Session 6

With the boys safely on their way, hopefully to the temple, I turn my attention to the darakhul. I want to know where they're taking Lady Marack, but I don't want to take unnecessary risks, either.

The darakhul end up in a dead-end alley where they open a secret entry. Once they all pass through the door closes and the disguising features of the alley resume their original configuration. I take note of the location.

A cat sniffs at the door almost as soon as it closes. I'm pretty sure that's Farlin, using his new shapeshifting abilities. I climb down and let him sniff the book - I'm fairly certain he's trying to see if he can track Lady Marack. Once he's done sniffing around, I pick him up and head back to the All-Faiths Temple.

---

Harbek and Kriv'n go back to the Temple to wait for us. Between following the darakhul and returning to the temple, it's about two hours after midnight when I arrive with Farlin. Kriv'n hands me a note left by Ilyana, who has apparently left the temple. I pass the note to Farlin and start bandaging him up - he took quite a beating from Lady Marack's guards. I ask to see the key, then hand it back to Harbek. I'd rather hold on to it, but Harbek reminds me that we shouldn't have one person holding all our valuables.

The boys settle down in the cramped room, while I head back outside to find a nice tree or rooftop to spend the night in. There's an easy-to-reach rooftop that turns out to be quite comfortable.

Something wakes me a couple hours later, but I'm unable to figure out what it was. As I'm cautiously searching around, three people exit the temple. They're clearly looking for the book, based on their conversation, and have already searched the room where the boys are. They're now looking for me. I manage to return to the boys' room without being noticed.

When the boys wake up, I inform them that "they" know we have the book, we're here at the All-Faiths Temple, and they weren't able to find me after they searched the room here. We need to leave, and decide to try splitting up. Kriv'n wants to visit the bathhouse again, and Farlin decides that sounds like a good place to go - after he retrieves his journal. Harbek decides to go back to the Silk Scabbard to see if he can work. I follow Harbek, not wanting to be completely on my own. I have no intention of going inside; spending the night in that cramped room was more than enough for the day.

---

Harbek finds the head bartender amenable to having an extra set of hands. One of his customers is quite disgruntled, and is seen talking to some people, pointing at Harbek. Mathis (head bartender) has him switch with the guy doing inventory, at which point several toughs corner him, looking for the book. When Harbek pretends not to know what book they're asking about, they attack him.

---

Kriv'n arrives at the bathhouse, only to be recognized from the last visit, and the approaching guards make it clear he's not welcome. He leaves, but stays close enough to intercept Farlin. A thug accosts him as he waits; a dose of Dragon Fear sends the thug away. Kriv'n heads off in search of Farlin, trying to blend in with the crowd.

---

Farlin makes his way to the shop where he stashed his journal, attempting to hide and check for a tail. He's able to retrieve his journal and turn into a cat without being noticed.

Kriv'n enters the store and asks the storekeeper if he's seen Farlin. The storekeeper remembers him, but says he vanished a few minutes ago. Cat-Farlin makes his presence known, and Kriv'n takes him outside. They head for the Silk Scabbard.

---

Watching the Silk Scabbard from across the street, I see several thugs carrying an unconscious Harbek. I follow, not wanting a confrontation but needing to know where they're taking him.

They bring him to a warehouse a few blocks away. Investigating quickly, I determine that I need help to get Harbek out. I set out for the bathhouse to find Farlin and Kriv'n.

Kriv'n calls out to me before I get very far, and I join him and Farlin in an alley. I explain the situation; Kriv'n tells me of his encounter. Farlin suggests I hide the book out here, on a roof or something and then we go get Harbek. I'm not comfortable leaving the book out here, and there's no way I'm taking it inside - we're more likely to get our asses kicked, which would let The Cloven Nine have the book. I suggest we take the book to Hana and see if she can arrange some help to get Harbek.