The inn wasn’t one of the finest places in Silvermoon, but it was the one to which she had been directed.
“Is this the place?” Koudo asked doubtfully, echoing Kezrin’s thoughts.
“Yeah… this is the place.”
‘Tat Awful Elf,’ as Gath’jin had dubbed Trenetir and Kezrin gleefully followed suit, had finally reappeared. It was quite frustrating. He had made quite the fuss at the Salon about having Kezrin stop by his offices the very next day to pick up his letter.
She had gone. He was not there.
At first, she thought it was some sort of petty payback for the AAMS having lost his original letter to Auctioneer Chilton. Then he was not there the next day. Finally someone was able to say he was back in the city and gave her directions to the inn.
The room wasn’t well lit, though it was moderately busy. Trenetir sat at one of the side tables, a glass of wine in front of him, and almost unrecognizable. Dark circles lined his eyes, and he was far from his normal impeccable dress.
Kezrin echanged glances with Koudo and stepped up to greet him, keeping in mind her status as AAMS and his status as Tat Awful Elf.
“Ya look horrible.”
He glared at her. Koudo covered her mouth.
“Thank you for stating the obvious.”
“Glad ta help.”
“Have a seat, the pair of you.”
Kezrin helped herself to a chair, while Koudo declined. “So. I went to your office. So ya know. If your people haven’t told ya.”
He gripped his glass tightly. “Yes.”
“But if ya still have that letter to send, well, here I am. Happy?”
Trenetir pulled out a very wrinkled envelope with odd-looking stains on it. “This one’s not about to get thrown away like the last one, is it?”
“Wasn’t thrown away,” she corrected, looking askance at the envelope as she accepted it. While she wasn’t quite certain what the stains were, they certainly reminded her of dried blood on paper. She preferred not to think about how she knew what that looked like.
“Yes, of course, it was stolen, by bandits.” He rolled his eyes.
Beside her, Koudo opened her mouth, then snapped it shut defiantly.
“It’ll be delivered,” Kezrin assured.
“When? And by whom? I cannot afford for this to be blundered again.”
“Soon, and by us,” Kezrin answered quickly, hoping he wouldn’t remember the other detail he had been insisting upon at the Salon.
“Us?” No such luck. “No, that was not the arrangement Miss Kanzelry, or shall I add lying about terms to the situation? You must be the one to deliver it.”
“I’m part of ‘us’, ain’t I?”
“ ‘Us’ also implies others, who are not ‘You’, Miss Kanzelry.”
She could feel the tension from Koudo as the Shield Bearer restrained herself from commenting again.
“Not like I can jus’ stroll inta Stormind on my own!” Kezrin protested. “Last time Bralox tried that with them druids, the Watch wasn't so pleased.”
“That is not my problem, that is yours.” He seemed vaguely pleased by the difficulty. “Had your courier not been incompetent, we would not be in this situation.”
“I was not in-com-pe-tent,” Koudo said under her breath; not quite softly enough.
“My package failed to reach its destination. I beg to differ.”
Koudo scolded him, as though a child. “Well, your package will be delivered now.”
“No, at this rate I might as well of employed a rock to act as my courier.”
“We immediately told you of its fate. And are here now to rectify this,” Koudo defended.
“No, you can never truly rectify it, for the document itself is in who knows who's hands.”
The conversation was growing too heated; Kezrin tried to intervene. “Well, the common brigand ain't gonna care about some business letters and such.”
Kezrin wasn’t sure if the two had heard her at all as they continued their repartee.
Koudo’s face darkened. “And you sit here and ask for an extremely dangerous delivery. Why? What is your satisfaction?”
“I ask for guarantees and satisfaction,” Trenetir replied. “You yourself asked how you can rectify this situation. And I have told you.”
Koudo took a deep breath, looking to Kezrin. Kezrin, in turn, looked at the glass in Trenetir’s hand, vaguely wondering how many had come before it. “If there’s nothin’ else, we should be on our way,” she excused them.
“Yes, of course. I expect to hear from you sooner rather than later.”
Koudo muttered under her breath, “I doubt that.”
“The AAMS will let ya know,” Kezrin quickly said before Trenetir could react.
“Do not keep me waiting, Miss Kanzelry.”
