Burnside watched me intently (Patreon)

while the stew cooked, but she didn't say anything.

After a while, one of the Ixies returned.

"Sire, we found Ash Marten taking his ease in a town about six miles away," she reported breathlessly.  "He seemed quite relaxed, even jovial, and not at all surprised to see us."

"That's just the way he acts," I remarked.  "What did he have to say for himself?"

"He freely admitted that he is playing both sides.  If thou wantedst him to serve only thee, then thou shouldst have made him swear an oath of allegiance.  So he sayeth."

"I knew it!" I groaned.  "Did he give any particulars about what the rabbits did to block my scrying?"

"He hath sent a messenger with further details."

A moment later, Lysander came stumbling through the underbrush.

"Gevalt!" the monkey exclaimed.  "These woods are getting harder and harder to pass through every time, what with the tulgeyness and the security and the rabbits watching all the time.  Why Ash had to send me all this way to relay messages when the bug-thing was coming here anyway, I don't know.  Anything I could say, she could have told you.  I think it's just antipathy all of you jerks have towards me.  Lysander, he'll do the dirty work.  Lysander, nobody will mind if he suffers.  What's one monkey in the grand scheme of things?  What's one monkey to a high and mighty elf?"

"Since you endured such hardship to bring me a message," I interrupted his rant.  "You might as well make it worthwhile, and tell me."

"Okay," Lysander began, after taking a deep breath.  "Ash said to consider this a lesson in dealing with shady characters like him.  He didn't do anything to stop the rabbits and the shoe cult because you only specifically directed him to find out about this Zandar person.  To show there are no hard feelings, he sent information about Zandar's movements and actions.  You want her known locations, I've got them all written down.  We found police reports, church records, wanted posters, real estate contracts, the works.  Sorry to say, but this femme, she's looking more and more like a murderous psycho.  A real floozy too.  Not marriage material if you ask me.  Ash  is willing to renegotiate his contract with you, but you're going to have to be more cutthroat and quicker on the uptake if you don't want anymore surprises.  Is that stew?  It smells great.  Is there any lizard in it?  Because I can't eat lizard."

"Heh heh," Burnside chuckled.  "Ain't that just like ol' Ash.  He's always playin' every angle.  Way too picky about his killin' though."

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