"What d'ye mean, 'e's gone?" Styrmsthal near bellowed. "Told me t'meet 'im 'ere, 'e did!"
Once, Felijha would have cowered, but Styrm didn't intimidate her anymore. "As I told you, Mr. Tyrbsyn, Mr. Lalataru left word to place all outstanding business on hold and simply run Kodu Co.'s routine tasks and--"
"Lemme see th'note," he interrupted. Felijha shrugged and rolled her great Keeper eyes and handed him the note. It wouldn't give away any important company details and she knew the boss and Tyrbsyn were close. Styrm's eyes narrowed and darted over the scant lines of text. Gone for a short time, business as usual, etc.
"As I'm sure you're aware, Mr. Tyrbsyn, Mr. Lalataru does go off from time to time. This is nothing out of the ordinary. I've only delayed my tasks in order to inform you, as I know he was expecting to see you. Now, I will likely need to return to Thanalan, but if you do make contact with him, please leave word with a Kodu Co. retainer." She cast one last, long glance at the great roegadyn and quickly turned and scampered off. She did work so hard, but the man tugged at the edges of her composure.
For his part, Styrm barely registered the miqo'te's exit. He was examining the note. Why would Taru leave? He had learned from the Mizzenmast staff that he'd found Joz, but now both of them were missing. Did he take her into hiding? Why din't 'e tell me 'bout it, then? Besides, he'd never hide her away in La Noscea. He would've taken her back to Thanalan where his connections ran deeper.
Wait. Taru's symbol at the bottom of his note, something was off about it. No one ever played terribly close attention to Lolotaru's signature, which always included some needlessly complex geometric design. He said each one left a clearer impression than words, but they had only ever confounded Styrm. This one, however, a version of his ship-and-scales signature, was dark. It was deep. He'd pressed hard to write it. The angles were sharper, more acute where they were generally more open, parabolic impressions of space. He squinted at it a moment, and then he saw it. The scales which formed the mast were unbalanced. The arm which held a small gil was overburdened and the other side, where an open book normally sat, was empty and raised high.
Styrm remained lost, and he remained worried. If he couldn't find Joz, he'd find whoever else was looking for her. Maybe he'd find Taru along the way. Anyroad, the whole thing felt complicated, shadowy, the sort of thing Taru avoided, the sort of thing he never even talked about.
Styrmsthal needed to move.
Once, Felijha would have cowered, but Styrm didn't intimidate her anymore. "As I told you, Mr. Tyrbsyn, Mr. Lalataru left word to place all outstanding business on hold and simply run Kodu Co.'s routine tasks and--"
"Lemme see th'note," he interrupted. Felijha shrugged and rolled her great Keeper eyes and handed him the note. It wouldn't give away any important company details and she knew the boss and Tyrbsyn were close. Styrm's eyes narrowed and darted over the scant lines of text. Gone for a short time, business as usual, etc.
"As I'm sure you're aware, Mr. Tyrbsyn, Mr. Lalataru does go off from time to time. This is nothing out of the ordinary. I've only delayed my tasks in order to inform you, as I know he was expecting to see you. Now, I will likely need to return to Thanalan, but if you do make contact with him, please leave word with a Kodu Co. retainer." She cast one last, long glance at the great roegadyn and quickly turned and scampered off. She did work so hard, but the man tugged at the edges of her composure.
For his part, Styrm barely registered the miqo'te's exit. He was examining the note. Why would Taru leave? He had learned from the Mizzenmast staff that he'd found Joz, but now both of them were missing. Did he take her into hiding? Why din't 'e tell me 'bout it, then? Besides, he'd never hide her away in La Noscea. He would've taken her back to Thanalan where his connections ran deeper.
Wait. Taru's symbol at the bottom of his note, something was off about it. No one ever played terribly close attention to Lolotaru's signature, which always included some needlessly complex geometric design. He said each one left a clearer impression than words, but they had only ever confounded Styrm. This one, however, a version of his ship-and-scales signature, was dark. It was deep. He'd pressed hard to write it. The angles were sharper, more acute where they were generally more open, parabolic impressions of space. He squinted at it a moment, and then he saw it. The scales which formed the mast were unbalanced. The arm which held a small gil was overburdened and the other side, where an open book normally sat, was empty and raised high.
Styrm remained lost, and he remained worried. If he couldn't find Joz, he'd find whoever else was looking for her. Maybe he'd find Taru along the way. Anyroad, the whole thing felt complicated, shadowy, the sort of thing Taru avoided, the sort of thing he never even talked about.
Styrmsthal needed to move.
