RC:- Ye Shoppe in Crooked Lane

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"By Beshaba's glass eye, of course it's locked from inside!"

Seeing the lack of response from the storekeeper's side of the door Knomal observes the lock, and notes that there is a keyhole from outside. An idea flashes in his mind and he takes out that new pin from his cloak.

"Not a finest tool, but 'tis worth a try..."
I trained in this, did I?, he thought, My guise is down anyway, and this one's too confused to protest. Thinking this, Knomal tries to pick the lock with a silver pin.

[This message has been edited by ayecapitan (edited July 06, 2001).]

 

"Bloody Hell!" Xalen curses under his breath as his gaze darts back to the locked door and the key still sticking out of the keyhole.

Seeing little alternative, Xalen climbs the last two steps and walks into the relatively dark room. As his eyes adjust to the dim moonlight, he sees noone in the imediate room. However, there are two exits off to the side, one of which is slight ajar. Xalen feels uneasy with this situation, getting a grave sense of danger. He unsheaths his bastard sword, holding it in his right hand as he steps toward the two doors. As the adrenaline pumps through his veins, he throws upon the ajar door and gazes coldly into the room beyond.....

 

Downstairs: Knomal's first attempt with the improvised tool only succeeded in dislodging the key from the far side. At the second attempt there was a satisfying click and the handle could be turned.
Ned turned round and said: "Hey, was that bugger a friend of yours? only he just stole the 'Cursed Dagger of Sethyn'!"

Upstairs: Xalen entered a bedroom. He could see little or nothing in the darkness, only that the skylight window was open letting in the cold night air.

 

Xalen curses to himself for not being quicker. Perhaps he could have caught this man's killer and found out what in the world is going on in this town if he had only thought the situation through a little better. Dismayed as he was, Xalen is snaped back to reality by the sounds of a door downstairs being opened.

"I can't be found lurking around here when there's a dead body downstairs and no killer to account for it. I'll be in a dungeon cell before morning if I don't make a hasty exit as quickly as possible," Xalen thought to himself.

He quickly sheathes his sword. Scanning the room for any possible escape route, Xalen's only option seems to be a window on the far wall straight in front of him. Xalen opens the window and peers down to the side alleyway running between this shop and another run down building. Quickly scanning the scene, Xalen sees noone immediatly near except the occasional rat scurrying below. He gauges it must be a twelve foot drop at least to the dirt allyway below. Quickly in a last ditch attempt to break his fall, he unties his bedroll and lets it fall to the ground below the window. Thinking the jump may still be a little much, Xalen lowers himself out the window and hangs down as far as he can before he falls the last six feet to the ground, landing relatively unscaved it apears. Xalen quickly re-rolls his bedding and scurries to the front street to look for Knomal....

 

Knomal opens the door and looks around the room
"Damn! Damn! Damn!"
He muttered a few curses and let Neb in. He gave the lad some time to comprehend the situation, taking a walk up the staircase.
The window in the uper chamber was open and Knomal figured that the lady has escaped. Nothing was here to find now. But... He rushed back to Neb.

"You said, Oliver met customers by appointments? I need to see his journal, where he kept the entries of his clients. You know anything of the lady? Was she... elven?"

 

Xalen collected his senses as he made his way to the front of the shop. Cautiously, he walked to the front window and peered in. He saw noone inside, though a door leading to the back of the shop was open. "Someone must have discovered the body by now," he thought to himself as he scanned the stores interior. He checked his pack, making sure the Elven antiquites book he found on the table was still there.

Looking up and down the street, he saw no sign of Knomal. "Where is the nine hells is he? This is no time to mess around." A yelp snatched his attention away from the street, and inside he could see Knomal's mut walking past the counter.

"Ah...he must be inside then, perhaps in the back room, if I'm lucky." Xalen walked inside the shop as casually as he could, stopping only to pick up a short sword from a shelf nearby. As he aproached the couter, he could see the young clerk's back in the doorway.

"Ahem, good sir, I noticed this small sword on the shelf outside. It seems to have a certain *aura* about it. Is it, by chance enchanted?"

As the storekeep turned to look at him, he could tell the obvious by the pale expression on his face. However, something in his eyes told Xalen he had no idea who he was, making him assume he had left no traces for anyone to discover right at hand, and as soon as he could make his way into the backroom again, he would make sure his presence earlier would not be discovered.

Feigning shock, Xalen said, "Why whatever is the matter lad. You look as if you've seen a ghost..."


OOC: I'm gonna be out of town until Tuesday on bussiness. Don't bother tying up conversation with me as I can't reply until then. Ayecapitan, if you want to go anywhere, such as back to the Inn perhaps, just assume I'm following you back and am in your party. Just don't put any words in my mouth, ok

 

"Ohhh, what's to be done? Master Oliver murdered! Send for the watch" Ned cried. To Knomal: "Couldn't say if she was elven or no sir, had her hood up. All it says in the appointment book is: 'Magenta'."
To Xalen: *Please put the sword back sir, I'm closing the shop now and sending for the watch - before we are all slain in our beds."

 

"Let the watch see to the details. Neb, I advise you to stay out of business with any elven artifacs for some time now. Methinks, there is a rogue elf in the city killing all who try to put elven treasures in human hands. This might not be true, but mind my words..."

With these words he called for the dog and left the store, heading for the inn.