World of Warcraft®

The blood elf was stunned in to silence. She merely stood there, the stein in one hand, the other gripping the edge of the bar.

‘Secondly, the most efficient delivery method for rusin is directly to the blood. You require a thousand fold more rusin to cause the same result in a person when delivering it orally. This large amount leaves traces, as you can see.’ Fernand raised the glass to the elf’s eye level and swirled it about, to demonstrate the precipitate which had settled in the liquid. The rusin drifted about in the wine, like killer snow-flakes caught on a winter’s breeze.

‘W-why are you telling me all this?’ She stammered, as if caught in some dream-like trance.

Fernand paused for a brief moment. He supposed it was a fair question. ‘To be absolutely honest with you young lady, I am not entirely sure. Perhaps I cannot sit by idly and enable the improper use of chemistry. But that is neither here nor there. I should hope that if you’ve learnt anything from this encounter, it’s that when employing a toxin, at least know its mode of action, and the ideal method for delivery. Ideally one should also know of how to cure or neutralise the toxin they are using, as well. Trust me, accidents do occur, and in these situations such accidents can end very badly for those involved.’

The blood elf gave a mechanistic nod.

‘Now, I suggest you run along. I do hope you don’t feel too badly about our talk here; everyone has to start somewhere, and it can hardly be expected of you to be a professional overnight.’ Fernand gave the elf a tight, but somewhat comforting, smile. ‘That said, if I ever see you again, I shall tear you apart carbon atom by carbon atom, and scatter your remains over the gardens outside as fertilizer. Am I clear?’

The blood in the elf’s face drained away in a heartbeat, making her pale skin almost transparent. She shuddered. ‘Y-yes S-sir!’ She placed the stein upon the bar with a shaking hand, walked around the bar with as much dignity as she could muster, and walked quickly out of the Legerdemain Lounge. Fernand nodded to himself, pleased. She was clearly very young, and he wished her the best with whatever the world threw at her. Dismissing the elf from his mind entirely, he wandered back to his table, pleased to note that his roast caribou and creamy asparagus was waiting for him.

The woman's role was simply an agent keeping updated information on important members, though she did have to butt heads occasionally with the 'lawmen' as she called them. Upon hearing about this kidnapping, the SI:7 agent took it upon herself to learn more. She had been called by her current assignment's commander, Narnicka, to identify an object. With ease she could tell this device was a flash grenade, gnomish in design. By then Orwyn and a couple of officers came, probably called by Narnicka to retrieve this evidence he collected from the crime scene.

For some reason, Narnicka seemed dead set on it being a certain gnome to throw this flash grenade. She AND the officers seemed a bit confused by the sudden jump to conclusion. She even corrected him, stating just because it was 'gnomish' in design doesn't mean it was a gnome who made it. SHE was well versed in gnomish schematics and used them for most of her own creations, point in case. Either way, both the device and the vial Narnicka also took was handed over to the lawmen and after Narnicka's outburst on why this child was so important to the alliance the meeting was over.

Promised to protect her with the reward of cures by Mr. Argustus himself, eh? This made Gelyne curious and after parting ways with her 'commander', immediately made a bee-line for the agency to collect what reports she could on the suspects mentioned. After wallowing around in reports for several days like some book nerd, Gelyne decided to take it into her own hands to hunt Timeus down and speak with him herself well before the lawmen could.

Gelyne had a way of speaking, asking questions and watching behavioral patterns that made her understand during their talk that he did know more than he let on. Granted, Tim was a very tough cookie to crack. She wasn't sure until he made the mistake of closely admiring the reversed engineered flash bomb and suggesting she may of gotten a few things wrong in her guess work. It was still not solid enough for her to say right out he knew, but it was enough for her to dive deeper out of curiosity. All she had to do was wait. In order to get to Timeus she had spoken to a child, a Bethanie Devir, about the situation. First asking her if she knew anything about a missing child then asking if she could tell her where Timeus was as that mechanical arm of hers was his work and she was curious, as a fellow engineer. Now, children had this bad habit of NOT keeping secrets and sure enough Gelyne was called out to get asked what she knew of the kidnapping.

Who was with them but none other than Suni! At the mention of why she was there to speak with her friend, Jonathon Harmarth, she seemed interested to know as well. Though this could just be due to morally concerned for a missing child. Even still, Gelyne allowed her to follow as Mr. Harmarth led them to somewhere less public. Throughout the meeting, Gelyne noticed the abundance of squirrels around Suni's ship. Lifelike to the naked eye but something about them caused Gelyne to believe they were mechanical. On top of that was Suni's tell tale signs of knowing more than she let on. That is her looks she was giving Gelyne every time Gel passed on a knowing look to her at the mention of what Gelyne believes is Timeus' involvement.

Gelyne's conclusion that Suni knew more was another private meeting with Suni alone. Her answers, just how she worded them was enough to conclude on. Though this, in lawmens standards, wasn't actually evidence. It was to Gelyne, who spent her life collecting information for a living.

(( Continued below. ))

The next day Gelyne was called by Orwyn as a representative of SI:7 to compare notes. Though, he didn't exactly appreciate 'what if' stories. He wanted hard evidence. It was enough to make Gelyne roll her eyes as she walked out after the talk and warn Suni she's now being looked at as a suspect. Yes, they were suspects. Gelyne knew THEY were the ones who had the child but in no way were they the original kidnappers. They had the child to protect her, even if the lawmen think they can do a better job at it. Publicly finding her would only make the real kidnappers try again to kidnap her. But trying to get Orwyn to understand that was about as hard as trying to make a Mule do its job.

What the lawmen think is an agent keeping an eye out for evidence leading to Timeus and Suni's involvement or their where-abouts was really her actually doing the complete opposite. The Watch were the current enemies now and they seemed so dead set on taking the child's protectors away instead of finding the real kidnappers. If only they had some sort of evidence to steer them to the real culprits.

Argustus. He was brought up last night, actually. Gelyne had visited with a few Terrans and Timeus to keep them updated as they were so concerned for the child's well being. Though it was obvious the Terrans didn't know the child was actually safe, with Timeus. Which, before visiting with them, Gelyne finally got Tim to admit alone that he did.

After a bit of discussion they all wondered if the child's father even KNEW his daughter was missing. The agent raised her hand, saying she can speak Orcish or whatever language Argustus spoke and could ask him herself. Timeus didn't want her alone and said, she needed him. So, Gelyne, even after explaining she worked better alone, shrugged and accepted the help. A third, one of Terrans many sneaks, would also be present but Gelyne explained they were to stay hidden unless Argustus made a PHYSICAL move in harming her or Timeus. Verbal assaults Gelyne was good at wriggling her way out of.

The plan was set. Now, to find Mr. Argustus.

(( I typed that all in one sitting and didn't realize how harsh sounding it was, even if that's how Gelyne feels (NOT her player at all). So I tweaked it to the best of my ability to leave the harshness out. ^.^ Thought I'd let people know who may have already looked at it. ))

Moral dilemmas. Arlston was not used to such problems plaguing him. His life had always been clear cut. Get an order, complete the order, repeat. Simple. Elegant. Deep in the dark confines of the SI:7 First Finger quarters. Arlston pondered his situation.

Now, things were happening that Agent Cross had no precedent for. No experience to go off of. Miss Dahlmayar was in trouble. After extensive and intimate talks with her, Arlston had determined and heard from the woman herself that the kidnapped child was being guarded by Suni and Neece. A woman he held an unrequited love for, and a fellow Terran, breaking the law.

He should turn them in. All his morals, beliefs, his training, and common sense told him to tell Orwyn everything.

He didn't. Suni changed that, he could not turn them in. He would not. Going with Suni meant going against his Kingdom's law. His own code of conduct. It was tearing his conscience apart. He knew that once the child was safe, and so was Suni and every other person he cared for. He would go straight to Orwyn, and demand his punishment.

Punishment for obstruction of justice, and traitor to the Kingdom.

Sitting alone in the SI:7 file archive, leafing through tome after tome of personal dossiers and individual profiles. He knew that Agent Mathews had helped Suni, and that she as well was inhibiting the jurisdictional authorities, the Watch. He should have warned Agent Mathews, but something held him back.

His helmet beside him on a dusty table, next to countless pieces of parchment, Arlston could not recall the last time he had been at Aerie Peak. Headquarters of his current assigned mission. His "on assignment" status to the Terra, in order to relay information about the order secretly back to the Agency. His situation was...similar to his own, with her in the First Stormwind Regiment.

He didn't like Agent Mathews. Unprofessional. Emotional. Habitual eclectic traits and a lack of...duty. She knowingly associated with a criminal and traitor. Lyrax. That alone was condemnation. She was overly attached to the failure. She had been compromised, she overstepped her bounds in his eyes. He could understand her vices. He, however, could not forgive them.

Tailing her was child's play. Her movements and habits made his job, second nature already to him, all the easier. Following her movements he trailed her, watching and listening, a shadow and a whisper. Her conclusions were sound, logical, but Arlston knew there was something off about this entire ordeal. The pieces didn't fit together. Her plan to speak with Argustus could yield valuable information, or perhaps be a complete waste of time, and jeopardize all he had worked for. Then Lahkin suggested sending a Terran infiltrator along with Timeus. In his mind, Arlston's mind ground to a halt. Him? Follow a Fourth Finger? A compromised, unprofessional one at that? He would do it of ordered. He would not, enjoy it. He listened as the banter rambled on, barring the interruption that nearly ended in Turrick's demise had Arlston not recognized and ceased countering him.

His leaders and the others felt the Modas were worth investigating.

His own conclusion first drew him to the Modas il Toralar. They had the most to gain from the ordeal, a way to reclaim, and control Argustus. That was a warning flag to Arlston now. He saw it differently than when he first voiced his suspicions to Lahkin.

The fingers point to the Modas. Almost too perfectly. When things went this perfectly for an assassin, any one worth his credit looked for the trap. Certainly kidnapping a man's daughter gives the kidnappers a method of control. Modas would like Argustus back, but that itself was the problem.

What if the kidnappers wanted Argustus not because he was leaving the Modas, but because he was "once" Modas... The true kidnappers might want power over the Modas. Power that Argustus' knowledge could give them. A plan hidden within a facade of one.

Standing up from the small, dark confines of the assassin's den in the city, Arlston set his mind loose. Churning every logical solution and implementation in his head, observing the differences and probabilities. After buckling his helmet back in place, he headed to the Galleon. Perhaps seeing Suni would ease his mind.

Or send his mind and deeply hidden emotions teetering like she always did.

Orwyn and his two officers rendezvoused in the Hall of Explorers, just out of view of Timeus' workshop.

"Is he in there, Sergeant?" Orwyn asked.

Ethillian nodded. "Been there for a while now."

Orwyn nodded approvingly. "Good. I have some questions to ask him, and if we find anything that would justify arresting him immediately, it would be good to be able to go ahead and do it. Once we get inside, Sergeant, you search the downstairs. Officer Godwin: upstairs. Let's go."

Orwyn led Ethillian and Godwin to Timeus' door. After a quick scan of the exterior, he stepped up to the threshold and knocked repeatedly.

"Mr. Timeus...it's Lt. Commander Orwyn."

After a moment, a bleary-eyed Timeus opened the door. Orwyn greeted him. "Good evening Mr. Timeus. We have a warrant, authorized by the Council here, to search your home for evidence related to the kidnapping of Ms. Lilienne Benoit. We would appreciate your cooperation in this. We're specifically authorized to look for parts used to construct a certain kind of grenade, mechanical squirrels, paralytic agents, G.U.E.S.S. paraphernalia, or any item a reasonable observer could believe would lead to the whereabouts of the missing girl." Orwyn handed the warrant to Timeus.

Timeus looked it over, sighed and handed it back to Orwyn. "Very well, then. Come on in, officers."

Orwyn gestured for the other two officers to follow him inside. "All right officers, as we discussed." Godwin climbed the stairs to the second floor, while Ethillian began to check the various shelves and tables over which were scattered a wide variety of bits and pieces of mechanical devices. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, a mechanical squirrel darted out from underneath a table.

"So THAT'S where you've been hiding!" exclaimed Timeus.

Orwyn eyed the squirrel appraisingly. "We'll have to take your squirrel, sir."

"Pardon?"

"A mechanical squirrel was seen delivering a note with information about the location of the girl to the scene of the crime. Therefore, we'll need to take and examine your squirrel. It's listed in the warrant sir."

Timeus looked down at the squirrel, whose tail seems to have picked up it's metronomic pace. "I...don't think it likes that idea."

Orwyn frowned. "Well, it will have to get used to it."

Before the squirrel could get even more agitated, Ethillian pulled his own mechanical squirrel from his pack and placed it on the ground near Timeus', saying, "hey little guy how would you like a play mate?" Timeus' squirrel responded by looking at it, then waddling up to it and poking it on the nose. Ethillian's squirrel poked back.

"Sir!" Godwin called out from upstairs. "Up here there is a secret hatch underneath a rug! It's locked though."

Orwyn looked relived to be called away from the sensitive issue of squirrel diplomacy. "Mr. Timeus, would you come upstairs please? Sergeant, you're on squirrel duty."

They found Godwin upstairs, kneeling by a panel built into the floor. "Looks like a passcode doorway sir"

Orwyn nodded and turned to Timeus. "Please open it and step back, thank you sir."

Timeus leaned down and punched in a code. The panel lifted up, revealing another keypad, then another. By the fifth one, the hatch finally opened, revealing a small room Godwin jumped down to began a search. After a moment, he climbed out with a box and several letters, which he handed to Orwyn.

Orwyn quickly shuffled through the letter. "Hmm...old letters...nothing here. Let's try the box."

Orwyn flipped open the lid, revealing several documents, pictures, more strange mechanical devices, and a ring with an inscription. "So...diplomas...pictures of family members...I don't know what these mechanical parts are. Also, a ring with an inscription in Gnomish. I can't make it out." Orwyn handed the parts and the ring to Godwin. "Here, bag it as evidence. We'll figure out what it is in the lab later."

Leaving Godwin to put the rest of the items back in the hidden room, Orwyn and Timeus rejoined Ethillian downstairs. Ethillian had managed to coax the squirrels onto his shoulders, and was examining the mechanical parts he had found downstairs and subsequently laid out on the bed. "Looks like they could be those grenade parts we were looking for, sir," Ethilian commented as Orwyn entered the room.

Orwyn eyed the squirrels. "Uh...right. Bag it all and we'll take it with us. Now, Mr. Timeus, I have a few questions for you sir."

"Of course, Commander."

"Where were you on the night of the kidnapping, between 9pm and 2am?"

"Hmm...if I recall, I believe I was here that evening. Been doing some studying on gnomish origins. Well, trying to figure out specifics, rather."

"Can anyone vouch for your story, sir?"

"Perhaps someone in the Hall of Explorers. I visited the library to see if there were any recent additions or discoveries I wasn't aware of. I would say that was...until about 11 or so. After that, I came back here to go over my notes. Was at it until at least 1 am. I actually fell asleep in my seat. I can't tell you how many times that's happened."

Orwyn nodded and made a note to verify the story.

"What is G.U.E.S.S.?" Orwyn asked next.

Timeus frowned. "The fact that you know about it would suggest you already know the answer. It's not exactly a widely known organization, for obvious reasons."

"No, it is not. But *you* seem to know about it."

"I am, Commander, a scholar. I pride myself in learning lost or hidden secrets of the world. The fact that I am also a retired member of the Gnomish Defense Force doesn't hurt either. Taken together, I have encountered the organization in my time."

Orwyn appeared to take the statement at face value, and pushed on to ask Timeus what, if any he knew about the organization, its members, and its operations. Timeus admitted to knowing very few details, and Orwyn eventually dropped the matter, having been satisfied to simply learn that Timeus knew of the organization, and was incurious as to why questions about it had been raised as part of the kidnapping investigation.

Orwyn closed his notebook and put it away. "That will be all for now sir, thank you for your cooperation."

"Of course, Commander. Let me know when you're done with my things and I'll be happy to pick them up," Timeus replied.

Orwyn looked Timeus squarely in the goggles he was wearing. "It could be a while sir, to be honest. I *know* you had a hand in the girl's disappearance. We'll be seeing you again. Have a good evening, sir." Orwyn gestured for his officers to follow, leaving Timeus staring after them as they walked out the front door.

There was nothing he could do. Lahkin didn't like it when there was nothing he could do.

He paced around and around just off the shore in the lake behind the Quel'danil Lodge in the Hinterlands. The water was a necessity: after whatever fiery curse had been placed on him showed its head last night, he didn't want to leave its protection. The liquid somehow dampened the strange magical heat that burned inside him, making him do....things. Not for the last time, he cast a guilty look towards Erelyn. She seemed much better for the explanation last night and slept peacefully now, curled on the bank with her head resting on one arm. The sun was beginning to rise, but she didn't stir except a twitch now and then when he sloshed too loudly.

Lahkin waded further out, away from her hearing range, where he could splash about louder, as if in rebellion of his inability to do anything. He had to stay here. Not only because of the curse, but because there was nothing he could really do. Timeus and Gelyne had his orders (or was it "friendly recommendation"? As they weren't technically Terrans...), and the meeting with Argustus would soon be put in motion. Hopefully, their questions would be answered, with the shadow of doubt over Timeus and Suni lifted, and the true kidnappers of the little girl revealed.

But it also left him here in the meanwhile, with nothing to do except stand up to his ankles in the water, a fine target for any assassin, or even any passer-by who was looking for a good laugh. Once this was all over, of course, he'd then get to explain to the Watch just why his order and their allies were interfering in an official investigation...

Lahkin punched the water irritably, creating a clap that had him cringing back to make sure he hadn't woken up his wife. He wasn't looking forward to that, either!

The King's Prosecutor, Nostrae Wellington, gave Orwyn a polite smile as he was shown into her office. "Good evening, Commander. Please sit. So, you have requested a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Timeus in the Benoit kidnapping case."

Orwyn nodded. "He's our prime suspect currently, yes."

"Of course. Tell me about it, please Commander."

Orwyn leaned back in the chair and began his explanation. "Mr. Timeus had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit the crime." Orwyn started ticking off the points on his fingers. "Motive: Mr. Timeus was the leader of Pillar of Honor, whose headquarters was obliterated by Modas Il Toralar, leading them to be essentially defunct. The abducted child's father was, until recently, a very important member of the group. In addition, Mr. Timeus said during my questioning of him that he had a relationship with Mr. Argustus. Undoubtedly a hostile one, considering. Through the child, Mr. Timeus had an opportunity to exact some sort of revenge on Mr. Argustus. The undead man doesn't have a reputation for kindness when it comes to taking prisoners, so perhaps Mr. Timeus considers it an appropriate sort of payback. Furthermore, we are certain that Mr. Timeus knew she was Argustus' daughter. He may have known before visiting the Benoits, but he certainly learned it there, according to what the child's aunt told us of his visit."

Orwyn continued, "Means: At the crime scene, the kidnappers went straight to the child's window and entered through it. They didn't set foot in the rest of the house. That means they were absolutely sure which one of the three children in the house was Lilienne, and which was her room. That indicates prior knowledge. Mr. Timeus visited the house before the kidnapping, and saw her and the other children. The aunt couldn't remember if she pointed out which girl was Lilienne to him, but regardless he could have figured it out from his knowledge of Mr. Argustus and the visible differences in the age of the children. Mr. Timeus admitted during questioning he had a history with the man, as I said. While he was there, he had the opportunity to see which room was hers."

"Mr. Timeus also has the skill to create several of the mechanical devices that have figured in the case. One is a flash-bang type grenade set off during the kidnappers' flight from the city. Our investigation has shown that he has the knowledge to make such a grenade, and we found key parts to such a grenade in his workshop. The other device of interest is a mechanical squirrel used to deliver a message to the girl's guardians after the kidnapping. Mr. Timeus is a well-known builder of mechanical squirrels, and the one we removed from his workshop demonstrated an ability to deliver messages when we tested it."
"A check of Mr. Timeus' bank records shows he has a significant amount of gold in the Ironforge bank, and smaller amounts in Stormwind and Darnassus. He could easily have afforded to pay some goons to do the kidnapping's heavy lifting. Plus his accounts have shown a lot of activity in the past month. The withdrawals could easily have been combined to pay for that kind of work."

Orwyn moved on to the next point. "Opportunity: Mr. Timeus said he was home alone during the time period in which the kidnapping took place. He claimed a short visit to the library in the Hall of Explorers, but given the late hour, there were few other patrons. We found none who could verify that Mr. Timeus was there when he said he was. Given that Mr. Timeus is a mage who has the ability to travel via portals, he had ample time to reach the scene, even starting from Ironforge."

Nostrae considered Orwyn's points. "What is your overall theory of the case?"

Orwyn smiled grimly. "Mr. Timeus, driven by the motive I explained, hired three accomplices to assist in the kidnapping. The brawn, I'd say. An anonymous witness saw a gnome, an undead, a human, and a troll at the scene. We knew there was some undead suspect there, due to some lost flesh and hair at the scene. Those types have a tendency to lose small pieces all the time. Also, there had to be more than one suspect to be able to subdue the girl without her screaming. One person couldn't have held her still, covered her mouth, *and* administered the paralytic agent found at the scene to her. So if Timeus is the gnome, and the others are his lackeys, that all fits together."

Orwyn leaned forward as he grew more involved with the story. "So the suspects head away from the scene to make their escape. On the way, they run into someone unexpected. One of them tosses the grenade to disorient the person. We know it's the same group because at this time they dropped the vial that had contained the paralytic agent. Our lab confirmed it. Now, the person they ran into is probably one of the homeless since no one has come forward. We haven't found the person yet, and we may never, unfortunately. We did have a witness say she saw a couple shadows fleeing the scene. Not much to go on, but the running indicates something had gone wrong. You don't go running around at night if you're trying to keep a low profile."

"Despite everything, they all get out of the city. Not long afterwards, thanks to SI:7 Agent Matthews, Mr. Timeus learns we're interesting in talking with him." Orwyn paused long enough to roll his eyes. "He sends his mechanical squirrel to the Benoit house with the message about G.U.E.S.S. keeping the girl safe. Now maybe they are, and Mr. Timeus is associated with them, or they aren't and it's a lie. I'd guess that if they really are a secret service type group, you wouldn't want to make up them being involved in a crime, so my hunch is they are actually involved. Maybe they have a bone to pick with Modas too. Regardless, the point of the letter is to try to buy some time for Mr. Timeus to get whatever he wants out of Mr. Argustus. Make it look like the girl isn't in any danger. Now, we'll try to confirm some of this with Mr. Argustus, but of course he may not have received a message from Mr. Timeus yet, or may not want to talk with us about it. We'll see what he has to say, hopefully."

Orwyn looked Nostrae in the eye and gestured forcefully at her. "You may think it lacks a bit for a trial still, but it's solid for an arrest and some pressure on the ringleader could help us get the rest, and the girl. If he wanted her dead, it'd be done already and he wouldn't have fooled around trying to misdirect us. No, he wants something out of Mr. Argustus."

Nostrae nodded thoughtfully. "I agree Commander." With a decisive look on her face and tone to her voice, she said, "I'll take it up with the magistrate immediately. I believe it shan't be a problem. Neither will getting it approved by Ironforge's Council. A courier will deliver the warrant to you once all the details have been seen to."

"Thank you, Prosecutor. We'll rescue that girl. The Watch promised her aunt and uncle we'd bring her back safely, and I'll move heaven and earth to do so." With a determined look on his face, Orwyn nodded in farewell and took his leave.

Suni had never doubted Timeus and she wasn't about to start now. What began as a chance meeting a little over four years ago, on the bridge in Stormwind between the Mage Quarter and Trade District, had ended in a kindly engineer fixing a young girl's fishing rod. He didn't treat her like a seventeen year old girl then, or an inconvenience. He hadn't talked down to her as he repaired the pole, all the while explaining the mechanics of casting. Suni had listened, giving him her full attention, mostly because she sensed he would explain a great deal more – over time – and not just about fishing, to one who proved a willing student.

Thus, when Timeus had been reluctant two weeks ago to involve the authorities in Lilienne's attack and subsequent abduction, it gave Suni pause, but she never questioned his wisdom or his motivation. He was a smart man, a brilliant engineer, a friend, and a mentor. That he knew a great deal more about the situation than he'd admit, Suni had never called into doubt, but now his week-long silence worried her. She hadn't seen him. He didn't respond to her whispers. She was sure he was being cautious, but it frightened her – this feeling of being severed from his guidance, and especially left in the dark with all manner of monsters nipping at her heels. She'd stopped pressing him for details and had even scolded him for the squirrels lingering in her stateroom (“Honestly, Tim … seven? All clicking and whirring and clockwork in their … attention?!”). She couldn't be sure now, in his avoidance, if maybe she'd hurt his feelings …

And the enormity of the task he'd entrusted to her, however inadvertently it had been, pressed on her. She didn't have the insight right now to consider that perhaps he felt some amount of guilt, having unwittingly (or purposely) involved her; who wouldn't help a friend? Yet, this felt too much like juggling fire and fire was chaos. Suni felt too small, too ill-equipped to bring order to chaos.

She sat on a stump deep in a copse, silently fuming at the rest of the world. Above her, the boughs of giant trees bent in the breeze, rubbing their limbs together. To her it seemed that perhaps they conferred, and she wondered what subjects trees might discuss. She was bare from the waist up, her arms at rest, the right one bleeding from the graze of an arrow tip, and her hands were tucked into her lap. Both, her under-dress and the light robes she wore for traveling were rolled down to her hips. The heavier robe, the one meant for protection in combat, lay in a heap at her feet, on top of her hip satchel. Try as she might, Suni could not estimate how many holes she'd be repairing in those combat robes tonight.

A few feet away, Lilienne diligently worked three twilight jasmine buds into paste at Neece's behest, her small hands grinding pestle against mortar in slow, steady strokes. The sound of the action clipped a stony drumbeat, each click-slide dying without echo in the dense overgrowth of those giant trees.

To say Lilienne was an impressive child was to say the universe would fit in a thimble. Ludicrous. For Suni, she was fast becoming one of those people who defied the laws of nature – whose eyes gave one the impression of looking past the soul into the realms of the universe. Young. Ancient. Vast. People like Lilienne were essential to the balance of Azeroth. That someone, or many of them, could so readily threaten her irked Suni and blackened her mood all the more.

It didn't help that she hurt. A lot.

“I can't fight an enemy blind,” she bit out, erupting from her thoughts.

Behind her Neece smirked, taunting in a cool, dry tone. “Didn't you just tell me three days ago that you're not a soldier?”

Suni hissed and flung a hand up in protest – an action she deeply regretted before she even finished the gesture as it yanked her skin painfully against the sinew line Neece used to sew the wound shut. For several seconds her entire right side throbbed from shoulder to tailbone with renewed agony. She gave a small, pitiful bark of misery while Neece waited patiently for her to settle again. Suni inhaled deeply, another action she quickly regretted. Holding that partial breath, she closed her eyes, collected herself and nodded for Neece to continue. She grimaced silently as her friend picked up another stitch; Suni could feel it sliding through her flesh.

“You're lucky the troll missed your spine,” Neece commented, doing nothing to disguise the severity of her dismay.

“I'm lucky she was desperate enough to swing at me from behind a tree. Can you at least identify the tr--” she grunted as one of Neece's larger, much stronger hands manacled about her shoulder, effectively locking her into place to keep her from twisting about.

“Sinew is stronger than your flesh, girl. I suggest you sit still until I'm done.”

Suni grumbled an unhappy, indignant noise but offered no resistance. She fell silent again to nurse her bad mood and sat listening as Lilienne came to them from the campfire to ask and receive further instruction from Neece. The night elf paused from attending Suni and stepped forward to explain in detail for Lilienne how to pulp the twilight jasmine leaves into a liquid before adding the paste from the buds. Bright eyed, the girl listened raptly, absorbing the information as one of her hands played at a dingy blonde braid. Suni watched as she frayed the end of it into even further disarray. She also noted the girl's face was dotted with dirt and plant stains and wondered when either of them would have time to look presentable again. There was a fresh tear in the knee of the pants Suni had altered to fit her slight frame. Beyond that, Lilienne seemed none the worse for the scuffle – save for the series of scratches along her arms, likely from their having plunged head-long through the underbrush when they fled.

Lilienne turned and smiled at her then, the smile – at the surface – of an enthusiastic eight year old eager to help, but at its depth, it was unsettling. The child didn't just know, she was able to grasp that she was the reason for the attack, for the fight, and that she was the reason why they were being hunted. Further, the smile conveyed an acceptance of these things just as they were and a confidence in Suni she, herself, could not feel. Suni gave an involuntary shiver as Lilienne turned and went to finish her task. She glanced up then, noticing Neece frowning down at her, shaking her head.

“What?” Suni asked.

“I can't do anything about the bruising. Better put some pressure on this arm, too.“ Neece tapped her right arm just above where the arrow had grazed her.

Suni reached up to test the bruise along her jaw and then her arm, wincing both from the movement and the touching. “I think the orc knocked a couple of my teeth loose.”

“Where did that portal lead?”

“Not too sure, was too busy trying to breathe. If he was lucky? The outskirts of Dalaran, but it could easily have been Theramore or Stormwind.”

Neece picked up the needle to resume her work, pausing in thought. “Mouse, we can't do this alone. Perhaps it's time to ask Terra – or someone – for help.”

Suni blinked slowly then gave a small shake of her head. “I can't. Isn't it bad enough that I've already exposed you and maybe Agent Cross to the possibility of treason?”

Neece gave her a derisive snort, and she could hear the jangling from the series of earrings the night elf wore along the length of her left ear. “Mouse … do you really believe Terra is not equipped to manage the authorities? Your ghost is more focused on you than he is trying to track down any shred of information that might be useful to us--”

“I haven't asked him to, and stop calling him that!” Suni hissed defensively.

Neece forced her still again with one hand on her shoulder. She spoke in a caustic tone, though with every effort to be patient, but Suni could hear it wearing thin. “There are any number of instances throughout history where a soldier has defied the letter of the law for the spirit of the law when he felt it just --”

“Yes, why don't we debate how well that worked out for Arthas Menethil. I am not a soldier. There will be no mercy for me.” Suni refused to acknowledge the bright stab of pain as Neece tied off the sinew with a little more force than necessary; an indication that she, too, was losing more than just her patience. Tight-lipped, the night elf snipped the needle and excess thread away with a pair of small, sharp scissors.

“What the fel is wrong with you?!” She finally barked at Suni as she organized her supplies, pressing an astringent-laden cloth against the arrow-wound. “We can't keep up this pace. Cannot! Whether it's Modas or not, is irrelevant, Suni. They're organized and communicating. They're not just tracking us any more, they're getting ahead of us. Why are you so afraid to ask for help? Beyond the law, Suni, there are people who are more than willing to help you!”

“The LAW is using an eight year old girl as political fodder! You want me to trust that? Pehaps I should just march right over and ask Fernand Argustus for his help, because – you know – that makes just as much sense, Neece!”

Frustrated, the night elf threw up her hands. At first the gesture signified defeat, but then her eyes widened and she began waving them in absolute surrender. She stepped back from Suni, who'd risen on the stump, her eyes flashing at Neece as if they were flooded with molten rock. Now, in desperation, she pointed at Suni's left hand and cried out, “Suni … stop!”

Suni glanced down at her hand. “Fel ...” She bellowed at Lilienne to move away and did the only thing she knew to do, flinging the fireball into the campfire as soon as she saw the girl had cleared. In turn, the campfire erupted into a column of flames. As the flames shot up, the trees reared back, letting them through and into the sky.

Neece stared at the column of fire for several seconds. “Someday, Mouse … you will have to stop denying what you are. Get dressed. Get us to Dalaran. Now.” She pointed at the campfire, rushing forward to collect her saddle bags and bow. “That might as well be a signal brazier for all of Kalimdor to see.”

The crashing through the underbrush might have been Conk, or Arrow, or even Neece's winter saber, but Suni didn't wait to find out. Jamming her arms into her sleeves, they emerged, one clutching her wand, the other balancing her as she jumped from the stump. Landing made her light-headed, but she dipped to scoop up her torn robe, the satchel and, her own saddlebags. The portal she drew wavered, didn't look like at first as if it would take. When it did, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was confident her backlash spell would keep any member of the Horde from dashing through in pursuit, Alliance was a different story. And, any decent mage or warlock could trace what ley line she'd used.

Suni turned to call out for Lilienne, but Neece was already there, shoving them through the portal, grunting, “the purple parlor. If you don't hear from me within the hour, move.”

“Wait!” Suni tried to back-peddle, but there was pain and then heat – a lot of both – followed closely by a roiling sea of nausea. She fell through the portal into Runeweaver Square and promptly vomited. The wave of sickness lasted longer than the contents of her stomach, a meager lunch of rice cakes and and dried peaches; she continued retching for at least three minutes, maybe four. As far as Suni could tell, it was an eternity.

A small, cool hand touched her cheek and quickly withdrew. Then Lilienne slid a battered tin cup into Suni's view. “Here, Suni,” she said, quiet and matter-of-factly. “Neece said it would help you feel better. I saved it for you.”

“Titan's breath, Lili,” Suni swallowed the potion, dropped the cup, and then, collecting the girl, teleported into an alcove behind one of the primly trimmed evergreens. It didn't make for great cover, but at least they were out of the way. Suni sat upright, supporting her weight over the heels of her hands on the flag stone. She tilted her chin to peer at Lilienne, who momentarily swam in her view like a mirage. A fleeting thought struck Suni, and she wondered briefly about the validity of her obscuring spells – those she'd woven into Beth's clothes as she altered them to fit Lilienne. The casual passerby would see Lilienne if they looked at her, but the moment they looked away she'd rest in their memory as a plain, nondescript child with no identity whatsoever. In the case of well trained magus, or worse, an arch magus, here within the walls of Dalaran, such a deflection spell might not withstand close scrutiny.

Lilienne lifted Suni's hand in hers. “A cat,” she whispered.

Suni blinked and shook herself, asking, “a what?” The healing potion had worked its way to her stomach; she was feeling a little better, if not somewhat disoriented still. She gazed into Lilienne's green eyes.

“I want to be a cat, or maybe a turtle, Suni. Please?” She smiled and her chin dimpled. How could any one resist that dimple? Suni wondered. Somehow, her game made the odd connection in the back of Suni's mind.

“Alright,” Suni replied, searching around for her wand. Where was that thing, anyhow? Right. She opened her left hand and flicked it from the depths of her sleeve.

“The Purple Parlor, Suni. Remember Neece.” Lilienne whispered this in her ear.

Suni nodded as she wavered towards confusion again, thinking that shock and adrenaline made better pain relievers than any alchemist's potion. Her head cleared a little more and she focused, 'morphing Lilienne into a small white kitten. She picked up the kitten and tucked her gently into her hip satchel. With both hands on the planter of the potted tree, she pushed herself upright. She paused as the world around her tilted. There was fire eating her gut and she was still sweating, but at least these she'd grown accustomed to dismissing. She knelt, one hand steadying her on the planter, and picked up the rest of her things. Then, picking a direction, Suni stumbled, heading for the Violet Citadel.

It had taken all of the self control Fernand could muster to sit calmly at the AAMS courier's table, after reading Lieutenant Commander Orwyn's correspondence. Lilienne was missing. Fernand had felt this way once before, when he was lying in a growing pool of his own blood in Dalaran's theatre during the Scourge invasion. He felt distant, light-headed, drained and empty. He struggled to dismiss these emotions and focus on the problem in a logical manner; Raoul, Xanossa and Arrayah were all watching him carefully as if he might explode at any moment. The only people who knew of his ties to Lilienne were the Kirin Tor and the First Stormwind Regiment, and of course now the Watch. Fernand had put his trust and faith in both the Kirin Tor and Regiment, in the blind hope they could do what he could not - keep Lilienne safe. And now ... the worst possible scenario. He should have been doing more to prepare for this eventuality. There should be contingencies in place, strict guidelines to follow.

With a sharp shake of his head, Fernand came back to himself. Calmly, he thanked the couriers and gave a verbal confirmation to acquiesce to the Commander's instructions. He left the Legerdemain Lounge as quickly as he could. There was another emotion stirring deep within the typically indifferent, cold undead man. A molten pit of fury that threatened to overwhelm all reason. Those responsible for harming Lilienne would be found, but they would not spend a few years in the Stockade. Fernand would see to it that their last moments were spent in unimaginable agony.

(( I simultaneously cannot wait, and DREAD what Argustus will do when he realize what's actually happening with Lili right now :3 ))

Shoving both girls through the portal into Dalaran, Neece knelt and dropped one knee to the ground, pivoting into a classic archer's pose. Swift and precise, she nocked the arrow and drew it back as her bow rose in hand from the ground. She waited, steadying her breath, for the right moment to release the arrow into her target.

Except …

The orc didn't break into the clearing as she anticipated so much as he pitched forward into it, arms limp at his sides as he fell and skidded face first across the loam. As he ground to a stop just a few yards away, the night elf watched as a tall, darkly clad figure standing astride the orc's back yanked twin blades free of its kidneys. The hooded stranger paused as if to admire his handiwork, then swiveled his head to peer at Neece.

“Who the fel are you?” She heard herself ask. At her age, very little caught Neece by surprise, but she was certainly not expecting this.

He didn't bother to answer, simply flipped her a curt salute, his blade still in hand, and launched himself, cat-like, back into the trees. Neece lunged to her feet to follow him, but the sight of the dead gnome near the campfire brought her up short. Her ears flicked and she tilted her head. She heard nothing. She turned to the trees, contemplating chase for half a second longer before wheeling back around. She couldn't be sure who the impromptu ally might be, but she didn't have time to find out. She gave a single sharp whistle as she dashed towards the portal, halting again as it flickered, twisted, and collapsed on itself.

“Damn!” She gave another piercing whistle, this one different in tone and length, and launched herself astride the hippogryph as it crashed into the clearing with a shriek. She would not make Dalaran now in less than an hour. The plan had changed. Yanking her hearthstone from a pocket, Neece keyed the runed stone and spoke gravely, “Commander, I think it's time we have a talk.”

She reined the 'gryph towards the darkened campfire and peered down at the gnome. She lifted her gaze to peer through the trees, though they were dense enough that she knew it was pointless, even for her keen sight. The gnome was male, very much dead, but not from the charge of her boar, Conk, that had launched him across the clearing. No, he'd been stabbed to death, too. With a hiss to her mount that launched him straight up and into the sky, she reined him around and flew for Darnassus.

What Neece didn't know, or had failed to see as she rode hard to the north, was a single human survivor, a man most unfortunate in his luck. He was plainly dressed – a lackey or a hired thug – his shirt decorated with the colors of the House of Nobles and now staining with the color of his blood. He stood with his back to the bole of a tree – not exactly choking, but unable to speak. On either side of the tree, his hands had been pinned, from their backs through their palms, with his very own blades. The puncture wounds, again mirrored on both sides, just below his ribs, were not meant to kill him instantly, but rather bleed him slowly to death.

Vectus drew back his hood. He delighted in the fear and the savage defiance this evoked in his captive who bared his teeth and panted heavily, as if breathing harder might yet save his life. But, interrogation, under any circumstance, was an arduous task to bear, even on the healthiest of subjects. Vectus let him watch as he refreshed the Red Death toxin on his blades.

Then Vectus smiled, almost politely, and said, “Now then. Let us begin ...”

Derscha strolled up the street to the Stormwind City Watch offices, humming lightly to herself. Every once and a while, there came delivery through the AAMS offices that she preferred to handle personally, and today was one of those times.

It had taken a little while for her couriers to track down Argustus discretely, but they'd finally delivered to message, and the Forsaken had sent a reply. She regretted that she hadn't been able to meet with him herself.

She waved cheerfully to Sergeant Ethillian outside and inquired if Orwyn were nearby.

"Aye. He's inside." Ethillian lead the way.

"Excellent! Thank you very much." Derscha followed him inside to a room where several Watch members were assembled. Then she noticed the odd mechanical squirrel following him. "Is… that your squirrel?"

"No, it's not."

"Whose is it?"

"Oh, Miss Kettlebomb," Orwyn greeted, interrupting the possibility of a response. "How are you miss? Do you bring news from Mr. Argustus?"

She looked around the room at the assembled Watchmen, stealing one last look at the mechanical squirrel. "Yes, indeed."

"You can talk freely, miss. The officers are all familiar with the case to some extent."

"Ah! Well, nothing much. He sends back a confirmation."

"So he will meet. Good." Orwyne turned slightly to address his men. "Mr. Argustus is the father of the kidnapped Benoit child, officers. He's also a member of the Forsaken, unfortunately."

"Oh," said one of his officers.

"Yes, a bit of a complication. Manageable though. Hmm." He looked back at Derscha, who hadn't moved from her spot, listening in. "Did he say anything else?"

The gnome rolled her eyes dramatically. "No. Nothing else. Just 'please send a verbal confirmation'."

"Hmm. I can't say I'm too surprised. Still, I had hoped he might be a bit more helpful from the start. Thank you very much for your and your agency's assistance, Miss Kettlebomb."

Derscha smiled brightly. " 'Anytime,' Commander. Do let me know if there is anything else we can do to aid the investigation."

"Of course." Orwyn moved back to addressing his officers, discussing the details of the meeting with Argustus. Derscha lingered behind one of the officers at the edge of the group, tugging at the brim of her hat, until it was pulled down far enough to obscure her expression from anyone not at gnome-level. She very slowly walked to the door, not wanting to interrupt Orwyn's briefing further by reminding folks she was still there.

"Once the details are worked out, I'll put a call out for a few volunteers. Even though Mr. Argustus is a wanted criminal, I gave him my word that for now, our priority is the safety of his kidnapped daughter. We'll deal with him later…"

The gnomish courier paused just outside the door to adjust her hat back into its normal position, only to freeze in surprise at what she heard next.

"On another case-related note, we have a warrant to arrest Mr. Timeus on suspicion of being involved in the kidnapping. Once we can be sure he's at home, we'll go in and arrest him."

The temptation to stay and keep listening was great, but Thomas Godwin picked that moment to show up, so she quickly stuck her hatpin in place and moved on.

They were going to arrest Timeus! Derscha didn't consider the gnomish mage to be one of her friends- he was more of a professional acquaintance- but the idea of him being a kidnapper was mind boggling. She barely noticed the druid who was following her in the streets of the Cathedral district until the cat moved in front of her.

"Hello, Mr. Katamar," she greeted absently.

Katamar nodded his greetings to Derscha, lacking a hand to wave. "Evening Ma'm. Do you happen to know where Timeus may be? I need to tell him something urgently.... and quietly."

She raised her eyebrows at him. He was looking for Timeus, as well? She sought a quick excuse for her surprise. "I -am- in the business of finding people and delivering messages."

"I've only meet him a few times, but if he really did what the Watch says he did, I'll eat my own paws. I need to tell him that they're coming."

She "hmmed" to herself, wondering why Katamar was being easy with information. But then, if he'd been close enough to overhear Orwyn, he may have seen Derscha listening in, as well. However, she'd worked with Katamar on sensitive issues before.

"I may be able to contact him," she admitted, hedging against the fact that it was probably going to be very difficult, even with her resources. Particularly with an unknown time limit.

"If he needs somewhere to hide, tell him the maps are wrong. There's a sizable cliff between Winterspring and where it meets the sea, on the northern side."

"Interesting." She mentally filed that information. She suppressed a smile; the druid had just asked to her tell him about a hiding place, not specifically about the Watch and the warrant. She said seriously, "You can be sure I'll do my best to let him know."

"Thank you."

"Mr. Katamar… might I ask what interest, if any, you have in this case?"

Katamar lost the neutral look on his face, and gained one more akin to rage. "If he truly did kidnap a child for political reasons, then the Watch is right in all they decide to do. But I've meet him before, and like I said, I may not know him that well, but if that's really why the child is missing, I'll eat my own paws." He paused. "And if I have to go against the Watch to help an innocent.... so be it."

She slowly nodded at him. "I would be a little more careful about saying that so close to City Hall, however."

"Thank you for the advice. Oh, and before I wander off..... remind him that while the Watch may have some claim of jurisdiction over Winterspring.... The Moonglade is only a short flight away. They have no power there. I'll make sure that if they really do look for help outside their ranks, to try to keep them as far away from Timeus as I can."

"Good luck, then. And don't worry about anyone hearing about your help from me."

Katamar nodded his farewell to Derscha. "Have a nice evening."

Well! She giggled at the turn of events; she guessed this was yet another delivery best handled personally. She just wished she knew how much time she had.