WOT Adv 167

--- The Wheel Turns ---
The door to Captain Hardrin's room opened, and Maeslyn joined the two men. Fiznak lowered his flute, he was leaning up against their baggage, sword strapped over his armor on his back. Maer stood nearby, like a viper ready to strike, fully armed and eyeing the crowd for any danger.

"Any word from Keb and Eliesanna yet?" Maeslyn asked them.

Fiznak shook his head and scanned the crowd, and glanced at Maer. Maer shook his head slightly.

Maeslyn sighed and paced back and forth. Even in the darkness, it was crowded on the docks and streets where the ships disgorged their cargo of strife-stricken refugees into the already over burdened city.

Then crowd parted and Keb approached, walking beside a large, well tanned man with dark black hair that went to his shoulders. The man walked with slightly slumped shoulders and was carrying... Eliesanna. She was... hurt.

"Light!" Fiznak jumped up, dropping his flute with a clatter to the stone cobbles and ran towards them, followed quickly by Maer. He ran to the large man holding her and looked at Eliesanna lying in his arms. Her face was pale and her breath came in ragged and shallow gulps. Blood came from a wound in her chest. The man holding her was large, not as large as Fiznak, but tall and with such a dark and hardened face, that he seemed to loom over everyone else. Fiznak's brown eyes looked into the man's dark eyes, into that foreboding face and found that it was not without faint traces of character and feeling on it however. Then he turned to face Keb. "What happened to her?" He asked urgently.

"We were set upon by some, men" Keb answered, and said the word, men, contemptuously, twisting her mouth. "But they found we weren't for the taking. We fought them. Eliesanna fought well, Fiznak. You would be proud."

"Light! How did it happen?" Fiznak asked with concern. He looked at the large man and felt a stab of jealously or maybe protectiveness at him holding Eliesanna so gently.

"Fiznak, there were nearly a dozen of them and the two of us," Keb replied. "What would you expect? But we left five of them crying for their mothers, bleeding on the cobbles." Her voice was hard as steel. "Vaid here arrived and offered to help," she nodded toward the man. "So I set him to work carrying Eliesanna. Since that's about all that men are good for."

Maer, standing slightly behind Fiznak, examined this newcomer. Vaid, he tried the name in his mind. The man looked dangerous. There was something about him... Some magnitude he couldn't quite explain. But the man was dangerous. That much Maer could sense. Maer held himself ready for anything, like a spring wound up too tight, ready to leap in any direction. His eyes, darted constantly into the crowd, as if more dangerous men would come from the alley ways and streets, then back to Vaid, to the city streets, and then back to Vaid. But he held his silence.

Suddenly Maeslyn broke through with a commanding voice. "Stand aside, Maer, Fiznak." Maeslyn brushed passed them hurriedly, dressed in her blue traveling dress, the blue cloak with green trim flowing after her. Her chestnut, shoulder length hair cascaded in waves about her shoulders.

"She is hurt," the Maeslyn said. "But she will live. Set her down, but hold her firmly, Vaid." She commanded. Then she placed a hand on Eliesanna's face and her eyes took on a far away look, and in a mild, half smile.

Eliesanna suddenly sat up straight heaving against his grasp, gasping for air. "Blood and ashes!" she cursed. "Maeslyn? What happened? Fiznak, is that you?" She craned her neck to look at all their faces.

Vaid's eyes went wide and he released Eliesanna in surprise, his eyes looking over Maeslyn carefully. Then he frowned slightly and stepped back, looking... uncomfortable or embarrassed maybe.

"Easy child," Maeslyn said, smiling down at Eliesanna. "You are better now. You will be tired for some hours but at least you aren't dying."

"Light, I'm alive." Eliesanna whispered.

"Yes, and you can thank Vaid here for carrying you all the way back here." Keb said.

"Vaid... who is? You?" she looked the newcomer in his face, her eyes showing confusion.

Vaid merely nodded.

"We can discuss all of this over a hot meal." Maeslyns said. "Keb, what did you find out about the Inn of the Golden Cup?"

"It is located on the Calpene Peninsula near the Hall of the Assembly of Lords," her face screwed up in memory for a moment, and then she pointed towards some large ornate buildings farther north. "That way. They cater to wealthy merchants, I hear."

"Very good," Maeslyn said. "Vaid, you come along too," she commanded. "And help bring those belongings, if you please" she pointed to the baggage on the dock. "I have a business proposition for you that we can discuss at the inn."

Then, without waiting for his answer, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Fiznak, Maer, and Vaid to pick up the baggage and follow after her through the winding streets of Tanchico.