Ser Tomas and Lord Royce

[The Stranger]

"This is not a matter which requires any additional advice from my lord and in any case it is unlikely a bird will arrive in time. My instructions are clear. Depriving me of the ability to complete my mission serves only to harm your own interests as my lord does not do follow up business with men who are not willing to meet his most reasonable requests. Even if you successfully capture and interrogate these men without me you deprive yourself access to the context my lord can provide to their answers. The decision is of course yours."

Tomas set his jaw, obviously prepared to depart if his lord's demands go unmet.

[Horas]

"A man I have never met sends his servant to give me a half-information, while withholding the rest. He demands access to my home and my most sensitive operations, and couches a threat when I object." Bayard's tone is cool. "You are very much correct, Ser -- I will benefit from cooperating with Lord Saxon, and he will benefit from cooperating with me. I should be sad to sacrifice such an opportunity when it can only lead to mutual benefit. Has Lord Saxon come to his position by refusing to negotiate in such matters?"

[The Stranger]

"You are misinterpreting the situation," Ser Tomas replied gruffly, "Lord Saxon has volunteered information, because he believes resolving the matter is for the good of the realm. All he has asked in returned is that he be kept abreast of what outcome the information he has provided results in. If he has not provided the answer to the question of the perpetrator, perhaps he simply believes that a man of your position prefers to discover certain facts on their own accord, and he does not wish to prejudice you to his own conclusions. In any case, you should take the fact that he has personally sent a man all the way to the Eyrie, eschewing ravens, and with less than perfect information lest his messenge be intercepted, as a sign that he believes the perpetrators are deadly serious people, and that you will need all the help you can get."

Ser Tomas was glad that Royce was blind, so he did not see the look of exasperation of the young knight's face.

[Horas]

"Do you have any experience with ciphers, Ser?" Lord Royce asks in apparent nonsequitor, no doubt exasperating Tomas farther. "Codebreaking and the like."

[The Stranger]

"Yes milord," He replied.

[Horas]

"Then mayhaps we may reach an amicable agreement. Cassar, if you would...?"

The Volantene servant withdraws two scrolls of rolled leather from within an interior pocket, smoothing them out and placing them down on the smooth glass that represented Blackwater Bay on the Raised Table. Tomas can see they are covered with strange symbols and markings.

"These parchments were discovered in the possession of an infiltrator a few days past," Royce says. "He is dead now, alas. But perhaps he was your thief? I would like you to break these codes and share the precise method of doing so with my man Cassar. If they belong to your thief, you will learn what you came here for. If they do not, I shall allow you to attend the interrogation of the actual thief, should they be apprehended."

[The Stranger]

"The document describes eggs, my lord." said Ser Tomas, reading it straight as if it was in his mother tongue. "Dragon eggs. To be specific, and it describes three inns in Old Anchor, Gultown and Fairmarket, respectively." He sighed. "I would gamble to say that I was too late in my warning, and our thief was uncovered. Most lamentable."

[Horas]

Lord Bayard was truly impressed by the man's ease of reading the document, but nothing registered on his face. "I see. His body has not yet been disposed of, if you believe seeing it would be of use to you. Would read the text aloud?" Bayard says.

[The Stranger]

"I would not object to it milord," Ser Tomas replied. He read off the document, this time including the names of the three inns, The Sun's Rest at Old Anchor, Peeve's Anchor at Gulltown, And Trout and Peas at Fairmarket.

[Horas]

"How strange," Bayard remarks. "You have seen this particular cipher before, Ser Tomas?"

[The Stranger]

"Lord Saxon taught it to me," He replied, "I presume he has intercepted it previously. It would be speculation on my part, but probably accurate, to say it was knowledge of this cipher which led to the knowledge that an infiltrator was on the way. Given description of the eggs, I would speculate also that these were the artifacts Lord Saxon intended that I warn you may be stolen."

[Horas]

"It would... appear so." Bayard does his best impression of a man having heard something quite unorthodox, and not quite believing it. At this point, Royce was not sure how much the act mattered -- there were at least two other parties who knew of the dragon eggs. But his last good memory of his own father, and indeed one of his only ones, had been the explanation of the Eyrie's awe-inspiring secret, followed by his father's firm instruction that Bayard could never reveal it to any but his own heir. The idea of actually telling the truth about the eggs was so foreign as to be inconceivable.

"It is too late in the day for a trip back to the Gates of the Moon to be feasible or safe. You will accept my hospitality for the night, Ser Tomas? Cassar does not have your talent with puzzles, but I am sure there is much you could teach him about this particular cipher in a night." Indeed, the Volantene servant was looking at Tomas with barely disguised envy.

[The Stranger]

Ser Tomas nodded. "Knowledge that we have cracked this cipher must remain a closely held secret, my lord. Obviously a man who can enter the Eyrie undetected is a man with friends. If knowledge should get out, this opportunity is lost. But if you'll agree that word not escape this room, I imagine I can teach your man to at least recognize the Royce name, the Eyrie, the Vale, a few key words which may signify an imminent threat to you."

[Horas]

"Cassar is discrete," Bayard answers, "It shall not go farther than him. But since I am now aware of this note, and Lord Cave soon shall be as well, another complication springs to mind. That is the matter of," Royce searches for the proper metaphor, "Not tripping over each other's feet, in regards to these inns. A singular approach may create less noise."

[The Stranger]

"Yes I can see how that would be advisable," Ser Tomas agreed. "What are your thoughts on the solution?"