Successful Mission

[Brian]

"Nah.  I knew they were around, though.  Radagast said so," he explains.  "You figured out who they were?"

[Bjorn]

"I had a good guess," Bjorn says, with an iron note in his still-quiet voice.  "I found out for sure when she guessed who I was, on the basis of your fucking stories.   What the hell have you been doing down here?"

[Brian]

"Jesus, don't go all fucking aggro," he says, somewhat reproachfully.  "I'm doing all I can -- you didn't get shafted and stuck as a fucking singer and musician, and even if you did, you knew how to fight beforehand.  So I'm keeping people from running around like chickens with their heads cut off, because that's all I can do."

[Bjorn]

"Then tell other stories," Bjorn grates.  "Recite Stephen King.  I don't care.  But if you knew Pax was here, why the hell did you decide to post a big 'Hello Here I Am' sign?"  He controls himself with an effort.  "Pax, it turns out, is on our side.  But I've got an assassin stalking me, and there's good odds it's because you managed to get us pegged as what we are.  Watch your back."

He goes to rise, and then checks himself.  "One more thing.  This," he waves his hand around the room, "is useless.  There are other people here who can tell stories and keep people's hopes up -- ones, in fact, that can do it without blowing their cover.  On the other hand, you have an excuse to be talking to a lot of people.  If you actually want to do something, find out who the Dreadmarch agents are."

He stands, then, preparing to leave.

[Brian]

"Yeah, sure," he says, climbing to his feet and eyeing you dourly.  "Since apparently even with everything you got, you can't handle your own job."  He storms off, leaving a small book at the table where he was sitting.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn starts to say something, and then shrugs.  Pax'll probably save his ass, too, worst come to worst.  And I got enough to worry about.

He reaches over, and picks up the book, flipping through the pages.  With my luck, he thinks sourly, he's been writing out bloody notes on the story he's been telling.

[Brian]

Actually, the book appears to be stories and songs.  There's a few handwritten notes in the margins, especially towards the end of the book -- then, there are doodles, and hand-drawn maps between shorter stories, and notes for music.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn frowns, and closes the book.  Maps?  That doesn't make much sense.  Need to look at it later -- not here, though.

With that thought in mind, Bjorn returns to his chambers, intent on studying the book rather more carefully once he gets back.

[Brian]

When you get to your room (the one added on to Mirallia's room), you study the notes and maps in greater detail.

The maps are hand-drawn maps that look to describe a large building, with smaller buildings inside it.  There are also lines to indicate routes -- one of them is labeled, 'morning guard'.  Another is 'path to altar in morning'.

The notes are observations on temple life, such as: 'Priestesses all gather for morning prayer -- cross "garden" to reach it.'  'Always a guard in kitchen -- lazy?  Hungry?  Paranoid?'  (The 'lazy' is heavily crossed out, but still readable.)  'Two parts green fungal mix, one part distilled spirits.'  Then: 'long sewing needle.  Hot metal will sink through snow?'

The others are difficult to understand, or maybe just random garbage: 'Two strings in harmony, and the third breaks.'  'If I cook, I don't like the taste so much.'  and 'Harvest will be poor this year.'

Flipping back through to the earliest map reveals a detailed (if not at all to scale) map of Storm-wall Keep.  The notes indicate a side-passage on the first floor, midway between the servants stairway, and the kitchen.  'Fletcher leaves money here when job is complete.'

[Bjorn]

Bjorn stares at the maps and the notes for a while, thinking quietly.  Then, keeping a finger in the book to mark the place of the first map, he goes over to Mirallia's room and raps on the door.

[Brian]

She only answers after a few minutes, and looks very sleepy when the door opens.  "Yes?" she asks, rubbing at one eye.

[Bjorn]

"I'm very sorry to wake you up," he says, quietly, "but could you take a look at this map, and tell me if it looks familiar to you?"  He holds out the book, open to the map of the place he doesn't recognize.

[Brian]

She squints at it for a few long minutes, and finally says, "That's the temple of Hammar.  Why?"

[Bjorn]

"Well."  Bjorn hums thoughtfully.  "This book belongs to Master Durant.  And between that map, and some of the notes, that his former self was the one who assassinated Megan."

[Brian]

Mirallia says nothing immediately, though her eyes harden, and she looks less sleepy.  After a minute or two, she softly says, "I see.  Your ... that ... the one who inhabits that body now is ... trustworthy?"