Varanis — 1626 0896 Favour
????, Earth Season
Context
End of Earth Season, as Nala, Berra, and Xenofos prepare to leave for Prax. [[[s02:session-18|Session 18]]]
Varanis had [http://journeyoftheheroes.wikidot.com/varanis:1628-0891-latenight promised to do something to for Berra], but now needs to make other arrangements.
Events
Before leaving for Prax, Varanis seeks out Dormal at the Saiciae palazzo. “Cousin, I need help with something.”
Dormal raises an eyebrow. He turns to the tutor he is talking to and says “Excuse us for a moment please.”
“There’s a slave I was trying to find. The one from Rillo Hulta’s mistress’ house. It’s possible he was sold to a slave galley. But I’m going to Prax and am out of time. Can I hire you to look for him and if you locate him, buy him for me?” She is direct in her approach, wasting no time with niceties.
“Do you have any more information than that? Name? Description? When you think he was sold?”
She describes the slave and the circumstances in which he was misplaced. She lacks a name, but the rest is reasonably detailed.
“And does the previous owner have a name other than Rillo Hulta’s mistress?”
“He may serve as a weapon against the Hulta, as he is a witness to Rillo’s cheating. That is likely why Rillo was killed. We sent the slave to House Hulta for questioning and they made him vanish. The last place to look for him is among the slaves who serve on the war galleys.”
“If you sent him to Hulta why do you even think he’s alive?”
“Kesten said so.” She shrugs. “He’s Humakti and wouldn’t lie about this.”
“Would he tell you a thing he thought was the truth but hadn’t checked?”
“That is possible,” she concedes.
“I can look for him, but that might very well cause them to have him killed, if he’s not dead already.”
“Honestly Dormal, don’t you think he’s better off dead than chained to an oar in a war galley? People don’t live long there.”
He shrugs. “Depends on whether he has chances to escape. I’m surprised they let him live at all.”
“Please, just tell me you’ll look?” She yanks a gold bracelet from her wrist and holds it out to him. It’s heavily decorated in air and movement runes and has the look of her own work.
He waves the bracelet away. “I will be busy, but I can make enquiries. I assume you want him alive and somewhat safe if at all possible.”
She nods.
“If you can, have one of the portrait painters prepare a drawing of him for me before you go.”
She looks a little anxious as she says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d cut out his tongue already. But alive and safe would be ideal. If you find him, please give him into Marta’s care. She’ll make sure he’s healthy enough and then send him to one of my hides for the time being. I’ll speak to Jenna. She’s got a steady hand and a good eye. She’ll get you the portrait.”
“If I find him, and grandmother doesn’t want anything else done with him, I can do that. I can’t guarantee she won’t have other ideas.”
“That’s enough for me, thank you.” She looks steadily at him. “I know you don’t care, but I do appreciate you and your skills.” She walks away without saying anything further.
