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Daxia
with the Gang, Elise and Samara in Captain Koromov's Room

"I know little of these guilds beyond that I have observed from the relative sanity of the Vale and the Allaine Court," Daxia said as she stood. Stepping closer to the merchant to stand beside Kadri, she regarded Samara intently. "You have more connections and... power?... than you let others believe. Would the members of these guilds be so quick to harass you if you made it know the ore has been sold, and the owner is Khorall Linnell Allaine? We both have ties to the Allaine Court, you and I, though they are of different threads. With these ties, I believe we can ensure the tale of the ore is a true one, although ore and crown cannot exchange hands before Snowgate Pass opens again in the spring. As for Rames and Hastur..."

She looked back at Elise for a moment, before turning once again to Samara. "Your apprentice was drugged and beaten by a man she did not know. Strangers passing through Cragside rescued her from this man, killing him in the process. After returning her to your care, the strangers left Cragside. Unfortunately, your employee..." Daxia glanced at Kadri. "...somehow got herself entangled in the web of these strangers, and fled with them when they left Cragside."

Daxia shrugged. "I have spent much time at the Court and have seen that there is no single Truth. Each person sees situations and the actions of others from their own perspectives, from their own experiences, from their own understanding of the world." She regarded each of her companions in turn, her last and longest gaze for the pair of Hunters. "These strangers who rescued your apprentice," she said to Samara, "did not kill an Imperial, they killed a kidnapper, bandit, torturer, potential murderer who turned out to be an Imperial. The distinction is subtle, and perhaps too subtle for even the agents of Rames and Hastur to grasp. However," she said, one corner of her mouth turning up in a wry half-grin, "I think your resident Priestess of Attera, Lady Alice, will latch onto the subtlety with vigor.

"I do apologize for the trouble we have caused you, both in the present and future," Daxia said with a touch of sadness. "I can only speak for myself in saying I am following the commands of my Lady Dayala and my Lord Kisa."

The Heartwood
Early Morning, the Town of Cragside
Rameday The First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Camelia, Celi, Cesare, Kadri, Daxia, Bekkah, Mikah and Darian and Longtooth

Daxia's question just gets a snort. A true and honest snort.

"You expect me and my apprentice to somehow sit upon this cargo until the snows melt, the passes open, and the Khorall Allaine can get an escort to carry it back?"

Darian

Darian rose from her seat. "Mayhap they only want the Hunter. If yea, the Pack goes."

She looked down to Longtooth as she took up her pack, bow, quiver and cloak then her gaze returned to the others. "Pack be false deer, lead false hunters away."

"Samara ask Shannon keep ore safe. Samara have Kadri take ore to Shannon, 'hire' others to guard."

"Only problem if Shannon treat with Grey Men."

Kadri:

"Can the Cargo...disappear while still being there? All three warehouse in a row are yours. If..it changes warehouses - without leaving the front door - and then the warehouse it was in is publicly rented out - might it relieve..pressure? Make them believe that somehow the ore has been taken? Allowing it then to...slowly make its way out entirely, in small amounts?"

SHew pauses.

"And, as Celi said..more or less. A false path, pointing the guilt where it should be directed in the first place. A red herring to point to the real catch?"

<Lia>

She looks over at the merchant prince and nods thoughtfully at her snort and response. In courteous yet curious tone she asks, "What ideas do you have for disposing of the cargo, ma'am? It sounds like the others here have some ideas for lightening the heat on this."

Daxia
with the Gang, Elise and Samara in Captain Koromov's Room

Daxia looked at Darian and Longtooth, regarding them as Kadri spoke, as Lia spoke, finally shaking her head before turning back to Samara. "Mikal's idea of moving the ore," she said, nodding towards the Jvrillian, "added to Kadri's idea of renting out the middle warehouse will very likely give the illusion that the ore is gone. Celi's idea of creating a false trail to follow for those who seek us is not something we," she said, indicating her companions, "could implement. Even with Kadri's knowledge, we do not know enough about either guild to succeed. To whom should a false trail lead? Who can be bought to spread such a tale? Yes, to aid in laying down such a false trail, I would ask my friend to give up an arrow or two to leave near a likely suspect, whether it be thief or merchant. And as Celi pointed out, this path is meant only to slow those who search for us, not stop them. But aside from our lack of knowledge to implement a plan shifting guilt to another party, I do have some misgivings about attempting to deceive Rames and Hastur." She shrugged, smiling apologetically. "Perhaps it is simply that I fear Dayala would find it a dishonorable -- no matter how effective -- tactic.

"And really... where does the true guilt in the death of this Imperial lie except with the dead man himself? He might not be dead had he not kidnapped Elise."

She turned back to the Hunters.

"They want Hunter, yes," Daxia said, slipping back into the more comfortable Dawnview speech pattern. "But think we all Pack. One member Pack guilty, all member Pack guilty." She shrugged. "Dazi not trust Shannon. Think Shannon loyal to self first, Kierkegaard if convenient. Shannon want coin, no trouble from town. Dazi think Shannon lazy. Maybe Shannon trade with Montague, maybe not. Dazi not trust." She shook her head emphatically. "They think we all Pack. So Darian, Longtooth please stay with Pack? Darian, Longtooth stay with Dazi?"

The Heartwood
Early Morning, the Town of Cragside
Rameday The First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Camelia, Celi, Cesare, Kadri, Daxia, Bekkah, Mikah and Darian and Longtooth

"Give it to House Shannon?"

Kelleni shook her head,

"Within a day it'd be back in the Guild's hands with the instruction to get the best price for it. They are Nobles, they rule ... they do not bother themselves with the whos and whatfors or wheres, just that it is done effectively and for the greatest amount of taxes. Same from Lilia's Castle to Talesan's Village.

"And as for Imperials and the true guilt, very rarely do they walk hand in hand. I would recommend getting as much distance between here and Trundle; they may not care for the truth of things, but they rarely forget a wrong done to them.

"A trait shared with my cousin and niece."

She then closed her eyes,

"However, for the rest? move the steel into the adjacent warehouse? If done in the shadows, in the cover of darkness, that just might work. When one cannot see what is actually going on, the improbable - that the goods were snuck out of the tow - becomes more believable.

"The question then is staying out of everybody's way, attention and searching between now and sunset ...

"Where those looking for you won't find you; with a way to leave the town immediately after ... and the hope that the Shannons themselves stay in their keep until tomorrow.

"Especially if matters are kept simple. Simple always works better than complicated.

"Any thoughts on that?"

-Darian-

She had a hand in Longtooth's scruff, idly scratching. Her amber eye were somber, gaugingas she observed Dazi as the other woman spoke. After many long heartbeats, she nodded.

"We stay...for now. Would leave false arrows if could. Arrowheads special. Smith who make with She of Dead."

Cesare

He has little to add in this talk of commerce and political powerplay. The Rhoni have their own solution to these matters and it is a simple one. And it looks like the group are adopting that strategy anyway.

He watches as Celi outlines a plan and sees her initially get as much acknowledgement as his last suggestion had. He had a right to offer his opinion, others have a right to ignore it. That is often the way of things. He liked Celi's thinking though. She may be young but she has some smarts.

He is also concerned when Darian & Longtooth offer to lead others away, fairly sure that he would not likely have let her go alone but they have agreed to stay for now. It makes sense for the moment to stay together, safety in numbers when moving ahead of trouble, just in case that trouble is quicker.

Looks like he and Lia need to talk to the captain at the first opportunity.

<Lia>

She muses aloud, "People leaving through the gates in smaller groups might attract less attention. It would be possible to go closer in a larger one, perhaps. Start at a breakfast stall or some such and trickle away from that."

"I don't know the town well enough to suggest where would be best for staying out of the way, or if we even need to move to do that."

Daxia
with the Gang, Elise and Samara in Captain Koromov's Room

"Normal day, leave one by one good," Daxia said. "Today not normal day. Gate closed, locked. If Mikal friend open gate, he only do once.

"We go together."

Bekkah

She didn't add to the discussion. She knew that she could leave just about any time she wanted. She wanted to stay near Dazi, but if leaving separately and meeting up was the best way, then she'd do it.

<Lia>

She flushed and says nothing more.

Celi stayed focused on Mikal, though the hits kept rolling in, with Daxia soliciting input then shrugging it aside for her own ideas.

Until she saw how it went, Daxia could be right, so she refused to complain. Darian's argument against leaving arrows was specious, however. Unless she left someone samples matching the lethal bolts, they would point directly to Darian like a bonfire on an empty beach. That was the whole point. Even if they missed the dog hair.

She had eyes and a nose; she assumed the Mark or the Imperials would have trackers who could match Celi.

Mikal

"Hmm. Any chance we can get into the warehouse in ones and two during the day, with our gear? We can work quietly during the night to move the ore and then leave early in the morning from there heading straight to the gate. We leave wagons in the original warehouse loaded with other stuff again."

He looks at Dama Kelleni. "Or are we and the warehouse watched too closely for that?"

Kadri:

"If we wanted. We could hide in an empty warehouse until morning. However - unless I misremember, the closest warehouse you own - "

She nods her head in Samara's direction.

"Is roughly a three quarter mile walk from the gates. If you think that would be close enough to make our way from, an empty warehouse might not be a bad place to hide out for the night without imposing on those here - and without them knowing where to look for us."

She looks over at Samara.

"It looks like, at least for now, I'm going to end up leaving. . I have. . enjoyed working for you."

And then she bites her lip on saying more

Daxia
with the Gang, Elise and Samara in Captain Koromov's Room

She had been studying the merchant as the others spoke, but turned briefly towards Kadri when she tendered her resignation, lightly laying a hand on her shoulder for a handful of heartbeats before addressing Darian again. "Dazi give you arrowhead. Very ordinary. Hunter's arrow, ordinary arrowhead..." She grinned at Darian. "Much confusion. They run in circle chasing own tail until realize they tricked."

"How closely are we being watched?" she asked as she turned back to Samara. "This place, these Merchant Princes... it is all so unlike the Vale that I have no way to gauge their reactions. If they are truly unwilling to bear the scrutiny of House Shannon, and the Lords Rames and Hastur as well, then I would expect their surveillance to be lax. And if that is the case, would there even be a need to leave the Inn prior to a candlemark or so before dawn? Or are we expected to play some sort of game with them, disappearing from the Inn while their backs are turned... hiding elsewhere... fleeing before Lord Shannon arrives?

"It is not just the Nobles east of Lilia's Castle who are different, Dama," Daxia said, shaking her head. "It is not just the Nobles."

The Heartwood
Early Morning, the Town of Cragside
Rameday The First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Camelia, Celi, Cesare, Kadri, Daxia, Bekkah, Mikah and Darian and Longtooth

"I saw some of he Mercantile guild watching, and where they watch, so do their Khollish brothers.

"Interestingly ...

"The Mark seems to be watching everybody."

The merchant princess shrugged her shoulders then.

"But that's the rub, nyi? Not if they are watching, you know they are. Its what do you want them to see .... and when do they stop watching and begin doing."

Daxia
with the Gang, Elise and Samara in Captain Koromov's Room

"Da, that's the rub, indeed." She narrowed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. "Why are the Mark here? There is something I'm missing, because I see no patterns, no connections where... they fit. It is inordinately frustrating.

"But yes... what do we want them to see?" Daxia looked around the room at the others. "Are we going about our business as though we have no cares at all? Are we concerned -- or even intimidated -- by their scrutiny? Are we as frightened as a mouse when the cat enters the room? Are we settling in as though we do, indeed, intend to spend the winter in Cragside, or are we letting them see our plans to flee?" She looked to her Second, eyebrows raised, inviting his answers first.

But then she turned her attention back to the Samara, waiting for the answer to the question she had asked the merchant.

Cesare

"Doing nothing until the time to leave may be the best option. Let them thin us complacent and safe. The less warning they have about us leaving, the less prepared they will be."

He shrugs. Apart from talking to the Captain, he has no plans to do anything. And this inn is fairly near the gate.

<Lia>

She looks rather thoughtful as she looks between the speakers. Finally the young woman speaks after turning a hand, palm upward, "Patterns cannot always be seen if one is too close to the tapestry. It is only when a few steps back are taken that the picture begins to show."

"I was not bothered when I went to market this morn before eating, so watching was all they did in regards to me...at that time. I can be prepared to leave within minutes if it is necessary and see no reason not to agree with Cesare."

She pauses and adds with a lopsided smile, "Unless of course there is more not yet heard."

Mikal

"Well, Dama Kelleni may be in a better position to have her own people move the ore from one warehouse to the other unobserved. Especially if everyone is watching us, so that's fine. In which case, leaving from here is definitely quicker, and letting those watching see us going about a normal routine, sparring, eating, shopping, and so forth may put them at ease. We then leave in the middle of the night, as quietly as possible, and be well on our way down the road by the time Her Light crests the horizon."

Darian

Hunter gives a nod to Daxia's offer of arrowheads. It means she understands the value. Still, Darian rues having to have left the others behind.

"To leave when She sleeps, rest needed by all. Also need unseen way to leave inn, not through common room," she muses aloud.

"Or leave when She shines and many eyes see. Walk with Healer for all eyes."

Mikal

"Better chance to have my guard friend disobey his orders if it's middle of the night when no one is around then middle of the day while all are watching. Besides, he only works the late shift so he's not on duty during the day. We have to leave after midnight and before first light."

The Heartwood
Early Morning, the Town of Cragside
Rameday The First Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Camelia, Celi, Cesare, Kadri, Daxia, Bekkah, Mikah and Darian and Longtooth

"My people?"

Kelleni's laughter was light and quick.

"You are looking at My People. My people was Kadri until I traded her for Elisa.

"Neither of us who are any good at manhandling crates of steel. If i need wrk done, what do i do? I hire folks - who, being good members of the community, usually happen to be followers of Marrennen.

"Somehow I do not thing that would be a wise move."

She then leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms.

"As for the Mark, that is the question worth an Ironsilver coin or an Eastern Wheel. They have been extremely well behaved for their reputation; almost as if gloating, as if they somehow have something sussed out that we haven't figured out.

"And the were like this even before you came through the gates.

"The real question, I suspect, is why didn't they move until you were outside the city gates."

Letting that question fade, she nodded to Darian and Cesare.

"But you two have good thoughts. play on what you want them to think ... and in Her light, do things you want them to see ... when She sleeps, do the things you don't want them to see."