Chapter 6 (Continued)

[AftermathGM]

The two militiamen are surprised -- and, it must be pointed out, a little disappointed -- by the sudden turn of events. When the chatty one asks Ishan for verification, he says it's okay to let them go as they have more important things to be doing than hanging about Tumbledown. They step aside to let Georg and Asra pass, though neither puts their baton away until the two miscreants are well on their way.

* * *

Following Ishan's directions as quickly as they can, aware of time passing more quickly than they'd like, Asra and Georg turn down Hunter's Street in Dockside and slow as they approach Baker's Alley. Asra is the first to spot the sign hanging outside their destination. It's one of the better areas in Dockside, which isn't saying a lot. It's a pocket neighborhood of respectable trade offices, though Georg knows that these would be handling mostly basic-level logistics and secure storage for smaller cargo not suitable for the large warehouses in lower Dockside. The offices for the large trading companies that handle the much more complex and far-reaching trade decisions and bookkeeping are located in Highside or near the Plaza. An inconspicuous and unimportant sort of place for more sinister deeds.

At first it's not obvious that the entrance is being guarded, but posting goons at the door is a sure way to draw attention. They watch the street for a few minutes and spot two candidates for goonhood that appear to be keeping a careful eye on the approach to the office, though there are enough other buildings nearby with appropriate sightlines that there could very well be others. Ishan appears to have been right about the front entrance being well guarded. The building does have three floors and there's a back alley that might also provide access to the building. Each building in this district shares a wall with the neighboring building as well -- it's possible there's access that way as well.

[AftermathGM]

The time it takes her to flex her fingers gives Iana the chance to run through a few more calculations. Not that she is seriously considering attacking the water-bearer, but even those brief seconds of thought remind Iana that she really is not in any condition to physically overpower anyone right now.

First things first, though: scratching her nose. And her eyes.

Then, drinking the water, and eating the food. No telling how long she is going to be here - although she hopes that someone is coming for her soon, soon, please, soon! - and she cannot afford to get her thinking even more cloudy from hunger or thirst.

And maybe the silence will get her new captor to say something? Not that this taciturn woman seems to be the sort who would feel awkward in silence, but Iana can hope...

For a while, it does seem like the woman is content to just stand there and glower, before she finally does say something else. She cocks her head and her hip to one side, studying Iana. "So do they not teach you how to avoid capture in that fancy Obsidian College of yours? Seems like that might be one of the first things they teach a spy."

[Ianaeveli Tigenet]

For a while, it does seem like the woman is content to just stand there and glower, before she finally does say something else. She cocks her head and her hip to one side, studying Iana. "So do they not teach you how to avoid capture in that fancy Obsidian College of yours? Seems like that might be one of the first things they teach a spy."

Iana does not mind the woman standing or staring or glowering: it is better than several alternatives that she can think of, and probably many more that she cannot. It means that Iana has some quiet time to focus on drinking - oh, she had been _thirsty! - and eating, and recovering enough of herself

And of course the woman's first remark is that.

"Well, they also teach us how to support our fellow agents in the field," Iana fires back sourly. "It looks as if Ishan skipped that lesson."

Perhaps she should not have taken that bait. Probably she should not have. But her emotions are frayed, and near to breaking, and at least she has managed to turn the taunt around a little.

[AftermathGM]

"Ishan? That's the big guy that brought you in? Hm."

The woman seems less than impressed, but then again she seems less than impressed about everything. At least in the brief span of time Iana has known her.

"Leverage is a terrible thing sometimes, you know. You make bad decisions, they have consequences. Those consequences have consequences and so on and so on until," she says, spreading her hands out wide, "everything's one big consequence and someone you trusted has to pay up and you end up tied to a chair in a Dockside basement."

Was... was that a clue? There's a flicker in her eyes that's quickly suppressed, but it might have been a realization she'd said too much?

"You done yet?" she grunts, jutting her chin at the tray.

[Georg Elsebethson]

At first it's not obvious that the entrance is being guarded, but posting goons at the door is a sure way to draw attention. They watch the street for a few minutes and spot two candidates for goonhood that appear to be keeping a careful eye on the approach to the office, though there are enough other buildings nearby with appropriate sightlines that there could very well be others. Ishan appears to have been right about the front entrance being well guarded. The building does have three floors and there's a back alley that might also provide access to the building. Each building in this district shares a wall with the neighboring building as well -- it's possible there's access that way as well.

Georg fills Asra in on what Ishan said on the way, then finds a spot to scout out the building. "Ishan wasn't sure the back would be guarded well," Georg murmurs, "But they'd have to be pretty overconfident not to have someone keeping an eye on the alley. If they're just relying on locks in the back though...well, if you're feeling spry I could toss you up to a window on a higher story." He eyes the neighboring buildings. "Or we could see about busting through a wall. It's not going to be quiet, but the element of surprise might work for us."

[Ianaeveli Tigenet]

"Ishan? That's the big guy that brought you in? Hm."

The woman seems less than impressed, but then again she seems less than impressed about everything. At least in the brief span of time Iana has known her.

"Leverage is a terrible thing sometimes, you know. You make bad decisions, they have consequences. Those consequences have consequences and so on and so on until," she says, spreading her hands out wide, "everything's one big consequence and someone you trusted has to pay up and you end up tied to a chair in a Dockside basement."

Was... was that a clue? There's a flicker in her eyes that's quickly suppressed, but it might have been a realization she'd said too much?

With a little food and a lot of water in her, Iana's mind is starting to spin back towards its usual speed - and feeling like it was doing so naturally, not the desperate gear-grinding whirr she felt earlier when trying to force herself to figure out something, anything, about what has happened to her.

All right - she's in Dockside somewhere. How did they get her out of the Archive? And how can Iana use that information? She still has no way to get a message out, but if she ever finds one, she has at least a little more to give.

But also… Someone you trusted has to pay up. The part of Iana that has been Ishan's friend for all of those years still hurts, hearing that.

Even if the part of her that is, at present, tied to a chair in a Dockside basement thinks He didn't have to.

But at least it's an explanation - or, at least, part of one. What could these people have on Ishan, to exert that kind of leverage over him? She wishes she could ask, but doubts that she will ever get anything from this woman.

"You done yet?" she grunts, jutting her chin at the tray.

She debates stalling a little more, but suspects that it would not work, not with this person. So she takes one last bite of cheese, and washes it down with the rest of the water. "I am now," she sighs.

[AftermathGM]

The woman nods, her expression set in a stony scowl. Finally, she exhales a long half-growl and walks around behind Iana's chair again. As expected, she reties the restraints on her free hand, though maybe a little bit more loosely? Not so loose that it's going to be easy to worm free of them, but possibly a bit more humane in terms of blood flow.

Unexpectedly, she undoes the restraints on Iana's other hand as well.

"Work your hand. Get some feeling back in it before I tie it back up," she says flatly and remains behind Iana. From the sounds of it, she either rests against or sits on a box back there.

[Asralynn Beauchaud]

Georg fills Asra in on what Ishan said on the way, then finds a spot to scout out the building. "Ishan wasn't sure the back would be guarded well," Georg murmurs, "But they'd have to be pretty overconfident not to have someone keeping an eye on the alley. If they're just relying on locks in the back though...well, if you're feeling spry I could toss you up to a window on a higher story." He eyes the neighboring buildings. "Or we could see about busting through a wall. It's not going to be quiet, but the element of surprise might work for us."

Asra has to cling to Georg most of the way, trying to not make it obvious that her head was swimming from one little spell. But the idea of his tossing her into a window tinges her face green. "If you value not being covered in my earlier meal, I would advise against throwing me," she tells him quietly. With a shuddering, stabilizing breath, she looks around.

"If its a matter of getting to the back door unseen, I could try putting up a barrier for a few moments that would hide us from sight. But it would be temporary and I could not guarantee its success right now," she offers, before looking him up and down. "How confident are you in your strength that you think you can actually knock through a wall like that?"

[Georg Elsebethson]

"If its a matter of getting to the back door unseen, I could try putting up a barrier for a few moments that would hide us from sight. But it would be temporary and I could not guarantee its success right now," she offers, before looking him up and down. "How confident are you in your strength that you think you can actually knock through a wall like that?"

Georg makes a waggling motion with his hand. "Depends on how good the builders were and how cheap the people who paid them were. If this were in a more well-to-do part of town there'd be a good fire wall between them, but here..." he trails off, taking in their surroundings. "Even with thin, cheap walls it'll be noisy, though, so the barrier might be better to keep quiet as long as we can."

[Ianaeveli Tigenet]

The woman nods, her expression set in a stony scowl. Finally, she exhales a long half-growl and walks around behind Iana's chair again. As expected, she reties the restraints on her free hand, though maybe a little bit more loosely? Not so loose that it's going to be easy to worm free of them, but possibly a bit more humane in terms of blood flow.

Unexpectedly, she undoes the restraints on Iana's other hand as well.

"Work your hand. Get some feeling back in it before I tie it back up," she says flatly and remains behind Iana. From the sounds of it, she either rests against or sits on a box back there.

Surprise widens Iana's eyes as the woman unties her other hand. She breathes another sigh as she flexes her other hand: working the feeling back into numbed and stiffened fingers, rolling her wrist.

At the end, she offers a quiet "Thank you." It comes out sounding a little more earnestly grateful than she had hoped - her barriers on her emotions are still too low, everything rubbed as raw as her chafed wrists and ankles.

She almost dares to turn to look at the other woman - she knows that there is something behind her, and is more curious with every passing moment. But she will be alone again soon enough, and will be able to try to look more freely then.