  Your family sword is one of two.  There was a second one made at the same time.  There's also a book on your great ancestor that you should probably glance through when you get a chance.  Not that important there though."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

Nathan blinks.

"OK.  So . . . anything I need to know about this sword, or . . . ?"