Nakaida hesitated. She was leery to appear in any way anxious to escape this scene - but perhaps it was better for them to attempt to avoid suspicion. Holding her cloak about her she followed Orindil, pausing only to turn an affronted blue-eyed glare on one of the mercenaries, who whistled low as she passed. Something in her intense gaze made him drop his eyes, something not altogether normal.

"What happened there?" she demanded, low-voiced, to Orindil as they ascended the narrow staircase. "Did you see?"

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Aeryn was the last to leave, holding his dagger hilt secretly.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele was more than a little bit shaken by what had happened. Who had caused that to happen? She thought it unlikely that it was a harmless old mage who was bored and wanted to cause some mischief. Whoever it was wanted attention drawn to her, or more likely her and her sister. Someone there knew of who they were. Minions of Okandar? Whoever it was, Naidele was just eager to be in her room and away from the common room.

Naidele huddled close to Khienro for comfort as they began to walk up the staircase. "Something's wrong here," she confided to him although she suspected he had known that already, "That should not have happened." She left unsaid her fear of someone knowing her and Nakaida's identities. She was sure that that had already crossed everyone's minds.

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I'm back!

Aeryn was uncomfortable and he heard Naidele talking to Khienro. "We shouldn't stay here...we should leave..." He whispered.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Cursing himself for lowering his guard, Orindil shook his head. They reached the top of the staircase and proceeded down the hall, coming to a stop outside their separate rooms. Naidele and Nakaida shared one room, while Khienro, Aeryn, and Orindil shared the second room.

"We shouldn't stay here," he murmured in low tones. "Someone wants both of you dead. Get your rest while you can. We depart after midnight."

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Aeryn glanced at Orindil and said, "I will gaurd the girls room, outside the door." He offered.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Khienro nodded slowly as Naidele spoke.

"I know... I just can't figure out why. I thought Okandar was finished with..." He took her hand and moved over a little, getting closer to her, feeling quite protective of her, and more than a little concerned for her safety. When they split up into their separate rooms, Khienro glanced at Naidele and Nakaida. They were both in danger. And he didn't even know who was causing it. Sighing, he half patted, half slapped Aeryn on the shoulder.

"Good luck to you then. But as for later, I can relieve you if you like."

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Aeryn smiled half-way. "No, I'll be fine...I know these type...I used to live with people like them. I will know some tricks that I can use to get out of sticky situations." Aeryn sighed. "Thanks though."

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Wide awake and not intending to sleep, Nakaida cast a wary glance down the steep, uneven stairs before retreating to the cramped room. It was outfitted with two undoubtedly flea-ridden beds and a washstand likely to make them dirtier rather than cleaner, which she disregarded completely, striding instead to the narrow window. If need be they could make a quick escape through there, she thought doubtfully. Goddess, were they never to find respite anywhere?

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Naidele followed Nakaida into the less than comfortable room. Once inside, she looked about with disgust. On top of everything else, they were given rooms like this! Couldn't one thing go right for them? She guessed it was too much to ask for.

As Nakaida moved to the window, she sat down on one of the lumpy beds. She winced in pain and let out a small irritable growl when something in the mattress jabed her backside. Nothing was going right.

She folded her legs under her and leaned back against the wall, glancing warily at the door. Aeryn was guarding them, but... she still didn't think she would be sleeping that night. There were too many dangers for her to slumber comfortably.

She forced her eyes away from the door and looked to where Nakaida stood at the window. "It seems as if our work is not yet done, sister," she sighed, "Did you see anyone overly suspicious down there?"

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I'm back!

"Several," was Nakaida's only reply, her expression set as her gaze shifted about the bleak surrounding city. "You don't have to look far, here."

She dropped her chin onto her hand, elbow resting on the windowsill, and kept on determinedly pretending she didn't have a splitting headache. Lately she only way to avoid thinking, something that proved very painful especially when those thoughts strayed to a certain pair of silver eyes, had been to count something randomly - and so she did, gazing up at the distant stars as night wore on.

-----------

Nakaida had no idea how long it had been when she awoke with a jolt, remembering only that the last glittering star had been the three thousandth. The moon had shifted considerably, and she automatically scanned the ground below. Time to go, perhaps...

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As night cast its long mantle upon the fortified city of Northkeep, an imposing form in conspicuous silver armor strode with a confident swagger through the streets, towards the outer wall. Had the paladin possessed a notch less hubris - and perhaps his armor a notch less clanking - , he would have noticed a darker shadow among shadows slipped in and out between the austere dwellings and narrow side alleys. A rapier, half out of its sheath, gleamed under the wan moonlight.

As Orindil stalked stealthily through the city, trailing the proud paladin, he recounted in his mind the events that'd led up to his current position. Footsteps outside his window, accompanied by that telltale cacophony of silver armor. Jolting from his slumber, he'd gone to look. From the second floor he'd spotted the man exiting the inn. A lord of his obvious arrogance and status, walking the night alone? Sensing by instinct more than by rationality that something was amiss, he'd glanced back at the still asleep Khienro before slipping out the window in quiet pursuit.

His hand flew to his rapier when the sound of voices floated towards him around the next corner. He pressed himself against the wall and listened.

"...tell me?"

"Of course." The voice, though low and controlled, bore an unmistakable feminine timbre. "Did you not see the ones whom entered five minutes before you were tragically victimized? They are..." Her next words poured forth like honey, coated in a subtle magical enchantment. "Witches."

A pause. The enchantment had struck home, though the paladin still harbored doubts. "The men as well?"

"The men are their guardians," the unknown woman purred. "Slaves, bound in eternal servitude to these Goddess-condemned wretches." She skillfully layered her voice with yet another persuasive enchantment. "You want to free them, don’t you? Are you not a vigilante for all nobility?"

When he next spoke, he sounded slightly slurred. "I... I am..." Another longer pause. "How do I know to trust you? Perhaps you are the guilty."

A bell-like laugh, and, apprently impatient, she increased her spell by a threefold. "I? Guilty? How charming." Her words suddenly became overcast, assuming an almost threatening air. "Go now. Rally the good folk of Northkeep to your call. Perhaps you will still catch them."

At the paladin's acquiescence, an alarmed Orindil ducked into the shadows just as the man came back around the bend, bearing a blank but decidedly resolved expression - the effects of the woman's powerful enchantment.

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Aeryn had seen Orindil past, but he didn't interfer. He trusted Orindil to tell him the truth of what was happening that he didn't hear or see for himself. He ocntiuned to stand gaurd.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele had tried to stay awake, but in the end it was a losing battle. The weariness that she felt from their long journey to Northkeep and from all the events before that was too much for her. Despite the fact that she kept telling herself it would be best for her to stay awake. She fell into a fitful slumber troubled with nightmares.

She awoke with a start, having just had another nightmare, which now that she was awake she had forgotten the content of. She rubbed her eyes with a yawn and then looked around the room. Nakaida was still at the window, and Naidele was just about to ask her how long she had been asleep when she gave a jolt. So Nakaida had been asleep too.

Naidele stood up and walked to her sister's side at the window. The moon was decidedly distant from the position she had last seen it in. They had to have been asleep for a while.

"We had better get going," she said to Nakaida, "I'd like to be out of here before it gets crowded again. I don't want another... incident." She thought that maybe if they got away soon, they would escape attention that would certainly be preferable. She was afraid if something else so strange happened again their luck would run out. Well, if you could call what they had luck anyway.

Naidele gathered what few things she had and walked out the door, assuming Nakaida would follow when she had her things readied. She saw that Aeryn was still standing out in the hall in front of their room. She walked over to him. "Are the others still asleep?" she asked. She hated to ask them to leave if they were. She knew how tired everyone was, but she was afraid to linger too long in one place.

Now if only she knew why the Goddess had sent them here. Maybe if she and Nakaida could figure that out, their work would be done. But it seemed unlikely. They had thought their work would be over when they had defeated Okandar.

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I'm back!

Aeryn looked over at Naidele. "I believe so. Orindil is awake, though." He decided to change the subject. "Did you sleep well?"

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Khienro promptly stepped out of his room right then, with a streach and a yawn.

"Well, now everyone is awake."

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen