Chapter Two
"By the gods Gerith, would you please just relax!" Kellis said for what seemed the thousandth time as she slumped back into the plushly upholstered chair, eyes rolling. "You won't lose a single copper from your coffers. I had the situation well in hand."
"I'm just supposed to ignore letters of ransom for my best spymaster!?" he fumed, his over six foot frame tall and imposing. "If word gets out that one of my best agents can be so easily kidnapped, there will be no end to it!"
"I highly doubt Drax will want anyone to find out about his bungled plan, and I highly doubt the Tampline High Council had anything to do with it, but I've already sent agents to make sure. Everything will be fine, Gerith," she said in her most calming tone, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice.
The ruling Lord of the biggest and most prominent city state of the north paced back and forth several more times, shooting her dark glares, but finally sighed and nodded. "I hope you're right. You better be right. Well, I have nothing else on the docket for today, but I'll be in touch. Dismissed." He waved his hand and Kellis happily jumped up out of the chair and departed his office chamber.
Outside the heavy oak door she meets her waiting sister, and the two of them begin to make their way out of the sprawling city council building. She looks over at Elixia and smirks. "Well, that was surprisingly painless. Only one explosion before I was able to calm him down. Maybe he's mellowing in his old age."
Her sister laughs at this and pulls a lock of dark black hair behind her ear, her white dress flowing as they make their way down the marbled hall. "If only! But Gerith always did have a soft spot for you, sister. I always thought he was sweet on you," she giggles.
"Oh don't be silly! He's married!"
"Like that ever stopped men before...."
"I... well, I suppose you have a point. But it doesn't matter, you couldn't pay me enough to jump into that vipers pit."
The pair laugh some more as they make their way out onto the crowded cobblestone street, the noon day sun bright and warm. Council Street is one of the main thoroughfares of the city, and it bustles with activity night and day. They stroll along silently for a while, going around a slow moving wagon pulled by a huge oxen, just flowing with the foot traffic, lost in their own thoughts.
"What troubles me more," Kellis says after a while, "is why Drax knew he could get so much for my ransom. As far as the world is supposed to know, I'm just a low level bureaucrat, not a Felucian spymaster. I'm not even an official member of the governing body, just an outside contractor. If that becomes common knowledge, my whole operation will be compromised. And for that matter, how did he know about you?"
Her sister shrugs a bit, not seeming particularly concerned. "Drax is a wizard of no small skill. He probably used some sort of scrying magic. I wouldn't worry too much, Kel, your secrets are probably still safe."
Kellis nods slowly but seems unconvinced. "Perhaps, but if that's the case then why are we being followed right now? Don't look!"
Elixia jerks her head back forward, a touch embarrassed. "We are? How can you tell? You are good at this..."
"It's my job. Lets split up and see just which of us he feels its more important to tail. Do you have someplace you can go that's relatively safe? The Dancing Lion isn't far from here, and Borsh always has several bruisers on hand to keep the peace."
"That's ok. I was going to meet a certain young lordling today anyway. Seems he's inherited the family estate and wants me over for tea and crumpets."
"Oh," Kellis replies flatly, making Elixia laugh again.
"Don't be jealous sister! It's just a harmless get together!"
"I'm not jealous! Just be safe, and meet me back at my place in the evening after you're done."
"I will." They quickly hug then part ways, the brunette turning to make her way up to the High Hill district, always a well guarded part of the city, while the redhead turns towards East Gate and the Commons. Her strolling seems very idle, as she stops to look at a few vendors wares along the way, even purchasing an apple for a snack, and is pleased to see that the tail is now following her, not her sister.
As she passes through the commons, offering a copper to a few of the beggars always pleading there, she notes her tail is having a harder time being inconspicuous, and is lagging further and further behind. When she reaches the city's massive East Gate, she nods and smiles to the guards there and follows the flow of traffic out of the city, and when she's sure she's lost in the crowd for a moment, she darts to the side, taking concealment behind the foot of one of the massive golems that guard the city walls. She looks up at the massive thing and shakes her head, still finding it hard to believe the thing will come alive if the city is attacked. Over fifty feet tall and built of solid marble, it's one of the more impressive things the Wizard's Coalition have built to protect the city, and there are more than thirty of them posted along the cities massive walls.
She shakes her head to clear her thoughts and focus on the task at hand. Sure enough, her tail comes darting out of the gates, looking for her frantically, before holding his head in frustration, turning and going back into the city. Now she'll show this fellow how to properly tail someone. Tying her hair up quickly, she dons her hood and follows the man, being sure to keep out of sight.
"Lets see who you report to, my inept little stalker," she mutters to herself as she darts from cover to cover, shadow to shadow, keeping him just in sight the entire time. He makes his way back through the city the same way they just came, until finally he looks around as if suspecting something, then goes into the city council building.
"Someone from inside the government? That's not good, that's not good at all..." she whispers to herself. She can't follow further; there would be no way of hiding her presence in the straight wide halls of that building, and she doesn't want to let on that her tail had been marked, so instead she turns and heads to her own modest home in the market district, pondering the situation along the way.
"Who would hire someone to follow me?" she wonders. Most of the bureaucrats there barely notice her coming and going. Perhaps someone is getting curious why she gets the occasional meeting with Lord Prongald? It's hardly unusual for him to meet with petitioners, asking for this or that. Well, she has her own agents she can employ. Whoever thinks they can out fox the fox is going to be in for a rude awakening.
She arrives home to her very modest looking two room house; while she's actually very, very wealthy, in her profession it's best not to show that. Best to appear humble and thus inconspicuous. She goes to her desk and pens out a note to one of her more talented diggers, then brings it to a street vendor on her payroll to have it delivered discreetly. She then returns inside and prepares a light meal; some fruit and cheese, as well as a slice of cold, salted meat.
"Should really hire a cook someday," she mutters as she washes it down with some wine, and settles in to wait for her sisters return.
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"Wake up sleepyhead!" Kellis wakes with a start, her hand instinctively darting to her hip and the slender dagger on it, before blinking the sleep from her eyes and smiling, seeing her sister standing over her.
"Oh, I must have fallen asleep. You're back, good, what time is it?" She looks out the window and it is pitch dark.
"Just past the tenth bell," she replies.
"That late? Must have been some very good tea," Kellis says dryly.
"Calin is a wonderful host," she says with a smile, "we had a long and very interesting conversation about the nature of the North: the conflicts between the city-states and what we might do about it."
"Ah. Talking politics; that never goes wrong," she replies with a smirk, making her sister giggle.
"Only if we disagree. We were pretty much on the same page."
"Well I'm glad you had a good time," Kellis says, then pauses. "Listen, I want to talk to you about something." She quickly goes over what she discovered after they parted ways that afternoon.
"If its coming from inside the state house, well, it could be trouble. I want to you stay here for the time being; I don't like the idea of you being in your apartment alone. I have people watching this place, and it's much safer. You were already snatched once, I don't want that to happen again."
"Kel," she responds slowly, choosing her words carefully, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm not sure if that would work out. There isn't much privacy here, what with one bedroom and a common room. What if I wanted to have, say, a gentleman caller? That could get awkward."
