Fire and Rain

[Brian]

"I think we've been tossed a barrel of red slippers," he says, shaking his head.  "One of them's real, but you can't tell which one."  Lammermore straightens up, and looks at the guards for a moment, considering something and then says, "I'll have a tighter watch put on this place ... though I think the message was that if they wanted Mattias, they would have had him."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn grunts.  "Has anyone questioned Mattias?" he asks.

[Brian]

"It didn't work well last time," Lammermore says dourly.  "You can take another crack at if it you want."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn shrugs.  "Might as well," he says.  "Words are cheap."  He looks around.  "Could someone please open his cell?"

[Brian]

A few guards do as you ask, revealing the Wardmaster ... or Runic ... to be in the same state he was left in, though he does look up warily when the door opens.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn nods his thanks at the guard as he steps into the cell.  "Master Mattias," he greets the bound man.  "I'd ask how you were doing, but I think that might be a bit of a hollow courtesy."

[Brian]

"I've been better," he replies dryly.  "And before you ask, I didn't think to prepare a 'slaughter the guards and free the prisoners' rune."

[Bjorn]

"I didn't really think you had," Bjorn says, equally wryly.  "But I was wondering if you'd be willing to share anything you might have heard."

[Brian]

Mattias closes his eyes and sighs.  After a moment, when it seems he's shut off the outside world and is ignoring everything, he says, "The door opened.  I heard that.  There was laughter.  A woman's voice.  Then a surprised yell -- a shriek of pain, maybe.  That lasted for only seconds ... then there was silence."

His eyes open, and he looks at Bjorn warily.  "Then there was the sound of doors being unlocked, and a pause, during which I assume there was a conversation I couldn't pick out ... and then the sounds of footsteps running away."  There is another pause there.  "And then the guards came."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn frowns.  "You could hear the footsteps, but not the conversation?"

[Brian]

"I am aware of the reverberations through the floor," he says, starting to half-shrug before his restraints keep him from doing so.  "I may not feel pain, but that does not make me unaware."

[Bjorn]

"Did you recognize the woman's voice, by any chance?"

[Brian]

"No," he says, shaking his head slightly.  "I've not heard her voice before."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn nods at that.  "Thank you, Master Mattias," he says, gravely.  "Is there anything I could do for you?  Within reason, of course."

[Brian]

"Unless you've found a way to free me," he says, shaking his head again.