[The Aylasa Caves]Both sides of the coin.(Eris)

[Weyliss]

Weyliss blinked, looking back at Eris.

"Uhm..I don't really know."

Holding the torch higher, he tried to see just a few more feet ahead. Sadly, the darkness refused to give way, and the warrior was clueless as to what lay beyond the tunnel.

"I mean to say, that the family is convinced the father is just an ordinary bookkeeper. Yet, when I started asking around town, I found that the family was from Sunberth. Also, the father in question had a reputation as being a very hard man, and working with some ..shady types."

He shot Eris a look out of the corner of his eye. It was her expertise after all.

"Also. The body in the basement may, or may not have been involved in his kidnapping."

Weyliss blinked, noticing the tunnel widening around him, he stopped. Using his free hand, he quietly pulled the sword from its scabbard, and then over his shoulder. Looking back at Eris he gave her a grin.

"So. Me being the big burly type. I suppose I'll leave the ahead area to your discretion, you know these caves, and you seem to have a clearer idea of whats going on. My torch being a rather dead give away to unwanted company, I'll approach a little bit after you. Or, call and I'll make a beeline for your voice."

He knew as soon as the plan exited his mouth, that it would either go horribly wrong, or it wouldn't be needed at all. Hopefully the latter. Giving her another smile, he stepped to the side, used his sword to point towards the coming cavern.

[Eris]

Eris grinned slightly at hearing his plan. Leaving the torch outside the cave for the moment was a good idea, but she questioned whether he would really be any use if there was someone inside the darkened cave waiting to slit her throat. She noticed the blood spatters on his bandaged arm and wondered how much it would hinder his ability to fight. I should have really taken a look at it.

Moving cautiously, she stepped through the entrance of the cave. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes to the absence of the torchlight. Stopping in what she judged to be the middle of the cave, she listened for any sounds out of the ordinary. Once she was certain that there was nobody else in the cavern, she began to make her way to the opposite end of the cave. That’s when her she felt her foot hit something soft. Eris swallowed down a gasp, resulting in a strangled squeak escaping her lips.

She bent down to touch the object with her hand – praying silently that it wasn’t a decomposing body. To her relief, the thing felt more like some kind of fabric – perhaps a rumpled cloak or a satchel… Still, it was too dark for her to make out the exact nature of the item.

“Nothing dangerous here,” she called to her companion. “But there is something on the ground over here.”

[Weyliss]

He was alone with his thoughts. Alone in a tunnel, with a torch, a sword, and ...a nagging.

It itched at him, crawling around in the back of his head. At first it felt as if he had hit his head too hard, and blood was oozing out of the wound. For a long moment, he resisted the urge to touch it. Then he gradually started to realize it wasn't the wound at all. It was memory

The man's face seemed to hang in time, a sickly grin stretching across the pale features. Then, a blur. One hand brought the stick down, while the other worked in unison, bringing the knife forward in a slashing motion.

Weyliss shook his head. His hand tightened around the hilt of the sword as he dragged it through the air in a sweeping motion near his feet. He looked down the tunnel again. He hated waiting.

As if on cue, Eris' voice echoed around the tunnel.

“Nothing dangerous here, but there is something on the ground over here."

Raising an eyebrow, Weyliss broke into a small jog. Torch bobbing, he found himself in some sort of cave. One look gave Weyliss all he needed. The torch light outlined various items. A pot here, a few logs there. Even what looked to be where they had a cooking fire. The small 'pit' looked to have been doused quite a while ago, with not even an ember to announce its presence. Looking over, he found his companion standing near what looked to be several bedrolls. From the look of it, and judging by the gear left behind, the people had left in a hurry. He counted three of the bedrolls, with a few extra blankets here and there. Eris seemed to be standing right next to one, near a travel pack.

The warrior winced as he realized the man he had fought, probably ran back to warn his team mates. For future operations he decided he needed to invest in some 'delicacy'. Making his way over, he held the torch down near Eris.

"Well. Looks like they where here. Must've scared 'em off with my fierce demeanor. What's in the bag? Or would you rather take it and move?"

They had a head-start, in a cave system that went on for miles. Just his luck.

[Eris]

Eris swiped a hand over her eyes as the torch illuminated their surroundings. So this had been a campsite. That certainly made things a lot more difficult. She had hoped that there would only be two people in the caves at maximum, but a third one complicated things. There were only two of them and three of the enemy made every step they took that much more dangerous.

She grabbed the bag from its pace on the stone floor and untied the strings holding it closed. Quite unceremoniously, she turned the pack upside down, watching its contents spill to the floor. They were mostly routine supplies, much like the ones in her own bag. There was a small hunting knife, flint, a few bread crusts, and some bandages. The campers had obviously left in a hurry, not even bothering to take these necessities with them.

Just as she was about to look away from the useless pile on the floor, something caught her eye. There was something shiny wrapped in the small bundle of bandages. As they fell to the floor, a corner of the fabric had fallen away, revealing a ring. She picked it up, turning it over in her hands. It didn’t look to be very expensive, with only a thin coating of gold. The place where a gemstone should have sat was empty and visibly scratched. Judging by the ring’s larger size and bulkiness, it must have belonged to a man rather than a woman. The first thought that crossed her mind was that the ring belonged to Telther. But that was near to impossible, seeing as the noble only wore the most valuable jewelry and probably would have even looked twice at this trinket.

She turned around, holding the ring out to Weyliss. “This mean anything to you?” she asked.

[Weyliss]

Leaning forward, Weyliss eyed the ring. It certainly didn't look like it would be worth very much. Maybe it belonged to one of the thugs? Or perhaps the bookkeeper? The warrior gave Eris a shrug.

"Not really. Maybe it belonged to my bookkeeper? I'm more curious as to why it was bundled in the bandages, and what was dug out of the center?"

Leaning over, Weyliss examined the bandages a bit closer. Besides dirt and frayed ends, they seemed to be in working order. Stuffing them into a pouch hanging from his belt, Weyliss gave the exit to the cavern a meaningful look.

"Doesn't bode well for us you know? They know we are coming, and they know the caves. I'm thinking they are booking it."

Running blindly through an unknown cave system was not something the warrior felt particularly up to at the moment.

Looking around, Weyliss tried to spot any other clues. Nothing really. They must not have lived here very long. Not a lot of trash, not very much wood. The make-shift burn pit had some splotches of black near it, Weyliss took that for some sort of chew. All in all, they hadn't been here long, and had left in quite a hurry. It pleased him that he didn't see any torches. They must have taken their light-source with. Witch would at least give him an idea once they caught up.

[Eris]

She pocketed the ring, thinking that it might prove useful if they ever found its owner. Eris got the hint and set to walking again, this time quickening her pace. She hated following someone without knowing a thing about them. She presumed they were chasing after the businessman and the bookkeeper, but where was the proof? And when had she decided that the two would even be travelling together? They were about as far apart on the social spectrum as possible.

As they entered another dank tunnel, Eris decided to get some facts straight. At this point, the more they knew about each other’s targets, the better. “Have you any idea if your bookkeeper had any connection with a noble by the name of Telther? He’s the one I’m after and I find it curious that we both end up in these caves searching for completely unconnected people. It’s just suspicious that the bookkeeper’s shop was turned upside down right about the time noble bolted after having three of his colleagues killed.”

She found that she was thinking out loud rather than really speaking to her companion. Turning the ring over in her pocket, she wondered if it was wise to be following three potentially dangerous men alone. And she did consider herself to be alone. Weyliss may be on her side now, but if the tables happened to turn, she might find herself facing four men rather than three. That prospect definitely did not agree with her.

[Weyliss]

The warrior in question suddenly stopped, touching Eris' arm.

"Wait. What was this about three people killed? Telther? Ive never heard the name."

The man seemed to look down, a frown starting to form.

"I've been out of the city for a bit. I didn't know those murders where connected to your man.You want my best guess, the father wasn't abducted. I think he was a ...bookie for lack of a better term. Some sort of money keeper back in Sunberth. Maybe he fell in with your man?"

Weyliss seemed to pause, looking to the away from her. He had realized something as they walked. The unease as they had started their investigation. Whatever it was, it was a complication. Life was entirely too short. He couldn't be watching Eris, and trying to piece together the puzzle. So, he'd pushed it all back, away. He found too much thought was simply distracting. Instinct was better for this sort of work.

Removing his hand, he looked back to Eris.

"A bit of conjecture, but I'm not entirely sure my man is innocent. Its hard to say. What did your's do?"

He suddenly grinned. In another place, and in another time, he could imagine two strangers meeting and comparing pets at a park. Instead, he was comparing suspects with a someone in a damp, smelly cave.

[Eris]

She tensed slightly as his hand touched her arm, but relaxed after a split-second. No need to get edgy over nothing.

Eris considered his theory – it certainly had some merit to it. “Yes, it’s possible that Telther might want someone who is good with money to come along with him. He is the kind of man who loved money entirely too much,” she said with a touch of bitterness.

“Telther was working on some investment along with four old friends. It was presumed to be a lost cause, until the caravan in which they invested returned with unimaginable riches. He did not want to split the money equally, so he had three of his friends killed,” Eris paused suddenly, a thought occurring to her. “Or rather… I don’t really have proof that he hired someone to kill them. For all I know, he might have wielded the knife himself. But he just doesn’t seem like the kind of man to physically dirty his hands with blood.”

“Anyway, three of the business partners were killed in their sleep at their respective houses. The fourth one got wind of what was going on and cornered Telther. He had Telther imprisoned in his house while he figured out what to do with him. Apparently, going to the knights wasn’t an option, seeing as t most of their business dealings weren’t exactly legal. Needless to say, Telther managed to escape and the man hired me to find him and bring him back – preferably alive.”

She hoped that this would help clear things up. Maybe by establishing what their targets had in common, they could figure out their whereabouts.

[Weyliss]

Weyliss had the fascinating ability to harbor two lines of thought. His first revolved around the case.

"Hmm. I don't get why he would kill all of his business partners. You mention caravan, so I'm guessing a trader. Why not just take the money and run, surely everything would have led back to the only surviving member of the business arrangement anyway... Also, why these caves? Why head north into the woods, as opposed to towards more civilized lands? Also... do you know where the caravan was?"

The man seemed to pause, giving the blackness above him some consideration.

"Perhaps he hid something here? Still doesn't explain my bookie. Maybe he had something to do with the caravan, or knew something in advance?"

His second line of thought centered around how the pale woman in front of him looked in the torchlight. Especially her eyes...

Snorting in exasperation to nobody in particular, Weyliss decided he needed to get a life. Something that didn't involve chasing vagabonds into caves, and fantasizing about hired killers.

[Eris]

“I don’t know all the particulars. I assume that he was going to kill all four of his partners and then bask in the glow of all that bloody gold. But Kerrington – the one who’s still alive – caught onto his little plan and intercepted him before he had a chance to kill him. The caravan made a successful journey to Eyktol region, and is probably enjoying their share of the profit somewhere in the Syliran region now.”

“Now that you mention it, I suppose he might have come here to stash some of the documents he managed to swipe from Kerrington’s house before he left. Kerrignton wouldn’t tell me what they were, but I’d say they’re important ledgers of some sort that can be cashed in when this mess settles down. Maybe the bookkeeper helped him figure out the value of the documents and he didn’t want him left behind to blab about it to anyone,” Eris got more animated as she talked, eager to have a theory come together. “Or he might have even come with him willingly, hoping to get a cut of the prospective money.”

“Do you think the bookkeeper would have left his family behind for the promise of riches? And where did that blood come from? And who could be the third person in their little band?” she asked, turning to look at Weyliss, her eye alight – she was glad to finally be onto something instead of blindly following a nonexistent trail in a darkened tunnel.

She merely raised an eyebrow at his snort, deciding that she had already asked enough questions.