Ch. 1, Scene 1: The Order of the Silver Rose

Sensing a bit of discomfort from Hal as he responded to him, Kyle straightens up and stops leaning on his chair. If not courage found in the cup, then the foolhardiness sometimes provides a reasonable alternative, my good man. Regardless, I will be happy to protect you from any false courage by bravely interposing my gullet 'twixt you and all wineskins, he says with a smile. Sincere or sardonic, though, it's hard to say. But lucky for us all I am as sober as a devotee of Essendra before a priest Rilar.

Yawning, Kyle takes in the Sahaugin's ambience as he waits for the Baron. Swinging his arms as if to shake off pins-and-needles, he strolls around the tavern, passing the lutist. Thankfully, said performer is nearing the end of the ballad. There are only so many times one can hear "The Courage of Fair Gertrüde" without it being every so slightly jaded. Wandering over to the poker game, he watches silently as the hands are drawn and dealt, and the coins change hands—with merriment or remorse as may be. I wish I had the stake to play a round or three. It's a crying shame my coin pouch is so lean. I hope this adventure for the Baron will address that need as well. Rubbing his right eye as if something is caught in it, Kyle backs away from the table and returns to his newly-met acquaintances just in time to catch Nyx's flame play.

Kyle smiles at as she causes the candles to glow in obviously unnatural colors. M'lady Nyx, how magnificent! The radiance of the candles is only outshone by that of your lustrous locks!.

At this moment, a handsomely dressed man enters the tavern and, after some pleasantries, introduces himself as Baron Tremayne and invites the assemblage into the back room. Kyle follows the others, and listens intently to their stories. Holy oath? Well, that may explain Hal's over-ceremoniousness. I'll need to keep that in mind, and out of reach of that polearm. So, Sylvanos is young for an elf and just leaving home? It's so hard to tell with them. They could be 20 or 200 and they look just the same. The lady Nyx enjoys merry chaos; good to know what pleases her fancy. Miss Eirika may be the single most logical—and least expressive—person I have ever seen. Except for that one philosopher bishop of Biveshin in Camborra. No one was as emotionally expressionless as he was.

Sensing a lull in the conversation, Kyle rubs his hands together nervously for a moment and begins to provide his tale:
Upon conclusion, Kyle steps to the sideboard and pours himself a glass of red wine. Swirling it around, he inhales the bouquet and takes a larger-than-would-be-delicate sip. Ahhh. Better than that ale would have been, he thinks. Pairing it with a wedge of soft, rich, deep-yellow cheese, Kyle leans against the sideboard to hear the remaining stories.

Baron Treymane sips his wine as he looks from face to face, taking each story in turn:

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Some time during Erikia's tale, the barkeep comes in with two pitchers of ale and a bunch of steins. An attendant behind him brings a tray with two loaves of hot, fresh bread, and an assortment of jams and jellies."...and I'll speak of my own association with Provos at dinner as well, should you remind me. But for now, to business. You're here," the man explains, "to catch a thief. A thief and a traitor to my house, as it were." He gestures towards the door. "Four times in the last six weeks, items of value have disappeared from my estate. All occurred when there were guests in the manor, but sadly, no two guests were present for all four of them. Given that these thefts all seemed very opportunistic and the guests were somewhat disconnected from one another, that means that only a member of my family or my household staff could possibly be responsible."

The Baron takes a long swig from the wine bottle, the glass forgotten for the moment. "I have sequestered them all on the manor grounds; aside from myself, none of them has been on or off the grounds since last kri-Fiquy, the day after the last theft. I've given no public reason for this, and thus far, they've simply given their apologies when people come calling and declared themselves otherwise engaged, but that won't hold forever. People will eventually notice. And I'd prefer not to have my private affairs spread throughout the city if I can help it." He leans back in the chair. "You'll come by to dinner tonight and be put up in the manor for a few days. You'll be given ample opportunity to interview everyone, including me, during that time. You'll be free to explore the grounds, although any search of someone's room must be conducted with that person present. You'll find the guilty party and report it to us, privately, and we'll handle the discipline of the guilty party privately as well. Thus will the thief be caught, and none of the citizenry need be any the wiser."

"Is that assignment acceptable to you?"

Kyle's ears perk up at the mention of missing valuables. Catch a thief, eh? Interesting times. Four thefts, six people, no two present at the same time. Sounds like a logic puzzle just suited for our scientist of the arcane. Kyle took another glass of wine. Last one, he thought, I can't let my guard down, even here.

Bowing in the direction of the Baron, Kyle begins, Your Excellency, the assignment seems eminently suitable, at least for me. Far be it from me to jump to conclusions, but I hope that a satisfactory resolution for his Excellency would manifest in a satisfactory resolution for the assemblage? Kyle coughs uncomfortably when he realizes what he just said, especially in light of the Baron's increasing irritability. Hurrying on, he adds Your Excellency, I note that you started your sequester the day after the last theft. Have you considered that one of the conspirators—and it seems likely there is more than one person involved—may have left the day of the last theft?

Kyle listened attentively as the Baron described his predicament, focusing on both what the Baron said and how he says it. He blushed as the Baron playfully called out his mercenary question, but quickly focused on the answer. My training should be useful here, and favors from the nobility may be the most powerful currency of all—especially in my predicament, he thought.

Kyle stretched and cracked his back, which had settled while the Baron spoke. Watching the elf leave—nearly flee—the tavern, Kyle briefly wondered. Perhaps he just doesn't like cities. Or even people, Kyle thought considering the elves frozen responses to Kyle's questions in a foreign tongue.

Forgoing a third glass of the excellent vintage, but fortifying himself with a square of some remarkably pungent blue cheese, Kyle approached the remarkably logical and, to be honest, strikingly beautiful but somewhat aloof blonde. Already, he had a list of questions about the stories, although he knew now was not the time to ask the Baron directly, especially as the latter had signaled the end of the conversation by leaving his seat. However, Ms. Wintersun seemed to be the person whose mind could focus most closely on these kinds of problems.

Waiting until she responded to Hal, Kyle began, Miss Wintersun? Or Eirika if I may? What did you think of the Baron's story? I noted some absences in the description. For example, did anyone see Tinnah mount the gryphon with the necklace, or could it have already been removed whilst she waited on line? Are we certain the spear thrown by Xanth was the enchanted one, or could it have been switched even earlier? With the poker game, did the lights actually go out or did the participants simply lose their vision temporarily. If the former, the thief would have to have had a familiarity with the room and its layout. If the latter, well, any yokel could have taken the money. Lastly, the Baron did not describe how the goblet was taken or from where. Simply that it was. I find that…unsatisfying. While we have plenty of time to think, especially once we enter the manor and are sequestered, I would appreciate your considered thoughts on the matter, m'lady. Kyle took another bite of the cheese and glanced around to see if anyone else was listening.

Rolant, Rupert, both are just as good. Maybe I’ll use that in the next town in which I need to lay low. Kyle nods as Eirika explains her thoughts. However, as Tante Lude makes her observation, Kyle’s brow furrows and he frowns. My instincts do not run that way, but you are correct, Madam Lude. Or is it Mother Lude? This adds an entirely new level of complexity. If any stage, such as the casing, the entry, the theft, or the extraction were done by magic, it makes it less likely this was an inside job. As his mind processes Tante Lude’s observation, Kyle doesn’t precisely notice that he has slipped into more technical jargon.

Seeing that Tante Lude is leaving with Nyx and Hal, Kyle continues, While I would love to pick your brain further, I don’t wish to keep you. Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to tag along as all of you explore the town, Kyle says, realizing that both safety and anonymity lie in numbers, and that going with Nyx, Hal, and Tante Lude would keep him in the largest group.

Kyle follows the group as they ascend from the Saughin. Hal’s demeanor seems to have brightened once out of the tavern, and Kyle listens attentively to the descriptions of the paladins. Although it rankles him slightly to have been specifically ignored by Hal, he realizes it’s probably a result of his needling Hal in the tavern. For now, he is content with following and listening, learning more about both the town and his new companions.

Why would someone give up worldliness?, Kyle cannot but help himself interject. Give up pleasantries and comforts? I mean, if you have a "higher" calling, I guess. Kyle’s sardonic overtone on "higher" is so audible as to be almost visible. But for us normal folk, that isn’t a thing. Creature comforts are good, and the more the better!. Kyle looks quizzical as he finishes his outburst, almost as if he were surprised at himself for speaking out.

In any event, I think I would skip the bath, unless one, both, or all three of you lovely ladies would care to join me. Kyle waggles his eyebrows so vigorously that it is clear, at least to him, that he is good-naturedly flirting as opposed to propositioning.