Deals Gone Bad

Braeth'el nodded to the ranger guarding the common area of the suite of rooms that the group had obtained in Silvermoon City's larger inn. The Sin'dorei nodded back at the spymaster as he pushed aside the curtains, peeking into the bedchambers beyond. Laying peacefully in sleep, Telatha Dayfire didn't at all represent what she actually was to the other elves in the suite; a symbol of hope for a better future. Instead, she just seemed like a young lady who was in a dire situation and that had few resources at hand to deal with it.

Braeth'el studied her for a moment from the doorway, ensuring that she was well and that her chambers were empty of any threat before sighing. Over the past few days, Telatha had more and more come to represent something to him as well; not just hope for the future, but actually someone whom he could support without the quagmire of moral dilemma that had so plagued his career as a spy. When he had sworn to defend the Dayfire family long ago at the start of his career, a part of his vow had been to ensure that Quel'Thalas prospered. Under Telatha's father House Dayfire had prospered, but so too had the common citizenry of Quel'Thalas. Tel'athar Dayfire had been a great man, and it was only in his illegitimate daughter that Braeth'el once again saw the spirit and drive that had made him so.

"I will not fail you, my Lady," Braeth'el whispered to no one. He looked at Telatha's sleeping form one last time before turning away. She needed resources and assistance and there were ways for him to obtain them, but it would be dangerous. The time had come though to put some effort into this if he wanted her to succeed, and he'd already decided that he did. It was no longer a choice, just another task to check off his list.

As he walked away, he never saw the glowing green demonic eye perched above the doorway peering at him. He never saw the fel magic fade as the eye faded, nor the fel green glow of a pair of eyes opening on the bed behind him as the curtains fell closed once more...

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The alley was dark and dingy and not at all typical of much of Silvermoon. Near the edge of the ruins where the Wretched still often held sway, the safety of the place was questionable and was even more questionable at night. As Braeth'el waited impatiently, he considered the two escape routes from the place and frowned; it was far more enclosed than he'd prefer, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Ah, there you are Braeth'el," a voice called out. Braeth'el turned to see a Sin'dorei walking down the alley towards him, his red and gold leather armor only glinting slightly in the dim light.

"Ketharis," Braeth'el said, feeling somewhat relieved. "I didn't think you'd actually come."

The other elf paused near him, grinning, "I didn't think that you would come. You've been in a bit of trouble there, my friend."

Braeth'el nodded, feeling the weight of the words, "I know, I know. Events have moved beyond what I would have imagined a mere month ago. But I have discovered that there are always options if one knows where to look. That's why I've called you here tonight."

Ketharis held up a hand, shaking his head, "I don't want to know Braeth'el. You're poison right now. You know that you've got House Sunfire and House Dawnsea looking for you? You're a loose game piece now, a piece of unfinished business. No one is going to deal with you."

Braeth'el's face hardened, "And so that's the end of it then? After all the favors I pulled for you and some of the others, I won't be 'dealt with'? Lives are at stake here, Ketharis. This goes beyond the normal games that the Houses play. Things need to change, and for the better. This is a new start, a chance to do that and put an end to all the misery. The fact that I didn't see it before now shows how wrapped up I was in all of it."

Ketharis grinned, "You can't change the world, Braeth'el. Whatever you think you've found, it won't make a difference. Things are as they are, and as I said, you're a loose end that needs to be tidied up."

Braeth'el paused, studying the other elf, suddenly feeling ill at ease. His tone was stern and one of his hands drifted to his belt, "I see that we won't be able to deal then. I am sorry for that."

Ketharis shook his head and Braeth'el noted two shadows detaching themselves from the gloom at the end of the alley, heading towards the group. He could hear similar movement from the other end of the alley behind him as Ketharis spoke, "Sorry Braeth'el, but they pay an awful lot for loose ends. Way more than you could ever pay me. Come along peacefully and these lovely House Dawnsea guards will treat you well. You'll be an honored guest. And me? I'll be rich."

Braeth'el drew his weapons, dropping into a crouch as he prepared to sell his life dearly. His heart sank as he realized he'd failed. Not only had his attempt to reconnect with the spy network of the city been thwarted, but now he'd been exposed to the worst of his enemies, all before he could obtain the information and supplies that Telatha needed. His one regret was that she'd never know what happened to him; he'd simply disappear. His jaw locked in a grimace as he prepared himself to make sure that a few of House Dawnsea's men also disappeared this evening.

Ketharis drew a blade, grinning as he stepped towards Braeth'el, "Bad choice Braeth'el. Just give it up and you won't be hurt too badly."

As he stepped forward with the House Dawnsea guards behind him, he paused, his eyes growing wide. To Braeth'el's surprise he began to shake, the blade falling out of his hands and clattering on the stones of the alley as he fell to his knees and began to howl in pain. The other two guards looked down at him for a moment and then their eyes widened. One of the screamed and turned, running headfirst into the narrow alley's wall while the other threw his blade down and lowered himself to the ground, curling into a fetal position and mewling pathetically.

Braeth'el blinked once as the trio engaged in their bizarre actions before he looked past them and saw a petite, robed and cowled figure standing in the shadows of the alley. A pair of fel green eyes stared at him from the cowl, and fel runes marked the side of the elf's face. Braeth'el found himself smiling despite himself, whispering her name, "Telatha....of all the foolish..."

He had little time to finish the thought as he felt stirring behind him. He dove forward into a roll, moving between the incapacitated elves and coming up in a crouch, narrowly avoiding the blows of the two attackers behind him. To his surprised they were armored Blood Knights; it was clear that House Dawnsea was taking no chances with his capture.

As he prepared for battle, he felt Telatha moving up behind him and shook his head; now he'd put her in danger as well with his foolish attempts to meet his contacts. He'd need to ensure she was safe and get her out of there. Telatha though apparently had other plans, surprising him again as she marched past him, fists planted on her hips. Braeth'el noted that one of the elves she had incapacitated was beginning to stir, reaching for his blade where it had fallen in the alley. He moved forward, acting quickly.

Telatha's voice rang out in the narrow alley, echoing from the stones, "I order you to stand down at once. This man is under my protection and you will not lay your hands on him! By the name of House D-"

Telatha's rather stern orders were interrupted by two events, the first being that Braeth'el had clamped a hand over her mouth to avoid her giving away her identity. The second event was that his other arm had let go of his blade and wrapped around her waist, heaving her up into the air and backwards like a doll. He acted just in time as one of the Blood Knights attempted to lunge at her with his blade, the weapon narrowly missing the noble.

As he whirled and set the now squealing Telatha down, Braeth'el's mind noted with amusement how light and fragile she felt. This thought was followed up with regret at that fact, given that two of the elves she'd originally struck with magic had now risen up with their weapons in hand, hemming them both in as the Blood Knights pressed their attack. That someone so small and fragile would meet a bloody, violent end in an alleyway seemed wrong somehow.

Of course, Braeth'el didn't realize that Telatha had more tricks up her sleeve. As he turned to offer her an apologetic look, she shouted a word in Demonic. The harsh sound echoed through the alley, and Braeth'el felt it settle in the pit of his stomach. The elf he was staring at no longer resembled the petite young woman, but now had glowing red eyes and flames shooting from what was a maw rather than a mask covering part of her face. He looked down to see insects crawling all over the alleyway and all over his body, his heart pounding in his chest as fear nearly made him fall to his knees.

The spell was not cast at him; he'd merely seen the barest edge of it. The others around them screamed pathetically and ran fleeing from the battle, their boots pounding away on the wet stones of the alley as they fled, weapons left behind and their coarse shouts echoing into the distance. Braeth'el took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging terror he felt, blinking once and forcing himself to look at Telatha again.

There was no fire breathing monster, no insects and no flaming red eyes. There was just the young Sin'dorei again, her eyebrow arched in concern as she studied his face. She reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his arm and he took a deep breath, nodding to her to indicate that he was alright.

"We need to go now, Braeth'el," she said in a low voice. "The spell will not hold forever. Back to the center of the city and the safety of the inn."

To Braeth'el's surprise, he felt Telatha's hand reach down and her fingers entwine with his own as she turned to lead him to safety. Still trying to catch his breath, he let her lead him away, the novelty of being rescued by her when it should have been the reverse making him smirk at himself as they left the darkness of the alley and returned to the walkways of the city proper.

They wouldn't speak of the event again that evening, but each of them would come to realize that they could count on the other in the days to come. For the first time in his career, Braeth'el began to think of his employer as a friend rather than just a House name.

It would make all the difference in the end.