C'kayah was walking. He could feel the rounded cobblestones through the soft, thin soles of his boots. The air still held the chill of the night, but the new sun warmed him as he made his way through the wide square. A tall Hyur woman strode beside him. Aya Foxheart. Supernaturally beautiful, with a dancer's grace, she smiled at everything she saw with a delight that was almost innocent, devoid of guile.
Their destination was a squat building, a low block of pale stone with the false windows common in Thanalan's hot climate. The house looked inward, on a shaded courtyard, while the outside turned a near-featureless shoulder to block the blazing sun. The door was a pastel rose slab with a carved handle and a little sliding window at a Hyur's eye level. He knocked on the door, two quick raps, then a pause for five heartbeats, then another two. The window slid opened, revealing a shaded green eye. It snapped shut. There was a pause, then the sound of bolts being drawn. Finally the door opened, admitting them into the cool, dark interior of the house.
"Lin is just finishing his bath." The speaker was another Hyur. Shorter than Aya but no less beautiful, the woman smiled at them as she closed and bolted the door. She was dressed in light silks, intricately embroidered and drawn tightly around her lean figure in the latest mode. "I've made coffee, if you'd care to wait." She turned before they could respond, leading them into a lush garden, an atrium of green leaves and brilliant flowers and the hum of bees. A low table stood on flagstones in the center, sitting cushions arranged around it. Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and yogurt sat in bowls, breakfast for the master of the house. The woman guided them to the table, wordlessly encouraging them to sit while she poured out tiny cups of strong coffee, steaming in the morning air.
"Really, C'kayah", a masculine voice called from the shadows. "A beautiful Hyurish assistant? That's so tacky."
The speaker was a stocky man, his dark hair clinging in damp curls to his head, his pale skin the inheritance of his midlander mother. He smiled warmly at the Miqo'te as he moved into the light. He was dressed stylishly in dark colors, simple attire that betrayed it's expense with the obvious care of the cut, a rich blue cravat drawing the eye back up towards his face. He moved strangely. Aya watched him as he approached, realizing that one leg was shorter than the other by nearly half a fulm, giving him an odd, limping gait.
"Grimsley", C'kayah purred, rising from his cushion to bow at his host.
"Sit, sit!" He waved them back down, settling himself at the table and reaching for the coffee. "You're going to make me feel like Jameson Taeros, ridiculous man!"
"Lin", C'kayah said, taking his cushion, "this is my friend Aya Foxheart. Aya, this is Lin Grimsley."
"They call me 'Grimsley the Lame'", the man chuckled, smiling at her. "You're lovely, aren't you? If you ever get tired of this fickle gigolo..."
"It's a pleasure to meet you", she said, turning her bright smile on him.
"Ho ho! She's a dangerous one", he laughed, nudging C'kayah with his elbow.
"Lin, have you-"
"I've outdone myself", the man said with obvious pride. He drew a brooch from his jacket pocket, setting it on the table before them. A dragon's claw, hand-hammered in silver, clutched at a sickly yellow gem. Years of tarnish hung on the thing, which seemed to suck the warmth out of the light that shone on it. It was a singularly ugly piece of jewelry.
Dread clutched at Aya's heart as she looked at the thing. It was Dravanian, and clearly ancient. The stone flickered dimly in the light, as if it would glow even in a darkened room. She parted her lips and exhaled. "It's..."
"Perfect, I know", the man replied. "You'd never guess from looking at it that it's three days old, would you?"
"And the extra-", C'kayah began.
"It's trackable", Grimsley added. "Just like you wanted. You'll need a mage to do it, and they'll have to be skilled enough to track someone through aetheryte jumps, but it's trackable."
C'kayah picked up the brooch. A heavy pin was brazed to the back, bent as if it had been plucked from a cloak sometime in the last age. As much as Grimsley liked to boast, he did beautiful work. He held it up for Aya to examine, but he could see from the revulsion on her face that it struck the right nerves. "It's perfect", he agreed. "And the rest?"
"I'll have Nora leave an address and key with Momodi for you", the counterfeiter replied. "A little apartment. It's yours for the year."
"Thank you, Lin", he said, slipping the claw into his pocket.
"You paid for it", the man laughed. "What do you think 'extra services' on the invoice was?"
"Still", C'kayah grinned, "I appreciate it."
"What are friends for", Grimsley replied, sobering. "This is bad business, you know, C'kayah. I hope you know what you're doing."
He looked at Aya, meeting her blue eyes for a long moment. "I do, too, Lin", he said. "I do, too."
Their destination was a squat building, a low block of pale stone with the false windows common in Thanalan's hot climate. The house looked inward, on a shaded courtyard, while the outside turned a near-featureless shoulder to block the blazing sun. The door was a pastel rose slab with a carved handle and a little sliding window at a Hyur's eye level. He knocked on the door, two quick raps, then a pause for five heartbeats, then another two. The window slid opened, revealing a shaded green eye. It snapped shut. There was a pause, then the sound of bolts being drawn. Finally the door opened, admitting them into the cool, dark interior of the house.
"Lin is just finishing his bath." The speaker was another Hyur. Shorter than Aya but no less beautiful, the woman smiled at them as she closed and bolted the door. She was dressed in light silks, intricately embroidered and drawn tightly around her lean figure in the latest mode. "I've made coffee, if you'd care to wait." She turned before they could respond, leading them into a lush garden, an atrium of green leaves and brilliant flowers and the hum of bees. A low table stood on flagstones in the center, sitting cushions arranged around it. Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and yogurt sat in bowls, breakfast for the master of the house. The woman guided them to the table, wordlessly encouraging them to sit while she poured out tiny cups of strong coffee, steaming in the morning air.
"Really, C'kayah", a masculine voice called from the shadows. "A beautiful Hyurish assistant? That's so tacky."
The speaker was a stocky man, his dark hair clinging in damp curls to his head, his pale skin the inheritance of his midlander mother. He smiled warmly at the Miqo'te as he moved into the light. He was dressed stylishly in dark colors, simple attire that betrayed it's expense with the obvious care of the cut, a rich blue cravat drawing the eye back up towards his face. He moved strangely. Aya watched him as he approached, realizing that one leg was shorter than the other by nearly half a fulm, giving him an odd, limping gait.
"Grimsley", C'kayah purred, rising from his cushion to bow at his host.
"Sit, sit!" He waved them back down, settling himself at the table and reaching for the coffee. "You're going to make me feel like Jameson Taeros, ridiculous man!"
"Lin", C'kayah said, taking his cushion, "this is my friend Aya Foxheart. Aya, this is Lin Grimsley."
"They call me 'Grimsley the Lame'", the man chuckled, smiling at her. "You're lovely, aren't you? If you ever get tired of this fickle gigolo..."
"It's a pleasure to meet you", she said, turning her bright smile on him.
"Ho ho! She's a dangerous one", he laughed, nudging C'kayah with his elbow.
"Lin, have you-"
"I've outdone myself", the man said with obvious pride. He drew a brooch from his jacket pocket, setting it on the table before them. A dragon's claw, hand-hammered in silver, clutched at a sickly yellow gem. Years of tarnish hung on the thing, which seemed to suck the warmth out of the light that shone on it. It was a singularly ugly piece of jewelry.
Dread clutched at Aya's heart as she looked at the thing. It was Dravanian, and clearly ancient. The stone flickered dimly in the light, as if it would glow even in a darkened room. She parted her lips and exhaled. "It's..."
"Perfect, I know", the man replied. "You'd never guess from looking at it that it's three days old, would you?"
"And the extra-", C'kayah began.
"It's trackable", Grimsley added. "Just like you wanted. You'll need a mage to do it, and they'll have to be skilled enough to track someone through aetheryte jumps, but it's trackable."
C'kayah picked up the brooch. A heavy pin was brazed to the back, bent as if it had been plucked from a cloak sometime in the last age. As much as Grimsley liked to boast, he did beautiful work. He held it up for Aya to examine, but he could see from the revulsion on her face that it struck the right nerves. "It's perfect", he agreed. "And the rest?"
"I'll have Nora leave an address and key with Momodi for you", the counterfeiter replied. "A little apartment. It's yours for the year."
"Thank you, Lin", he said, slipping the claw into his pocket.
"You paid for it", the man laughed. "What do you think 'extra services' on the invoice was?"
"Still", C'kayah grinned, "I appreciate it."
"What are friends for", Grimsley replied, sobering. "This is bad business, you know, C'kayah. I hope you know what you're doing."
He looked at Aya, meeting her blue eyes for a long moment. "I do, too, Lin", he said. "I do, too."
