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=	[Dragon] 1.08 - The Black Boot Inn - Fight!			=
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Tawas looked at the dagger. It was old.  Tawas knew very well that dwarves
and elves had a reputation of hating each other.  Tawas was no exception.
Tawas didn't like their stubborness and their manner.  Still, Tawas was
part of this team. He was supposed to answer Adain's question. He decided
that this was not the right moment. Tawas thought about it for a while and
made up his mind.  He said to Adain, "I received this medallion from a 
person.  I have no information about this person.  Therefore I cannot 
answer all your questions about this medallion."

Then he took out a small dagger himself.  He threw it to another table where a 
hooded knight was seated.  Tawas said to the man, "Ever since my friend 
came this inn, you have been following us.  What is your purpose?"

Tawas had sensed that someone was watching him last night -meeting with 
another elf- and this morning when he headed back to the hotel. He 
figured that this man must be the person who was following him.

Prytzouth sat in shock.  In the name of the mother, what the HELL is going
on?! he thought.  Where did this guy come from?!  Prytzouth scolded
himself; he was usually a very observant person, but it seems that he had
made another slip as this hooded stranger apparently escaped his
detection.  This did not bode well.  What kind of assassin and psionist
had Prytzouth become since his loss? 

The stranger stared at the dagger.  He didn't say anything.  He placed 
money on the table and started to leave.  Tawas looked at his companions 
and waited for their reaction.  He didn't have to wait long.

Thanin, who generally considered himself to be a good judge of character, 
felt pretty damned sure that Tawas was not lying about being followed 
last night.  If someone was after Tawas, then the entire group could be 
in some trouble.

Jumping to the floor, the dwarf cut off the hooded man before he could 
take another step toward the inn's entrance.  He knew their 
difference in size made such a stand-off look almost comical, but 
Thanin had faced more than enough opponents to know how to handle 
himself in a fight.  Enraged, the dwarf roared, "what the hell is going on,
stranger?"

Thwuck had moved silently, but with great speed. Apparently he had left his
morningstar elsewhere. From two hidden pockets in his leather suit, he drew
two identical, vicious looking weapons. They were short, and 2 curling
blades were wrought around the central one, to form a pommel (* Is this the
right word? *) that could block as well as cut.

The stranger never got a chance to look at his newest assailant. He simply felt
two blades, one against each side of his neck, making it impossible to turn
around without injury. Thwuck had crossed his arms, enabling him to cut right
through the stranger's neck in one scissor-like movement. He growled with his
meanest voice: "Stand still and answer quickly!"

As the dwarf made move to cut the stranger off and Thwuck jumped into
action, Prytzouth pocketed his stone, stood up out of the chair, and
stretching to his full height, he thrust the tip of his sword into the
wooden floor with a resounding THUMP!  He stared at the hooded figure with
his good eye and nodded in Thanin's direction. 

Brianna started to rise and quickly decided that one more 
sword against this man would do no good.  She turned herself 
and her sword instead towards the rest of the patrons in the 
inn, to see if anyone would come to this man's aid before her 
companions had decided what to do with him...

The stranger didn't move, and it was unnecessary for him to move again. 
When Tawas saw the quick attack from his companions, he was amazed with his
companions' skills.  However, he was suprised with the strange counter
attack.  Before the dwarf and Thwuck put their weapons across the stranger's
neck, two small daggers had been pointed to the dwarf's and Thwuck's
stomaches.  The pointed daggers were used by the stranger.  The stranger
said to Thwuck and the dwarf, "Let us put our weapons down, or else this
place will have blood." 

Prytzouth noticed the subtle flash of daggers and realized the stranger 
wasn't entirely helpless, although he definitely didn't have the 
advantage of the situation.  Even with his two daggers, the stranger 
would, no doubt, be finished with a twist of Thwuck's wrists, and 
something told Prytzouth that Thwuck wouldn't be affected too much by a 
dagger in the gullet.  He grinned.  There were many times when he 
remembered his cousin, Maurkel, and he both received almost fatal 
injuries, if it were not for their teamwork and their psionic healing.  
Maurkel...

Quickly, Prytzouth returned his attention to the situation.  The hooded
stranger was outnumbered and cut off; what would it hurt to let him have
some breathing room?  "Stranger, you're both outnumbered and outclassed. 
I believe it is you who will be laying down your daggers.  In doing so,
perhaps my companions will also feel obliged to let down their
weapons...slowly." he looked meaningfully at Thanin and Thwuck. 

"And sir, if you'd be so kind as to sit down so we may settle this
misunderstanding."  He nodded at the bartender, who at the time was
staring wide-eyed, hoping his bar would stay in one piece.  The bartender
quickly grabbed a few mugs from below the counter, filling each one with 
ale.

Even as Thwuck's blades pressed into his neck, the stranger never ceased
his arrogant laughing.  He gazed at Prytzouth and his companions and
chuckled.  "My master must be foolish!  Anyway, I am not going to put down
my daggers unless you put down your weapons first.  I will not tell you
anything except this: my master sent me to find someone.  Apparently, one
of your friends fit the description of my master's friend." 

Although the stranger was outnumbered and out-classed, he was not afraid of
being killed.  He waited for the group to put down their weapons.  Tawas liked
this stranger's character. 

Thanin knew the man's daggers, unless enchanted, would be relatively 
ineffective at piercing his armor.  However, the dwarf stepped away and 
sheathed his weapon, not wanting to cause the inn's owner any grief.  
After all, Thanin thought, he does serve some of the best ale I've ever 
tasted.
 
The dwarf seated himself, took out his pipe and lit it.  This should 
prove interesting, Thanin surmised as he blew a ring of sweet-smelling
smoke into the air.
 
Brianna saw that the others were backing off, so she backed against the
wall and leaned on her sword. Still eyeing the stranger, and watching
the bartender start their way with drinks.  She had a feeling she would
need one.
 
Thwuck pressed his blades ever so lightly against the stranger's neck. Small
flecks of red appeared in the coarse cloth of the hood. Then, as if he'd seen
all he wanted to see, Thwuck stepped back and released the stranger from his
deadly hold. "Now speak!" he growled.

The stranger turned around slowly. The look he gave Thwuck was not one of love,
but his demeanor was not threatening either. He put his daggers back in their
hiding places and took the chair that Prytz offered him. "I see that some of
you are wise after all," he said, as he seated himself. "My master's orders
imply that I ignore this uncalled-for incident. But do not think that I will
forget it. Repayment will come in due time."

The bartender arrived with a tray full of mugs. "These are on the house, dear
sirs." Hastily he moved back to the bar, occasionally looking back over his
shoulder as if to ascertain himself that the violence was contained. Prytzouth
nodded, fished a couple gold coins from his pocket, and flipped them to the
bartender anyway. 

"So, what is your business, stranger?"  Prytzouth asked. 

"Him."  The stranger pointed at Tawas with a sly grin.  "My master
requires his attendance." 

Tawas appeared unsurprised, almost as if he expected this encounter.  He
nodded, knowing fully that he might be walking down an irreversibly
dangerous path, but for some reason, he was intrigued.