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From: guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (guido roessling)
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Subject: STORY: Qelrik  part 21
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Date: 16 Mar 1994 14:12:56 -0500
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This story is a collaboration of seven people: one German, two Canadians 
and four Americans. Comments about particular characters should be 
forwarded to their character's "owners":

Finn Ambrose  -  Sheryl Ann Galchutt* - fi48@sol.acs.unt.edu
Gernodt       -  Guido Roessling      - guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de
Dahlarin      -  Brent Hughes         - bhughes@student.business.uwo.ca
Kyle          -  J.E. Mason           - jempci@borg.cis.rit.edu
Fox           -  Barbara French       - bcfrench@mailbox.syr.edu

Will appear in future chapters:

Gladrial      -  Jennifer Immel       - bhughes@julian.uwo.ca
Sir Percy     -  Bret Rudnick         - rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu

For missing chapters etc., send a mail to guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de
***************************************************************************


====================================================================
Fox is questioned
====================================================================

Fox almost felt she had to draw the line when Myrlight started singing.

It wasn't that Myrlight had a bad voice -- her voice was light,
pleasant and melodic. Fox could sing well herself, but only did it when
she was alone.

It was the song choice that made Fox set her teeth on edge. It was
full of light jokes and merriment and made Fox want to leap across the
table and yank all the strings out of that damned harp. She set down her
pliers, afraid her hands would tense too much and cause her to slip and
rip open her own flesh. However, she did owe Myrlight much, which meant a
great deal to Fox. She bore it as best as she could and sipped her tea,
which had gone cold with neglect.

She had been dreading the arrival of the city guard, but welcomed
the interruption heartily when they stood by the small table. The shorter 
of the two cleared his throat. Fox stood, and mercifully, to Fox's mind anyway,
Myrlight stopped singing.

"You are the woman who was assaulted last night?" the shorter of
the two guard asked.

Fox appraised them quickly. The smaller of the two wore a kind of
livery, with a short sword hanging from his left hip. He was wiry,
dark-haired with a dominating moustache, and Fox could tell by his
movements that he would be quick in a fight.

The second, however, wore no livery. Tall and broad, with bright
blond hair and even brighter eyes, his gaze bore down on her -- not with
malice, although Fox could not quite place what the intensity of his gaze
meant.

"I am Gervaise," the shorter of the two said. "This is Tsyon,
sergeant of the guard in Agraba. An old friend. I hope you don't mind if
he sits in on our discussion?"

"Not at all," Fox said with a tight smile. 'Just what I need. More
spectators.' She sat with some difficulty as the two guards pulled up
chairs in the otherwise-deserted inn.

"Your name?" Gervaise asked.

"Dameyra Elorran ni Alden nithGarran, Squire to the Grand Duke Lord Sir 
Selmarak, heir to the Imperial House of Tamorin," Fox replied. "You may 
address me as 'Dameyra'."

"Hey, wait a minute," Myrlight interrupted. "You told me your name
was Fox!"

Fox's eyes glared daggers at the kender. If Myrlight noticed she
was angered, she did not show it. "That is what my friends call me. My
nickname, if you will."

"Dameyra. A lovely name," the large man said.

"It's not her name, Tsyon. It's her title." Gervaise cocked his
head slightly. "Used by many of the Eastern empires. Sort of equivalent 
to a baroness. Well, Dameyra. Please tell me everything you can about what 
happened to you last night."

Fox sighed. "I don't remember much about it. It was dusk, he was
well cloaked and I was distracted."

"Please, Dameyra. Tell us what you can."

Fox paused, her eyes roaming unwillingly back to the man called
Tsyon. The intensity of his eyes on her was almost physical. She folded
her hands and slid them behind her head, and watched his eyes almost leap
from his head as she did so. She smiled to herself, knowing what he was
looking for. Her massive arms framed her face as she spoke.

"I am travelling north on private business. I stabled my horse at the 
town livery, because he threw a shoe on that sorry excuse for a road. I 
haven't  rested in a town in several days, and we came upon the town 
quite late. I stabled my horse, left my belongings at the livery while I 
walked over to the inn to see if there were rooms available. The smith 
told me he could let me stay in the stable if there was no room, so I 
thought I would leave my things until I found out for certain if I would 
be moving.

"It was cold, and I was walking with my arms folded. As I passed
the corner of one of the buildings near the inn, a man -- or a woman, I
can't say for certain which -- leaped out and pounded a knife in my side.
I fell, and before I coul rise again, he -- or she -- was gone. I saw
only that the person wore a gray hood, and the knife was big, with one 
edge serrated -- like teeth, almost."

She stopped, stretching her arms out to let her lats flare. She
was almost enjoying the unusual flirting. Beside her, Myrlight giggled.

"Is that it?" Gervaise asked dryly.

Fox shrugged slowly, tensing her shoulder muscles at the top of
the shrug. Tsyon had leaned forward on his elbows, obviously fascinated.
"Not much more to say. I came here, and this kender helped save my life."

"It was nothing, really --" Myrlight said with a blush.

"You heard nothing? The person said nothing?"

"No," Fox said.

Gervaise frowned. "That's not much to go on."

"I know. I didn't even think it necessary to involve you, since I
have so little to say."

"Describe where it happened. Perhaps we can get some other clues
there. We can't have travellers being stabbed for no apparent reason." 
His voice sounded doubtful.

Myrlight turned back to her harp, and began plucking a light tune.
Gervaise rose awkwardly, but Tsyon did not.

"Damerya," Tsyon said quietly, "are you engaged for supper?"

Fox almost wanted to laugh, but she smothered it beneath a smile.
"No. I don't plan to stay in this town long, but I think it best to stay a
day. My horse needs a new shoe, after all."

Tsyon smiled, bowed and left with Gervaise. Fox watched them go,
and turned back to repairing her mail.

"A date!" Myrlight laughed. "You've got a date tonight!"

"Oh, shush," Fox murmured, feeling her cheeks get hot.

"He was staring at you the entire time! And you were encouraging him!"

"The roads are lonely, my friend. One takes one's friends and comfort 
where one can."

Myrlight burst into merry laughter, but sobered after a moment or
two. "You did speak about the stabbing last night, you know."

Fox felt her face draining. "When?"

"When we were trying to get the poison antidote down your throat."
She looked up from her strings. "Who is Nocticula?"

Fox opened her mouth, and shut it. "You are too curious for your
own good, my friend," she said with surprising gentleness. "Believe me 
when I tell you that there are some things you are better off not knowing."

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Next Time:
Requests, anyone?
(This is the chapter name, not a question! :-))
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