Olander's Quarters

[Horas]

A man of average height with a face as plain as blank parchment approaches the door and stands before the guards, staring at them.

[Ollie]

The guards stare back, and let the man enter. Olander Reed is sitting behind his desk, studying a scroll.

"Gives me the right willies, that one does..." the yellow-toothed guard murmurs.

"I hear the first girl he ever lay with bit his tongue clean out, on account of how he cheated her brother in a card game," said the other, an elderly man with deep set crow's feet stemming from his eyes.

[Horas]

Clarke walks past the guards into the room. A secret smile touches his eyes when he spots Olander. Stepping forward, he lightly taps Lord Reed's desk three times with his index finger.

[Ollie]

The crannogman's attention remains fixed to the document in hand, but he gives a soft humph of acknowledgment. "What word does Lord Blackwood have for me, Clarke?"

[Horas]

Clarke appears highly amused by Lord Olander's reply, for it is indeed a word he puts forward on the table.

He unfolds a small parchment, perhaps the size of a leaf from a heart tree. On it is written a single word, in highly elaborate and stylized script, such as one might find in an illuminated manuscript. The word reads "Poison."

[Ollie]

Olander glances at the parchment, then to Clarke, as if expecting something.

"Well?" he asks the mute messenger. "Quiet? Bloody? Quick? Drawn-out? Painless? Cruel? Poison is a creature of many coats."

[Horas]

Clarke nods yes to each and smiles. Then he walks over to Lord Reed's liquor cabinet and selects a goblet. He mimes smearing something around the rim and into the cup, then raises an eyebrow in query.

[Ollie]

The Master of Poisons sighs, and slides open a drawer under his desk. Two vials appear in his hands, which he promptly tosses to Clarke. One was as clear as water with the consistency of sap and the other as red as wine, thick as wax. They clinked together merrily as the Riverlander caught them.

"Sweetsleep and Manticore's Venom. Clarity for peace, sanguine for brutality. Your lord will be able to deduct the uses for either."

[Horas]

Clarke bows very low, then straightens up and collects the vials and tucks them safely away. He turns to leave, but then turns back at the moment, his head cocked, as if to see if Olander has a return message for him.

[Ollie]

Olander shook his head. Clarke was dismissed.