Sapphire:Sessions:20150328
Shawna and Chalker return to the Boar's Head. Cliff Tran leaves them to go to his girlfriend's house near Temple Row. In the tavern Rory, Trace, and Striker are having dinner. Trace relates that the portal-detecting device is broken. Earlier in the afternoon he had been studying its workings and had been mentally attacked by someone with Moedian training who had tracked him through it. He had fought off the attack, and he thinks that in time he can rebuild the device. (Shawna checks him and there is no difference in Trace's aura.)
Rory has joined the MapMasters Guild and has already made corrections and updates to some of their maps.
A little later Shawna visits Temple Row. She notes with amusement that two acolytes of Asseraah spot her and rush away.
Since sundown Ahn-Lee has been on a rooftop, watching a certain alleyway. Around 10pm a tall, scrawny kid enters the alley and sets himself to watch the street. Over the next several minutes about fifteen other kids filter into the alley, speaking quietly with the one named Jimmy. Jimmy listens to their reports, which include "the elven warrior has returned; she went into the Boar's Head."
After about three-quarters of an hour the other kids trickle away into the shadowy streets, leaving Jimmy alone. He leaves the alley and turns left onto the street. Ahn-Lee follows on the rooftops as Jimmy makes his way to another part of town. Jimmy goes around to the back door of the Green Lantern tavern, where an old woman lets him in. Ahn-Lee waits where he can watch the back door, and Jimmy emerges 45 minutes later, munching on a chicken leg. Ahn-Lee shadows him.
Jimmmy seems to sense that he's being followed and speeds up somewhat. Ahn-Lee, keeping to the rooftops, paces him. After a series of direction changes, Jimmy appears to think he's lost his tail. He goes around to the back of an old building, climbs the wall to the third story, pushes open a window, and crawls inside. It is midnight. Ahn-Lee watches for an hour, then decides to return to the meeting place in the alley after getting some rest.
Around 7:45am on Change Time 27, Chalker joins Rory and Striker for breakfast. Rory intends to go do some research at the mapmakers' guild. Chalker asks Rory to check on the progress of the Dolyena ambassadorial residence, giving him a signed and sealed authorization letter. Chalker comments that he might check in at the Bicarn residence.
Ahn-Lee, who had awakened at sunrise, makes the rounds of his various drop points to check for messages. He receives a notice that there is a meeting of his guild on the 30th which he is expected to attend.
Mounted on the warhorse, Chalker is riding through a marketplace when he spots a familiar figure strolling in the direction of Temple Row. Simultaneously, Ahn-Lee is traversing a marketplace toward one of his drop points when he sees the man who had hired him yesterday. Ahn-Lee follows; he wants more details about the person he's supposed to look for.
Chalker and Ahn-Lee converge on Jax at the same time. (Chalker is 6' tall, 200 pounds, tanned, dressed like a diplomat, armed with a sword and dagger. Ahn-Lee is around 30 years old, 5'11", 205 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes and a light tan, wearing loose clothing, light armor, and two sheathed long knives -- one at his waist, the other in a cross-draw position.)
Jax: "I could swear you both were following me."
Chalker: "I'm not following; you beckoned."
Jax: (looking at Ahn-Lee, pointing at Chalker) "This is the one who brought me back into the city. ... I expect him there tonight. Her info is generally quite good."
Chalker: "You wanted me to meet this guy, didn't you? (muttering) I should have hooked onto something."
Jax continues on his way. Chalker dismounts and extends a hand, introducing himself as "Chalker Jackson from Dolyena." Sizing up Ahn-Lee with a glance, he continues, "Jax meant for us to meet. You should know more about who you're dealing with. Come to the Boar's Head later. One of his followers can tell you about him -- if you want to stay alive, that is." Ahn-Lee retorts, "How do I know I can trust you?" Replies Chalker, "I have money and a warhorse. What would I want from you?"
The two men go their separate ways, Chalker toward the imperial palace. Ahn-Lee finds at his drop point a note to consult with another member of his guild, a man of lower rank than himself, mid-afternoon today at the north market square at a food stall.