Khraven grinned slightly as they found the cavern where the heartshard had lied before and threw a suspicious gaze at his fellow dwarf, whom was a rather weird one he had to admit. Belnarr might have something to do with this trouble as apparently it was somehow connected to the dwarves. Khraven never harbored much trust for humans or his fellow dwarves for that matter, but he then turned to Phantom as he questioned them.

"How do ye expect us to hold an explanation for your problem? I wasn`t here when it might have been taken or seen anyone who might have, ye think I so much as gave a damn about anything else except for my excavation? And secondly I`d rather not, I wouldn`t like going back home or any other dwarven society for that matter. I left to get away from that."

Khraven said with clear annoyance in his voice as Phantom was making an assumption, which was not true.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Booted steps thudding lightly on the stone floor, Jais took looked at the sterling hand, fingers curled around nothing. His gaze shifted to the distraught Phantom, who looked a bit depressed. He looked at the hand again and concluded, "Apparently The Genius has lost his mittens. Tsk, tsk."

Meanwhile, Belnarr of not so nice temperament had his fists on his hips and was glaring at the Phantom in high dudgeon. For once in the short hour since he'd known Khraven, he actually found himself agreeing with him. "What makes ye think dwarves did this here, eh? It could'a' just as easily been bears or birds or..." - he threw out his arms - "Jais!"

"Hey, just because I blew up your chamber pot last month does not mean - "

"WHAT I'M TRYIN' T'SAY IS - it hadn't been crossin' yer mind that mayhap, just mayhap, them folks who blew up the darned mountainside could'a' been responsible for stealin' the... the thing, an' that dwarves had nothing t'do with it?" Belnarr was getting a crick in his neck from glaring up at the Phantom so much.

_________________

"Dwarves built this," said the Phantom very abruptly, obviously in no mood for patient explanations. "I don't think dwarves blew up the mountainside, but I do think they know where that blasted thing is going to be, and the Regent is going to acquire it over my dead body."

Without further explanation he stalked back towards the uneven hole in the wall, pausing only to indicate with a gesture for Eledhe to follow. She did so with an expressive glance backward at those personages remaining - the Phantom didn't get riled often, but when he did even the gnomes made themselves scarce.

"Right, shrewd guesses?" he demanded brusquely the moment they reentered. He knew the mercenary well enough to be aware that she likely had three or four hypotheses, likely one of which she would not be induced to share and one that would be discarded - but hopefully one or two more that he would be privileged enough to hear. It was what came of a good five years, on and off, of acquaintance. For good or ill.

_________________

After a brief glance in Jate's direction, Kjan left the young noble to his own devices, nearly jogging to catch up with the Phantom's long strides. "Hi," he said breathlessly, placing himself between the Phantom and Eledhe. "It's me. You know, second-in-command, best friend, sole confidant, and all that? Yeah. So, since I was somewhat preoccupied with babysitting our favorite noble brat, mind filling me in a bit?"

Jate stared at the blasted hole in the cavern, the empty pedestal, and the irate dwarf standing in the middle of the floor. He was so confused. What was this all about? Jate stepped toward the dwarf, stumbling over rocks.

"Scuse me, but what is it exactly that's missing? Why is the Phantom all upset?" Jate asked the dwarf. The way the dwarf glared, though, Jate wasn't sure he was going to get an answer.

_________________
going on a journey through my old claims

"We're going to see the dwarves," said the Phantom, who had now somewhat regained his customary air of wry confidence. "Because someone else knows the Heartshard was there, and unless I'm greatly mistaken the dwarves told them. Even I paid for that secret, they don't hand it out to anyone that takes their fancy."

Confidence or no, he was quite determined that nobody would acquire what he intended to get except, of course, him. "It's no coincidence that the very day I acquired knowledge of how to find it, someone blows up half a mountainside trying to do that very thing," he continued in an undertone. "Someone knows."

_________________

Master Belnarr flicked the noble a glance of similar nature to those he often flicked Jais. His temperament bumped up a few notches when he sighted Kjan, however. "That," he said by way of explanation, pointing at the empty space on the pedestal. He cleared his throat. "You know... that. That thing."

"What thing?" Jais said loudly.

Belnarr ignored him. "Some bloody misfits came an' blasted a hole in the mountainside. They took off with that, or at least says I. Laddie Grey here, he thinks the dwarves did it. The dwarves!" He went red in the face and barked out a laugh. No one laughed with him. Planting both hands on his hips, he continued with increased volume, "So what if the dwarves did it, eh? They did it for yer own good! And ye better explain to the rest of 'em what's goin' on, Wise Ol' Greybeard, or they'll be gettin' it outta ye sooner than ye think."

Sure enough, a crowd of anxious civilians from the Keep were gathering in the tunnel. Too frightened to step into the chamber, they nonetheless peered over each other's shoulders and muttered among themselves.

_________________

The Phantom broke off to survey in some consternation the gathering amount of concerned inmates of the Keep, but in another moment he was all calm reassurance. "Nothing to worry about," he said loudly, striding past Kjan and Eledhe to address the gathering populace in general. "We've had a bit of a narrow escape from discovery, but rest assured, Master Belnarr intends to have us safe and sound in short order."

"Discovery?" demanded three or four voices immediately, with decided undercurrents of alarm. Various utterances of, "It's that thrice-cursed usurper, 'e's found us!" could be heard.

"No, he has not," said the Phantom - almost shouted it - and had everyone's attention again in short order, the very picture of a confident leader. "I assure you we are quite safe. I have matters to attend to, unfortunately, that require immediate attention, and I would much appreciate it if you would leave these good dwarves to their work."

He shot an apologetic glance at Belnarr, caught Kjan's sleeve, and was gone with Eledhe trailing in a moment. The crowd did dwindle after some more worried murmurs, fortunately.

"Right," the Phantom began once they were out of earshot. "I - Kjan, you do know where the, what's his name, the noble is? - I don't know who that was that's blowing up my Keep, or why, but I'm assuming you have several possibilities, and I'd like to hear them." He indicated Eledhe. "Unfortunately not this very moment, but in the near future. Kjan, as soon as Belnarr can make that wall look somewhat like it did before, we're leaving - I don't intend to let whoever's after the Heartshard get ahead of us."

_________________

Jate still felt confused. Obviously, this thing-that-was-gone was something the Phantom wanted. Badly. Apparently, someone else wanted it too, and Jate gathered by the attitude of the dwarf that the other party was not the dwarves. The only other person Jate could imagine taking these pains to blow holes in a mountain would be the Regent.

Unfortunately, he was absolutely unable to do anything about it. The huge hole in the Keep was being repaired by grumbling dwarves and some enlisted men, and Jateyani was surrounded by a milling throng of the Phantom's civilian supporters. He couldn't leave. And the two people he did know in the entire place were nearly out of sight.

Pointless. His mind still tried to find ways of scrambling through holes in the not-yet-patched wall, but he knew the venture would be hopeless. His best bet was to wander the halls until he found some sort of opening. Squeezing his way through the crowd, Jate muttered apologies as he stepped on some toes, but eventually made his way back to the opening of the chamber. Now just a long, dark hall to walk through, a couple of turns, and he just might make it to where he regained consciousness a few hours ago. Sighing, Jate turned his footsteps down a left hand corridor.

_________________
going on a journey through my old claims

Kjan hurriedly picked his way through the throng of civilians, muttering oaths under his breath this whole way. Now where did that...Ah. Amid the swarm of faces, he spotted a vaguely familiar brown-haired head moving in an entirely different direction. Wonderful. Doing his best to keep his sights on their new friend, Kjan followed the young noble through the crowd and back to near the spot where they'd first entered. Smart, that one, if he was able to keep his bearings that well on his first time in the Keep. Kjan had lived there near of five years and still occasionally found himself turned around.

"Apologies; this tunnel is temporarily out of order," he announced pleasantly, falling into stride next to Jate, then putting an arm around the young noble's shoulders and turning around with him. Still guiding the young man by the shoulder, he added, "You really shouldn't wander off like that here. Never know what sort of danger you might encounter in these tunnels. Plus it makes it rather hard to talk to the Phantom if I'm constantly having to chase after you. So, for both our sakes, come with me."

"Get to work, Belnarr. Mend the bloody hole in the mountainside, Belnarr. The safety o' the Keep lies on yer shoulders, Belnarr. Bah!" Master Belnarr, architect-and-stonemason-in-one, more or less inadvertently dropped his hammer on a fellow dwarf's toe. Ignoring his peer's howl of outrage, he hefted a stone block from the pile, lined it up with the hole, and dropped it too. Someone else started howling. "Eh shaddup, you," he replied, then brightened when he spotted his morale boost. AKA anger vent. AKA Jais.

"Boy! Gerrover here!"

Belnarr's happy voice found Jais in the middle of scratching a bit of dirt off his right-hand index finger. He didn't even look up. "No, Master Boopnub, you may not borrow the fine bath oils I stole from ED1. It's a wasted effort, you see. However much your limited psychological capacity has convinced your consciousness to believe that your body odor still sees the light of redemption, I have seen past your walls of denial and angst and dry palms, and I know that no matter how many bath oils you use - "

Jais was not permitted to finish his sentence because the next thing he knew, he was running for dear life. "Excuse me, coming through!" he shouted, pushing through the civilians, many of whom thoughtfully took the time to make rude hand gestures behind his back. "Sorry, madam. Ouch, that was my foot. No, I don't want to marry you. Of course I think you're ugly. Apologies, sir, did I damage your self-esteem?"

And then he was out of the throng, hurtling full speed around the corner - bam. He'd collided with -

"CQS!" Jais exclaimed. Within the minute his attention was zoning out the very boring Kjan and had alighted on something much more interesting - a new friend! That noble The Genius had played pack mule for! His delight increased tenfold. He dipped into a bow. "My Royal Highness, Duke Jais, at your service."

_________________

Jate gave a start as a young man came flying around the corner and thudded into Kjan. With the latter's arm still around his shoulder, Jate swayed with the impact. Still in a bit of a daze from being apprehended by Kjan then nearly run over, Jate was astounded to see the man turn a leg and bow!

Mockery, Jate boiled inwardly. Of course, for I'm just the stupid brat who has to be watched every minute --and now bows? He had not spent much time around people like Jais, so he had no idea what was going through the other's head.

His anger starting to grow, Jate crossed his arms and pulled himself up straight. "And what, may I ask, do you mean barging into us like this?" His tone was cold.

Only then, he realized how much of a fool he must look, as he was essentially a prisoner of the other two. His chin lowered and his cheeks flushed.

_________________
going on a journey through my old claims

Jais was offended. Jais was very offended. Here he was, trying to make friends, and the noble just had to blow things up in his face! He, Duke Jais, had even bowed! What more could the demanding noble ask of him? "Excuse me if I'm a lonely soul in need of human company," he sniffed. "And now, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving now, as you obviously don't appreciate the luxury of my company."

He left. Took three steps off in the opposite direction, in fact. Three steps taking him right up to Kjan, where he hooked an arm around CQS's shoulders and patted him on the back. "You know... my birthday's next week. But no, don't tell me what you got me. I want it to be a surprise..."

-----

Five hours later, Master Belnarr, unappreciated-architect-and-stonemason-in-one, hammered on the Phantom's office door with the blunt end of his pickaxe. He waited for all of five seconds before, grumbling to himself, concluded that Laddie Grey was simply too arrogant to answer the door for the likes of a dwarf, even one who'd just saved the entire Keep from discovery and destruction and a number of other ruinous cataclysms...

"I fixed the darned hole!" he bellowed through the door. "Now are ye gonna lemme in an' thank me fer savin' yer bloody skins or not? Offer me some wine, mayhap? Even a nice pat on the back, thank ye very much!"

_________________

Ash, always supportive, stepped up behind Belnarr and gave him a hearty pat on the back. "It's very good work, I'm sure." He said cheerfully.

Having lost track of the Phantom and Jais, the young man had contented himself to assist the dwarf in his work. Actually, he had contented himself to stand back and watch, trying to stay out of the way of Belnarr and his grumblings. After the stonemason had finished, Ash had tagged along behind him, for a lack of anything else to do.

"Eledhe, no, I don't care - open the door, will you - " the Phantom could be heard saying in muffled tones, and the door jerked open very abruptly to reveal an Eledhe trying (not very hard) to conceal a scowl. If possible, the Phantom's quarters were even more disarrayed than usual. Parchment covered the floor by his desk like a recent snowfall, none of the documents remotely alike but for the messily scrawled Phantom Grey written on each.

"Ah, Belnarr!" he greeted enthusiastically with a glance over one shoulder. There was a pack sitting on the desk and half-stuffed with necessities. The Phantom was quite obviously leaving somewhere. "Just the dwarf I wanted. You'll be coming with me, of course?"

He shifted to drop the bag on a sofa nearly obscured by three or four rolls of carpet and an ornately gilded birdcage, going to obscure head and shoulders by reaching inside a dark wooden cabinet in the back of the room. "Eledhe, ask Kjan to pack anything he thinks he'll need, will you?"

Upon emerging he hesitated as if pondering. What to do with the noble...he was no Regent, to lock prisoners up like animals when they'd done him no injury except to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. To leave him here would be akin to inviting his escape, but to have him along...was that, perhaps, rather foolish? "And ask him what he thinks we should do with the noble," he added to Eledhe's retreating back. She seemed rather miffed about something and didn't nod, just brushed past Ash and Belnarr and stalked up the corridor like a panther rubbed the wrong way.

The Phantom seemed to be counting on his fingers. Himself, Kjan, Eledhe - those were essential members of whatever party left, and Silvryn, whose ancestry - as he happened to know - was linked somehow to the Heartshard. Who to add to those four? Oh, Belnarr, of course. Pity they only had one dwarf. He toyed with the idea of asking that reclusive one - Khraven - and resolved that if he happened to see the dwarf on his way out, he would. So that made seven. A good-sized party. He'd nearly decided on it when another foray into the nearest cedar chest made him remember Jais. In fact, he'd recalled the young man upon chancing to catch sight of a somewhat crushed jester's cap in the chest's bottom. Why it was there, he wasn't sure. The strangest things tended to end up in his quarters. For instance, he couldn't for the life of him remember why that birdcage was there. Should clean up here sometime, he thought vaguely, and promptly forgot the notion when he found the map he was looking for. Jais was convenient in a tight spot, no reason he shouldn't come. Though that did make ten, if Kjan felt that the noble should come and Khraven agreed to accompany them.

Having entirely forgotten Belnarr and Ash, he blinked in surprise to find them still at the door when he turned around to stuff the map in his pack. "Sorry, you say something?"

----------

Eledhe wrenched a torch from its sconce and stalked up the hall, scowl growing. This certainly made her job no less easier, especially with this new Falch'nus in the way. The Regent had decided he didn't trust her if he had sent that one along. Not to mention it was a horrible move tactically, which was the reason for her frustration with the Phantom. He was leaving his whole fortress behind - without even Kjan to watch it, however debatable his skills were - and leaving himself wide open if any of those scouts decided they'd rather rout the Keep than find the artifact. It only served to deepen her foul mood that she actually found herself worried about what would happen to the Phantom.

Her tap on Kjan's door sounded more like a pound. "Phantom wants you to pack and go see him!" she shouted, not bothering to wait for him to open the door.

_________________

Ash watched in confusion through the open door as the Phantom hurried around the room. Eventually the man turned around, seemingly surprised to see the pair standing in his doorway. "Sorry, did you say something?" he asked.

"Erm, well... I think Belnarr came to tell you of the bloody fine job he did on the cave-in there." Ash smiled cheerfully. It wouldn't hurt to get on the dwarf's good side. If he had one, that is. "Ah, beg your pardon, sir, but are you planning a trip?"