Aeramin’s Notes

• So much to write about.

• I took Rupyap with me to see what information the guy could dig up.  I knew he’d hold back some on me unless I paid more, so I sent the imp to get it.  It worked out quite well, except the imp is kind of easily distracted.  He got a bunch of things he wasn’t supposed to, including gold.

• In hindsight, that’s a good thing too.  It makes it look less like certain information was targeted, and more like he was just randomly robbed.  

• Rupyap found tons of stuff.  Copies of meeting notes, a copy of a journal, records of travel and inn stays.  

• We know they’re in Shadowmoon Valley now, which made me even more determined to get out there, and take care of my felguard problem before Imralion tries to.  I need to be able to move around the area without fearing for my life.  I talked to Kes last night, and she agreed.  I left the things Rupyap found with her, in case something did happen.

• This morning, I told Im I’d be leaving for Shadowmoon a bit early again, and would miss having lunch with him.  I told him the same thing when I went to Silvermoon, but this time I really went to Shadowmoon.

• Oh, but before I went there, I went to the restaurant to get some of the salad that Im likes.  I got extra of the spicy vegetables.  I planned to leave it at home for him so he’d have something to eat for lunch when he came back from his practice on the Terrace of Light.

• Anyway, while I was waiting for the salad, Embersun came in.  We talked a bit.  He mentioned that Vallindra had left to do her ley-line research already.  I mentioned that I was going to take care of my problem in Shadowmoon today.  He insisted on coming with me.

• At first, I wasn’t sure.  I really didn’t want him there harping on and on about how I’m not doing things to his specifications.  However, after we got out there, I appreciated his suggestions.  I think mostly because he didn’t call me names.

• I had Rupyap with me.  I had agreed with Kes that I would instruct the imp to go get her if there was any trouble.  Rupyap actually seemed a little frightened himself.  Of course, if he loses me, he loses his ticket out of the nether.  Not to mention, it would be extremely painful for him due to the binding I have on him.

• So Rupyap watched while Xanaroth helped and I bound Skelvegen, the felguard.  I was really worried about the binding breaking before I finished, but it didn’t.  He has to obey now.

• I can finally relax, and not have to constantly look over my shoulder in Shadowmoon, well a little anyway.  There’s always going to be things to be watchful of there.  At least I don’t have one actively hunting me.

• Skelvegen is a powerful one.  I did thank Embersun for his help.  I told him about the papers I’ve acquired too.  I think he seemed eager to see them.  I know Kes will want to see the felguard soon too.

Hethurin’s Mistake

Hethurin Fairsong checked the spell over one last time.  It was a very similar spell to the one he has used to travel to the future for Berwick and Xyliah’s wedding to watch over himself.  Crowds made him nervous.  His family made him nervous.  That alone made him make a few minor adjustments to make the spell more mana efficient.  He wouldn’t be able to look after himself there if he were too tired to.

The situation was different this time.  Berwick and Xyliah had gotten married at his house.  He had been able to prepare for his own arrival on the day of the wedding, setting a chair next to the window overlooking the garden.  Although he knew ahead of time that things were likely going to be okay, he made no signal to his past self to indicate that.  If he left early, then things wouldn’t happen as they had before.  He had to make sure he didn’t change anything.

Unless he was in danger.  Luckily, the wedding at his home went well, and even with one of his sisters there, nothing happened.  He wasn’t so sure that would be the case at Vallindra’s wedding.  Maybe she had invited him specifically so that she could silence him again.  Most of his family was likely to be there as well.  His mother would be there.

They would all call him Sanimir.

Hethurin frowned.  He had left that name behind him.  It was him in the past.  He was different now.  Stronger and smarter, but still felt in need of protection for gatherings like this.  He was his own best bodyguard.  He looked at the words on the paper again.  It was time.

He noted the time in his notebook with mention that the rat was sleeping.  He wrote down his plans to travel to the day of his sister’s wedding.  He would then cast his invisibility spell, and maintain it as he teleported to the location.  He would maintain his invisibility as long as he was there, which hopefully, would be uneventful.  Then he would teleport back to his house, let his invisibility spell drop, then make the reverse trip back to the present.  He took care to remember his positioning as he began to recite the spell.

The first thing he noticed was that his notes were no longer on his work desk.  That alone wasn’t so alarming.  He could have very well put his notes away while he was gone to Silvermoon.  No, the alarming part was that the desk had been moved to the other side of the room.  It wasn’t just his notes that were missing either.  His clock was gone, as was the rat cage, presumably with the rat.  His old bookcase, one that was in disrepair and came with the house was also gone, but in its place was a new bookcase.  One of the new chairs that he kept in his bedroom had been moved next to the bookcase here in his practice room, but it didn’t look new anymore.  The shelves held more books than he recalled having as well.

He walked over to the shelf, running his finger along the finely carved scrollwork.  The sides and doors at the bottom of the shelf were decorated with panels with images of dragons.  Delicate gold inlay made up the scales of the dragons depicted on the panels.  It was quite possibly one of the most beautiful bookshelves he had ever seen.

The books on the shelf were interesting as well.  He was sure he hadn’t seen some of them before.  Most seemed to focus on chronomancy, if he were to guess from the titles, with a few focused on other types of magic such as illusion, teleportation and conjuration.  He continued looking as he wondered how things had changed so much.  His sister’s wedding wasn’t that far off.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  He pulled out the book that was the cause of his surprise, A Beginner’s Guide to Teleportation by Sanimir Lightmist.  He flipped through it quickly.  It looked real, but he hadn’t written anything like that, nor would he use that name if he did.

“Unless…”  Hethurin looked around the room, “I’ve gone too far.  I’ve gone way too far.”  He scowled at the book, “I still wouldn’t use that name.” He quickly put the book back on the shelf, taking care that it went to the same spot he had removed it from, and started reciting the spell to go back.  He stopped halfway through the incantation.  If he had gone too far, he needed to know how far so that he could write in his notes, and figure out what had gone wrong with his spell.  He bit his lip and cast his invisibility spell instead.  He teleported to the other side of the closed door.

The hallway was much as he remembered it in his time.  Some paintings were added to the walls.  Some were of places and others of people.  Some he recognized, and some he didn’t.  He could hear voices coming from one of the parlors at the end.  Making sure to maintain his invisibility, he quietly made his way towards the room.

He peeked around the corner.  A class!  The instructor’s long dark red hair matched Hethurin’s own, even in style.  He knew it was himself before the older version even turned around.  He continued maintaining his invisibility, and moved along the wall to look closer.  His future self looked to be a few decades older.  His class had seven students, dutifully taking notes.  They were all fairly young.  Hethurin guessed they were all between forty and eighty years old, most of them at the higher end of the age range.  A couple of them looked familiar.

He stopped once reaching the front of the room, staying in the corner there under his invisibility.  He couldn’t believe he actually had a full class of students.  He started mentally noting everything about the room, about the students and about himself.

His older self stopped his lecture mid-sentence, and looked directly at the corner where Hethurin was hiding.  His ear twitched.  “It’s today,” he paused, glancing at his students before looking back at the corner.  “Fifty-seven years, three months and twelve days.  You should go back now.”  Some of his students exchanged confused looks with each other as his older self picked up where he left off with his lesson on arcane theory.  Hethurin made his way out of the room still maintaining his invisibility, despite his surprise.  Fifty-seven years!

He glanced back one last time before going back down the hallway.  His 149 year old self went on with the lesson as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.  The students had returned to taking their notes, though some still looked a bit confused.  Hethurin hurried back to the practice room.

He almost cast the spell to take him back to his anchor point in his present time, but curiosity took over.  He teleported to Shattrath.  It would be fun to be able to tell his friends a bit about their future.

His invisibility almost slipped off as he slid down a hill of rubble.  The library was gone!  As soon as he reached the bottom of the slope, someone grabbed him from behind and whispered, “Not today.”  He only briefly wondered how someone else saw him before he blacked out.

He woke in his bed.  It was late morning.  He got up quickly, somehow he was in his sleeping robe.  It couldn’t have been a dream.  It all seemed so real.  He got dressed and teleported downstairs to his practice room.  His notes were still there, including the notes he had written with the new spell.  Puzzled, he went to find Tik.

He found Tik in the kitchen.  “Tik, was I here last night?”

“Magister, I’m unsure where you were all of last night.  You went to your practice room after supper.  I didn’t see you again until this morning when I tried to wake you for breakfast.  You’re a very deep sleeper, sir.  Des and Renner are worried about you.  You missed giving the lesson this morning.”

Hethurin frowned, “You don’t know how I got to my room?”

“I assumed you teleported, magister.”

Hethurin’s ear twitched, “Thank you, Tik.  I’ll be more careful about over-exerting myself.  I wouldn’t want to oversleep again.”

Until he figured out what really happened, he’d have to be more careful.  That meant going to Vallindra’s wedding unguarded.  He hoped Desdeyliri would be up to the task if anything should happen.

Screenshot of the Day

This morning, at 6:45 AM, I was doing my daily check of the unborn val’kyr spawns.  I freaked out when I found one wandering around the southern Grizzly Hills spawn point!  She’s poor quality, and I was afraid of killing her, especially when she healed just enough that I had to hit her again with her at almost low enough health to capture.  It all went well, and capturing went off after a few tries!  Now to find a stone for her!

A Trip to Silvermoon

Aeramin Firewind kept his head down as he walked through the darkened streets of Murder Row.  He wore a deep cowl, and was grateful that even in afternoon, shadows blanketed the narrow streets here with the tall buildings looming above.  The last thing he needed right now was to be recognized.

– Master knows lots of people here, yes?

– You could say that.

He frowned as he turned the corner down another dark alley.  He had chosen to bring the imp today for its useful abilities.  He had a powerful bind on it with a very strong link to him.  What Aeramin saw, the imp, Rupyap, could also see, if Aeramin allowed him to.  Aeramin could hear the imp in his mind, even over great distances.  He’d gotten better at controlling the imp over the past months.  He believed it would be the best for this job.

The second reason was he had been working with the imp over the past week on shape-shifting into a new form.  Some mages were able to pull off disguises, and Aeramin saw no reason that the imp shouldn’t be able to.  It hadn’t gone well at first but for the past two days, Rupyap had been able to shift into a new form.  Aeramin had suggested a rat, or a snake.  The imp had trouble with both, but eventually ended up somewhere in between.  Rupyap’s furry, serpentine form was now curled up in Aeramin’s satchel.  His short hind legs and longer forelegs were nothing like a rat’s at all, and the ears on the snake’s head definitely belonged to an imp.  Despite his odd appearance, he was fast, faster than he was normally.  Aeramin hoped that would work to his benefit now.

– You remember what to do?

– Find important papers, Master.  Black Harvest paper.  Summoner paper.  I will look for them good.  You will see.

– No Rupyap.  No one sees.  Find the important papers, but don’t get caught.

– Not get caught, yes.  Find everything and bring to Master.

– Just important things.  We’re here.  Don’t make me wish I had brought Sarwyn.

He had considered it.  The succubus could have copied Aeramin’s look in much less time that it took the imp to figure out how to turn into a snake rat with imp ears.  It would have definitely been able to distract the other elf long enough for Aeramin to search for what he wanted on his own, but he really did not want anyone to believe he had gone back to prostitution.  Not to mention, a lot of the plan would have have to rely on luck.  The succubus would have to get the elf into another room and distract him.  The front door would have to be left unlocked, and then if that all worked out well, Aeramin would have to get out before being discovered. No, bringing the imp was less risky and simpler.

He knocked on the door.  It opened a crack as the other elf peered out at him.  Aeramin pushed back his cowl just enough for his face to show.  “It’s been a week.”

The door opened further.  “Come in.  Sit.”

Aeramin took that as an encouraging sign that the other elf had found something to share.  He knew he would withhold some information which would only be available at a higher price.  Kestrae had given him some, but that was to keep the apartment.  He had wisely brought only a couple of gold pieces with him.  He sat at the table as the other elf went to another room.

– Money, Master?

Aeramin kicked his satchel slightly as he put it on the floor next to the chair.

– Pay attention.  You need to go to the room he’s in now to look, after he comes back.

– Black Harvest.  Summoners.  Yes, Master.

The other elf returned now with an envelope.  He sat, and while reaching in to take out the papers, he said, “I was able to find out a bit on the name you gave me.  Not a lot.  I don’t like dealing much with the undead.”

“Undead?”  Aeramin felt the imp brush by his leg as the creature slipped out of the satchel.

The man nodded.  “She was human before.  She lived in Undercity until fairly recently.  The last record of her is in Shadowmoon Valley in Outland.”  He pushed the papers towards Aeramin.

Aeramin glanced through them quickly.  Copies of records of travel and stays at inns.  Another name appeared with hers on the most recent documents.  “Did you find out anything about what she does?  Who is her traveling companion?”

“They’re both summoners.” The elf’s ear twitched as he held out his hand, “I know a bit about the second one.”

“I’ve already paid you.”

The other elf frowned impatiently.

“I have nothing left to give you.”

“Then I have nothing else to say.” he said, pulling his hand back, and folding his arms.

“I gave you all of my rent money, and then some.  I hope you have more to share about the Black Harvest.” Aeramin said.

The other elf frowned and sighed lightly.  “I have a little.  Wait here.”

– Hide.

– Master?

– He’s coming back.  Hide, but pay attention to where he goes.  You might find what I want there.

There was no answer back from the imp as the elf disappeared into the other room.  A moment later, the older elf returned with another envelope.  “I know a little about them.  I think you’re in over your head.  You’d have been better off sticking to working the streets.”

“I’m not interested in your opinion.”

“Fair enough, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.  The Black Harvest is a group of powerful summoners.  They’ve met from time to time, and take meeting notes, though I’ve been unable to get my hands on any copies.  People like them are very difficult to get any information on at all.  However, word is, they’ve split into smaller research groups.  The one you had me look up was sent to Outland.”

– He lies, Master.  I find copies of notes.

Aeramin smiled slightly, containing his excitement in front of the other elf.  “Any idea what they’re looking for?”

“I told you.  Information is hard to come by for these types of people.  If you want more, you need to pay more.  I risk my life snooping around these types.”

– Keep looking, Rupyap.  Hide if you hear him coming.  I’ll summon you shortly.

“In that case, I guess we’re done.  I hope, for the amount I paid, I can keep these copies?”

The man nodded.  Aeramin picked up the envelopes, and put them in his satchel.  He showed himself to the door, as the man watched.  Just as he was about to leave the man called to him.  “Firewind.”

“Yes?”

“There’s another way you could pay.  You’re still pretty, even with that scar.”

Aeramin paused in the doorway for a brief moment before turning and shaking his head.  “I’m not for sale.”  He closed the door behind him, and quickly made his way down the street.  He ducked around a corner and cast his teleport spell to Shadowmoon Valley.

He appeared a short distance behind the inn, out of sight over a hill, but still close enough that if he yelled, he’d be heard.  He quickly drew the imp summoning circle on the ground, and cast the spell to summon Rupyap to Shadowmoon Valley.  The snake rat imp creature appeared, and shifted into his regular imp form.  He held a variety of envelopes, and a bag.

“Master, I find it all!”

Aeramin took the envelopes and started looking through the papers inside.  Copies of meeting notes, a journal– the bag had gold in it.  Some of the envelopes seemed to have useless information in them.

“You weren’t supposed to take the gold.”

“But Master needed it!”

“And what is this?  Why do I need information on this daughter of a tailor on the outskirts of the city?”

“The drawing of her is pretty, Master.  I thought you would want it.”

Aeramin raised a brow at the imp before looking back at the important things Rupyap had managed to find.

“You did a good job, Rupyap, but do try to focus a little better next time.”

The imp grinned, “Yes, Master.  Focus.  I will!”

Sanimir’s Notes and a Letter

• I was a bit surprised when Renner, the new apprentice, showed up at my door.  I thought I had taken down all of the signs.  I guess I must have missed one.  Either that or he’s been holding onto the one he had in his hand for a bit.

• Despite not actually looking for another apprentice, I decided to take him on.  I think it will work out fine, for both of my apprentices and me.  I need practice having more than one student.

• One of the reasons I wanted to go to Dalaran to study was for the interaction with other apprentices.  Not that there weren’t any in Silvermoon, but I think I was able to meet a larger variety of people in Dalaran.  That along with some of the best teachers being in Dalaran, and the fact that it got me away from my family…  Okay, maybe that was the first reason.  It was hard getting any studying done at all with my mother checking on me every hour, but being able to study with other apprentices was a big part of it too.

• I can’t provide that environment here, not yet.  I think it will help now that they can at least study with each other.  I am aware that having two apprentices can sometimes cause trouble.  I saw that happen in Dalaran too.  I’m being watchful of it.  I don’t want Desdeyliri’s parents to kill me!

• Berwick and Xyliah aren’t here now.  It was nice when they were.  I hope they visit.  Their wedding was really wonderful.  I guess that’s a good thing since I saw it twice.  I only had cake once though.  Maybe I can find other reasons for Tik to make cake.  It was really good.

• As I get more students, I’ll need to hire more people.  Tik will have more work to do, and he should have some help, or he won’t be able to make anymore cake because he won’t have time to!  I was telling the confessor that to start out with, I would like five students at the school.  That would be all I could handle, and still give individual lessons.

• Eventually, I could take more, but I will need to hire someone to help with the lessons then.  Also, there are enough rooms for five students, but some of the larger rooms would have to be shared if I took more.  Also, I’d have to fix up some of the other small servant’s rooms, or maybe the servant’s house just north of the main house.  Or both.

• Right now, Tik sleeps in a small room by the kitchen.  I’ve told him he can take one of the rooms upstairs, but he says it’s not his place to.

• Anyway, all of that is in the far future, and it will take some work to get there.  Two apprentices are enough for now.

• Speaking of the future, I need to go and guard myself again.  It’s going to be awkward, but I’ve decided to go to Vallindra’s wedding.  I’m sure she only invited me because she had to.  I don’t think she actually expects me to show up.  She just wants to be able to honestly tell mother that she invited me.

• I know who mother is going to pay more attention to if I go.

• Maybe I’m being a brat, but compared to what she did to me, stealing mother’s attention is nothing.

• The confessor thought it would be a good idea if I took someone with me.  I thought about asking the confessor himself.  He could meet my family, and see how crazy they are, and see what I mean!  But then I thought maybe he knows my father well, and then I’d have to stand with them the whole time while they exchanged priest stories.

• Boring.

• I also considered taking Renner.  Yes, look mother, I have a good-looking male apprentice.  But what if she sent him?  Then she’d just be happy that I’m taking him places.  He says she didn’t, but maybe he’s just not admitting to it.  I wouldn’t if I were him.  He is good-looking though.  Desdeyliri has noticed too.

• Desdeyliri.  I wound up asking her to go with me.  Of course, she admittedly was sent by my mother to spy on me, but that’s why she’s the perfect person to accompany me.  It will confuse mother even more because she’s not spying anymore.  My mother knows that I know who sent her, and that I’m keeping her on as my apprentice anyway.  As my first apprentice, she is special to me, so it makes sense to me personally take her.  She’s also a good friend.  I do feel like I can talk to her.  She already has some beautiful dresses to wear.  I’m not buying anything new either.  Vallindra isn’t important enough for new robes.

• I’ll have to talk to her about it soon.  I want to go watch over myself first.

• I’ll also be taking both apprentices to Shattrath soon.  We have some books that are due back.

Dear Ordinicus,

Hi!  I hope you don’t mind the short notice, but I was thinking of coming to Shadowmoon with my apprentices late next week, sometime after my sister’s wedding.  We’ll be staying in Shattrath mostly, but I would like to spend a night at the sanctum if possible so that we can go and observe the dragons.  I guess it depends on when you’re available to come with us.

Oh, I have two apprentices now.  I hope that won’t affect the plans to see the dragons.  I know you were only planning on one.

– Hethurin Fairsong

 

Potato Gathering

Vaelarian Ashclaw heard it before he saw it.  He had been walking just a short distance south of his camp situated next to a lake in the hills along the border of Ashenvale and the Barrens.  Wild potatoes grew plentiful in the area, and he often went to gather them for his stews.  He was following the path he usually took when the noise started.  It was a loud grinding sound.  Machines.  Here.  Hadn’t the orcs’ pet goblins caused enough trouble already?  He dropped his bag of potatoes, and drew his dagger, wandering from his regular path towards the source of the noise.

He moved quickly, but made sure he was hidden from sight as he rounded around one of the hills.  There, in the distance, he could see the source of the noise.  Saws.  They were cutting the trees on the ridge along the border.  Further in the distance, they were building some structures.

“Great.  New neighbors.” he muttered to himself with a sneer.  “I guess I have to go welcome them.”  He continued moving along the side of the hill, closer to the machinery and the workers.  He stopped at one spot with a decent view of the area.  He stayed back in the tall grass, and watched.  Most of the workers were orcs, but he did see a goblin or two scamper into one of the machines.  There were wagons full of fresh lumber, and a pathway had been carved down the hillside for the wagons to haul their load away, towards Orgrimmar.

He crept closer still, singling out one orc who had stood on the far side of a pile of freshly cut trees.  He’d make a fine example.  Vaelarian stayed low in the grass as he readied both daggers.  The orc remained oblivious to his presence.  Just as Vaelarian was about to make his move, a troll dashed from the other side of the small clearing, burying it’s dagger in the orc’s back.  Vaelarian inched back as he watched the troll, with the help of another troll, load some of the smaller trees onto a small wagon with a kodo pulling it.  What was going on?

He waited until the trolls left before stepping out of his hiding spot.  He kneeled at the orc, checking for signs of life.  There were none.  Using the cut trees as cover, he moved closer to the edge of the ledge.  Looking over, he saw more trolls, fighting with more orcs.  He moved back quickly, tracing his path back to the tall grass along the hill.

Astranaar needed to hear about this.

Screenshot of the Day

This morning, I had a bit of free time before I had to leave to take the boy to school, so I went to Tempest Keep.  I managed to get one of the new mini-pets from the raid instance and after killing the first three bosses, I decided to take a shot at Kael’thas for the mount.  Now, I have tried it before solo.  I’ve tried it triple-boxed.  I’ve tried to squeeze my way into a weekly group going for mount farming, but the fact remains, I’ve killed Kael’thas, maybe twice, at most three times, in the past year.  So this morning, I figured Jaeyn’s guts would be splattered all over the room and I’d have an easy out of the instance since I had to go to Shattrath anyway.

Instead, Kael’thas died.

Jaeyn kills all the belfs, even the big one!

Now, the mount didn’t drop, but I know I can solo him with at least one character now.  Maybe it’s time to try again with Aeramin!  I’m just happy that I finally have a weekly shot at the mount.

Xyliah’s Diary

Dear Diary,

Everything was perfect!  The garden was lovely.  The sun was shining.  The food was delicious.  Berwick was so handsome in his robe.  I really felt like the luckiest girl on Azeroth yesterday.  Everyone we invited was able to make it.  Vessen didn’t bring his son.  I was hoping he would, but I understand they were a little wary of bringing a three-month old baby to the Ghostlands.

His mother asked me when we’re having babies.  I don’t think either of us want to right away, but I told her we plan to eventually, after we’re done traveling.  Luckily, she didn’t press too much for a time frame!  I really love our trips together, and having babies would kind of stop that, for a little bit anyways.  At least until we can bring them with us!

Tik made amazing food, and the cake was beautiful and tasted great!  Des and Tik really outdid themselves.  I wondered where the new apprentice was.  I saw him briefly that morning, but he didn’t come out during the wedding.

I’m married to the man I love.  We’re spending some time in Stranglethorn Vale now.  It’s nice here, warmer than I remember.  Caras seems to like it, as well as Ember.  Caras has made a habit of chasing the parrots already, though we haven’t been here long.  I told him he better not annoy the birds too much.  They can fight back, and he’s not very big yet!

We’re going to some nearby ruins today.  I’m excited to finally get back to where we left off.  I really love looking for treasure with him.

 

Aeramin’s Notes

• I’ve been reading up a lot on binding felguards.  I need to be ready when we go, and it needs to be soon.  It needs to be before Imralion gets out there.  He just wants to kill it.

• Why would he want to kill it?  It’s powerful.  I want it on my side.  Once it’s bound, it won’t have a choice.  It will answer to me.

• Okay, true.  It did almost kill me, but it wasn’t bound.  I had a temporary binding on it and it broke free.  I think the others are willing to help.  If something does go wrong, they’re there to step in before it goes horribly wrong.  My intent is to learn as much as I can and get it right without having any problems, but it will be good to have them there to help if there are problems.

• I need to be done with this soon.  We may be spending more time in Shadowmoon Valley.  I will at least.  Imralion will be going there soon.  It will probably be easier just to rent a room at the inn.  If I can afford it.  If I can’t, then I guess I’ll have to make a portal back or sleep in a tent with him.  With the infernals, I prefer stronger cover than a tent.

• I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a pinch with the money.

• I’ve been researching what I can about this Black Harvest.  I haven’t found very much on my own, but I remembered where I’m from.  I grew up on Murder Row.  There are people who know things there, and if they don’t know, they’ll find out.

• So, one morning last week while Imralion was off for his training exercises on the Terrace of Light, I made a portal to Silvermoon.  I’ve been practicing, but I hadn’t taken it before.  I’m still a little nervous about making portals between two worlds, but this time I did take it.  There was a short drop, nothing major, and I didn’t wind up in the wall or stuck in the floor or anything horrible like that.

• I met with someone I hadn’t seen in a very long time.  He tends to know about things, about things that are kept secret.  He had been one of my regular clients at one point.  He remembered me, and let me in.  He made sure to say he wasn’t interested in anything I had to sell.  I told him I was buying, and mentioned I was looking for information on an organization.  He asked which one.  I told him the Black Harvest.  He asked why a cheap whore wants information on them, and said I was getting in over my head.  Maybe I am getting in over my head, but he doesn’t have to insult me.

• It was his way of saying he knew something.  I pushed a bag of gold his way.  He laughed.  I found another bag of gold hidden in my cloak and pushed that his way too.  He laughed again.  He said he’s no fool.  My pretty face has more earning potential than that.

• Except I don’t do that anymore.  I tried telling him that I have respectable work now as a scribe, and he laughed again.  I kind of figured out then that he wasn’t going to believe me.  I had one more hidden gold purse in my cloak.  I took it out and put it on the table.

• Maybe I can talk the owner of the building in Shattrath into letting me pay twice the rent next month.  I hope.

• Anyway, with my rent money, he started talking.  He said he knew of them.  They’re a secret group of summoners.  He said he wasn’t sure, but thought they were researchers into new advances in fel and demonic magics.  There were some sin’dorei involved.  I asked for names.  He looked at the gold I had already given him, then to me, and told me that would be extra.

• Of course, I didn’t have any extra at that point.  The second bag was supposed to be my extra.

• So I told him I already knew what he just told me.  I needed more information for the price I was paying.  I thought of the name Kes had written down and given me.  I asked him about it.

• He smiled and told me to come back in a week.  He would have something of interest for me then.

• He better be there, and it better be something good.

Teniron’s New Armor

Teniron Whitemorn slipped the helmet on over his head, and looked in the mirror one last time before pulling back the curtain.  “I look ridiculous.” he stated flatly to the woman sitting on the bench of the armor shop.  He’d never had a full set of matching armor before, but this was definitely not what he had imagined it would be like.

Kit’s lips curled in what looked to him to be an only partially hidden smile.  If she was trying not to laugh, then that would mean they wouldn’t have to get it.  He had to give her credit for not actually laughing.  This particular set of armor was hideous, unless you were a peacock, or hawkstrider, maybe.  The fanciful plumage on the shoulders was bad enough, but the helmet had the same silly looking strip of long feathers along the top of it.

Kit’s expression softened to a sympathetic smile, “Besides how it looks, do you like it?  How is the fit?  It’s not too heavy, is it?”

“It doesn’t matter.  I’m not wearing it.”

Kit frowned, “Close your eyes.”

Teniron raised a brow.  Closing his eyes wouldn’t help.  He’d have to make sure everyone else’s eyes were closed too.

“Just forget what it looks like for a second.”

Teniron sighed and closed his eyes.  “I still feel ridiculous.”

“You’re not forgetting.  Keep your eyes closed and tell me, how does it fit?”

“The fit is fine.”  Teniron said, opening his eyes as he moved his arms back and forth to test his mobility in the armor.  “Are you sure this is good armor?  It seems really light.”  He tapped on the back of one of the gloves as if he expected to dent it.

“It’s supposed to be light.  It’s ghost iron.  It’s stronger than it feels.”

“Does it come in styles that don’t make me look like I’m trying to become an attraction at the Darkmoon Faire?  Someone may mistake me for some strange bird in this set.”

Kit smiled, “In fact, if we’ve found the right size, they have some different styles for you to choose from.  You can pick the one you like.  We’ll have it made in your size.”

Teniron removed the helm.  “Anything but this.”  He followed Kit to look at the drawings of their other designs.