‘This changes things.’

Robin was sitting with his back to one of the large stones that protected their little camp outside Bordertown. Lantha was pacing back and forth while Ora-Jean, Fiamah, and Grathilde quietly argued amongst themselves about Robin’s news.

‘Does it, though?’ Grathilde asked. ‘We still need to get back and tell—’ she shot a glance at Robin, ‘—people what we know.’

‘We don’t want to give Basgar several more weeks to build up his strength,’ Ora-Jean disagreed. ‘We need to sabotage his efforts.’

‘There’s no reason we can’t do both,’ Robin interjected. ‘I’ve already made contact with a rebellious element within the town who have agreed to help us escape. We can work with them to unite the other fractious elements into an organised resistance. Then, use their first assault against Basgar’s power as a distraction to help us escape. Basgar is kept too busy at home dealing with a small rebellion while we hightail it back to Noviel, and you can deliver whatever it is I’m not supposed to know about to whomever it is I don’t know.’

‘It’s a solid compromise,’ Fiamah conceded.

‘It’s ruthless,’ Ora-Jean said approvingly.

‘It sounds fun,’ Grathilde added.

Lantha looked at them all.

‘It could work,’ she finally said. ‘I don’t like leaving things in the hands of someone I don’t know, but there aren’t many options.’

‘And you can always get to know the someones and choose the best one to support,’ Robin said. ‘We just need an excuse that people can use to gather that won’t draw any suspicion. I suggest a performance by yours truly.’

Robin waved his hands through the air and used [Visual Phantasm] to have them trail rainbow sparkles.

‘Fine,’ Lantha said after a long moment. ‘Set up the meeting with your friend from the tavern and get a list of the strongest elements in town that are keen to resist Basgar. We’ll split the list and do some research of our own. I want to make sure these people can keep Basgar occupied long enough for us to get back to Noviel with news of the danger.’

‘Consider it done!’ Robin grinned.

‘And we keep our eyes peeled for any information that might help us get through that gate or over that wall,’ Lantha commanded. ‘I’d prefer we have some backup options in case our new “friends” don’t come through for us.’

‘I can focus on that,’ Robin offered. ‘I doubt I’ll be much use assessing the fitness of potential insurrectionists. That’s not really a skill I’ve had much call to develop.’

‘Fine.’ Lantha said. ‘You do that.’ Then she proceeded to break down her orders into individual missions for Fiamah, Grathilde, and Ora-Jean.

That suited Robin just fine. He could use some time to think, anyway. He needed to decide how to handle the forthcoming deal with Avanus and, potentially, the Queen of Air and Darkness.

He’d edged around the subject with the others, but none save Lantha had much of an in-depth knowledge of the fey, and Robin wasn’t sure he was ready to try and fish for information from someone as sharp as the elvish rogue.

So as the Sisters Sharp planned, Robin stared into the flames of their small campfire and pondered.

***

The streets of Bordertown were more crowded than usual. Guard patrols were up and the place was abuzz with rumours of ‘Marcher rabbitkin spies’. Robin suppressed a grin as he moved through the streets, day-pass and his very human appearance making him all but anonymous.

So far, it seemed his true identity remained concealed from Basgar and Gis. Definitely a good thing, considering they still hadn’t found a way through that northern gate. Speaking of…

Robin pulled up the latest version of the ‘evolving’ quest, [A Dangerous Bargain!]. It had changed a bit after he had successfully escaped from Gis’s private quarters with half the priest’s private correspondence (and no small amount of his personal wealth) burning a hole in his extra-dimensional storage space.

Quest Update! [A Dangerous Bargain!]

You have successfully acquired the information Avanus seeks in order to unite the squabbling factions of Bordertown into a single resistance! However, the warlock has presented you with a choice: escape from Bordertown or knowledge of the Lost God Rhyth. This quest line will reward you with only one.

Conclude your deal with Avanus. May your choice be the wise one.

Reward(s): A way out of Bordertown OR knowledge of the Lost God Rhyth.

Robin already knew he was going to ask for the audience with the Queen of Air and Darkness. The chance at finding out more about Rhyth was too good to pass up. Whereas getting out of Bordertown? There had to be ways and ways of doing that. It would be a lot more difficult without Avanus’s aid, but they should still be able to manage it.

He just needed to make sure Lantha and the others didn’t find out he’d tossed away a sure thing in terms of completing their mission, in exchange for information only useful to himself.

Robin already had a few thoughts along those lines. He’d planted the seeds of the idea of using an outbreak of rebellion as a distraction to get them through the gate, so if he stayed on Avanus’s good side and helped facilitate that rebellious distraction, well, that should be enough to keep the Sisters Sharp off his back and happy.

The Bell and Boar smelled of apples and hops and baking bread when he stepped inside. Robin took a deep breath. There wasn’t even a hint of sour beer smell in here. One of the employees, at least, must have some sort of [Cleanse] variant. Probably the tavern keeper himself, to judge by the gleaming state of the bar the man lorded over.

‘Hello, upstart.’ Lena’s voice was cinnamon honey. It was sweet and it set fire to Robin’s more sensitive extremities.

‘Morning glorious,’ Robin replied with a wink. ‘What brings you here at this ungodly hour?’

‘I could ask you the same thing.’ Lena nimbly sidestepped the question.

Robin noticed, in spite of the plentiful distractions Lena’s person afforded her. The woman was dangerous! He’d need to keep a rein on his head or he’d lose track of why he was here.

Speaking of.

‘I need to talk to Avanus.’ Robin tried to draw out the name, teasing Lena with the memory of the rivalry he’d conjured as part of his performance of ‘Jolene’.

Fortunately the bard was game to play along.

‘My rival?’ Lena affected a stricken look. ‘You wound me! As if I could sully my lips to tell you of that blaggard’s whereabouts’

‘So you do know.’ Robin was quick to pounce on Lena’s little slip-up.

‘Of course.’ Her smirk told him she’d intended him to notice. ‘I know everything there is to know in this town.’

‘And what would that particular piece of knowledge cost me?’

‘Darling, you can’t afford any of my prices.’ Lena laughed and walked away toward a table where a steaming breakfast spread had been laid out. ‘But the first one’s free, as they say. You’ll find him in the kitchen. Fetching me cream for my tea.’

‘Thank you.’ Robin lingered long enough to watch Lena walk away before turning to slip into the kitchen.

He kept one eye out for the cook, Kragar. The man clearly knew his way around a cleaver and Robin had no desire to make closer acquaintance with that particular implement.

Avanus was standing near the door to the cellar, a small jug in his hand. Presumably that was Lena’s cream. The warlock was idly chatting with Devanne, the tavern keeper’s wife.

If Robin were a betting entity, he’d wager Avanus was deliberately stalling. Lena tended to be quite imperious and there was no way that could sit well with the rebellious warlock.

‘Miss Devanne,’ Robin said with a broad smile, ‘I don’t suppose I could steal Avanus away for a moment? I have a message for him.’

‘Of course.’ The woman smiled and waved the two of them off. ‘I need to see to the upstairs rooms as it is. Good morning to you both.’

The mistress of the house moved off, and Avanus and Robin stepped out into the alleyway again. This time there were no cowled and shadowy figures crowding the place.

‘I’ve got what you wanted,’ Robin said.

Avanus merely nodded. Of course he’d believe Robin. His Queen had told him the bard would come through, hadn’t she? It was quite a lot of faith for someone who wasn’t a cleric, but it does take all kinds to make a world.

Robin plucked the letter from out of midair. He’d simply willed it out of his storage ring, but the effect was nicely showy, he thought. As Avanus reached for it, however, Robin willed it back, causing it to vanish.

‘I’d like to discuss payment, first,’ he said.

‘Fair enough,’ Avanus nodded. ‘Do you wish to have us secure you and your friends an exit, or do you wish for an audience with my Queen?’

‘It seems to me that is over-simplifying things a bit,’ Robin said. ‘I think I could do more to help you, maybe earn myself both rewards. Now,’ he held up a hand to forestall Avanus as the warlock opened his mouth, ‘I’m not trying to get more than we agreed upon. I simply think I can be of great service to you and your friends while me and my friends are in town. Which, well, I could persuade them to linger a bit longer and lend our aid, if that might be of interest?’

Robin paused to gauge Avanus’s response. The warlock had an excellent poker face. Made sense, considering who his patron was.

‘I’m talking experts from Noviel,’ he tried again, going for a bit of the hard sell. ‘And we’ve handed Gis’s backside to him once already. Twice if you count the incident with the kobold rebellion I incited.’

There, see? He had experience! Sweet Rhyth, it was like applying for a job all over again. Not a skill he’d expected to be transferable to a fantasy world of dark priests and lost gods.

‘I can take your offer to my friends. My other friends. Not the ones you, ah, met the other day,’ Avanus amended.

‘You have a lot of friends,’ Robin observed.

‘I’m a likeable person,’ Avanus smiled.

‘You certainly are that,’ the bard grinned cheekily at him.

‘And I take it from your offer that you’re inclined to request the audience with my Queen.’ Avanus turned the conversational tables on Robin abruptly.

Tricky fey-blessed warlocks! Robin mentally scrambled to adjust. The negotiations were suddenly in a different place than he’d expected.

‘I am.’ Might as well go with being up front. ‘Three questions, as offered. Provided,’ he shot Avanus a look, ‘that my offer to your friends is given preferential treatment. I’m afraid my wishes are not the only factor I have to consider here.’

Robin leaned on that truth a little, to make it bend the way he needed it to. Avanus didn’t question it but merely nodded in assent.

‘We will meet in the forest three days hence,’ Avanus said. ‘I need time to prepare for my Queen to grace me with her presence. The mental toll is not insubstantial.’

At least he wouldn’t be coming face-to-face with a Fairy Queen for this interview. Robin was torn between relief and disappointment at that. Though if he played his cards right, perhaps it wouldn’t be the last such meeting he had.

‘Agreed,’ he said. ‘Though I’ll begin working with your other friends right away.’ Robin retrieved the letter. ‘There’s an agent provocateur that’s sabotaging all of you, keeping tensions wound up so none of you are willing to work together to oppose Basgar.’

He passed the letter to Avanus, who snatched it and read through it quickly. The warlock’s face grew grave.

‘My friends and I can help in trying to unmask the agent,’ Robin said, sensing some of Avanus’s worry and trying to address it in order to bolster his negotiating position. ‘I believe I mentioned we’re experienced.’

Robin didn’t say at what. He knew better than to try to make possibly false promises to someone like Avanus. Vague, now, vague was fine! Vague he could do.

‘Agreed,’ Avanus said. ‘Help us unmask this agent provocateur so we can organise a resistance and in exchange we’ll help you and your party make it to Noviel.’

Result!

Quest Update! [A Dangerous Bargain!]

You have successfully revealed the presence of an agent provocateur to Avanus and helped the nascent Bordertown resistance!

Reward: You have secured an audience with the Queen of Air and Darkness, who will answer three questions about the Lost God Rhyth. Choose wisely! And good luck! You know what you’ve gotten yourself into, right? Best watch that tongue of yours…

Now he just needed to figure out which three questions to ask the Queen of Air and Darkness, finesse the truth with Lantha so she and the others don’t realise he’d cut a side-deal, find and expose an agent provocateur, and not get gutted by a creepy old priest in the process!

Piece of cake.

Like a dense Christmas fruitcake that no one wants to eat because it’s been in the tin for six or seven years and now bears more resemblance to a posh brick than anything else, but cake!

Right?