Part 3: Plativa

Two weeks later, Indyana and Pierre had traveled quite some distance. They were no closer to finding Blazing Star or her poachers, however, than they had been when they started. In Bariston, they had found nothing. Indyana's acquaintances there reported no unusual travelers passing through, and no one had seen a large purple dragon either. Mildly dejected, they had traveled on to Plativa.

The city was hustling and bustling. The markets were full everyday, and this paired with the heat of summer made the atmosphere stifling and hectic. They had been in the city for two days, and today, Indyana had decided to visit some friends in the back street section of the city. In the city center, the markets were surrounded by beautiful stone architecture. It was in these high and lovely buildings that the important aristocrats of the city lived. Directly beyond these buildings, there was an inner moat and a high, sturdy stone wall covered in ivy that separated the city from the palace. Inside this palace, King Gedolin and all the royalty lived. Where they were going, however, was far from the luxury and placidity of the palace. The city outside of the stone buildings and fine walls was darker and denser. Houses of wood, straw, and mud crowded together here along with the larger wood buildings used for bargaining and gathering. It was in one of these wooden buildings that Indyana and Pierre now sat—Hillman's Bloody Notch.

The tavern, though rough at times, was respectable as far as taverns went. The name came not from excessive violence, but from a joke made by the owner, Hillman, and his friends. Indyana and Pierre were seated at a table near the fireplace, where they could watch the door.

"Bill should be here soon," Indyana said, sipping at a pint of cider. Pierre, who was perched on a chair across from her, nodded to show he was listening but watched the people in the tavern with interest. He had not found what he was looking for in Bariston... but here he felt somewhat closer. He had no love for cities; however, he was determined to find the right bonder for his daughter. So far, no one had materialized, but he remained confident. As Indyana liked to say, patience paid off nine times out of ten.

"How about a flower for the lady?" A male voice with a thick city accent suddenly drawled, jolting Pierre out of his detached examination of the tavern. A lean boy, probably 17 years of age, suddenly slid over on a chair and leaned into Indyana, sticking a rose near her nose with a hopeful look on his face. His black hair was long enough to flop comically over his eyes, which were muddy gray but sparkled with mirth. He was dressed in an ensemble that seemed elfishly flamboyant to Pierre. He wore a deep green tunic over a red cotton shirt and dull orange leggings. In his other hand, he held a jaunty green cap with a few long, faded orange and red feathers in it. An entertainer, Pierre realized. He tensed up and prepared for trouble; Indyana would certainly toss the kid across the room.

"Hello, Krisr," Indyana said. She sounded less than enthused, but Pierre relaxed. The boy must be an acquaintance of hers, or her reaction would have been far less civil. As it was, she gave Krisr a sideways glance and cocked an eyebrow at Pierre.

*A friend of yours?* Pierre asked her privately. Indyana grimaced.

I suppose you could say that, he heard her think reluctantly, before she pushed Krisr's hand away from her face and gave him a shove.

The boy overplayed the push, tumbling comically across the floor and landing sitting up with his legs splayed out. He melodramatically held his head, as though to stop it from spinning. Then, he glanced first at Indyana and then turned to the other occupants of the tavern. He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned wolfishly, and the patrons watching him laughed. Getting up, he swept his cap onto his head and dusted himself off. Slowly, he pushed the cap down in front and straightened his shoulders, like a fighter getting ready to go into the ring. Then, he marched back across the floor towards their table. A few feet away, he suddenly leapt up to sit on their table, casually leaning on an elbow in front of Indyana.

"If not a rose, perhaps the fair maiden prefers violets?" He asked, suddenly producing a small bouquet of violets and giving Indyana what he obviously thought was a charismatic grin. The audience applauded politely. Meanwhile, Indyana, who liked to maintain a low profile, was giving Krisr a look that told him she was seriously considering beating him later.

Look out, Pierre, Indyana warned. Pierre leaped to the side as Indyana gave Krisr a heave that sent him rolling off the table and onto Pierre's chair. The chair flipped over, and Krisr rolled a few feet before landing on his back, limbs spread across the floor.

"Lilies?" He asked in a weak voice, holding up a single white lily in one arm. The audience roared with laughter. Krisr got up slowly, hunching and theatrically flinching with every movement. "Oh, my poor heart," he moaned. "Alas, thy fair maiden has shunned my love! Alas! Alas!" At that moment, a waitress walked by with a platter of ales. Krisr turned only his head to watch her as she went. "A lass!" He exclaimed, brightening and hurrying to chase her.

As the audience chortled, Indyana suddenly spotted Bill moving unceremoniously towards their table. Pierre noticed too and pulled over the chair Krisr had been using, to add a place to the table. Now maybe they would get somewhere...

* * * * * * *

"Those people I mentioned before are definitely into somethin' big," Bill told Indyana and Pierre after he was settled in and sipping an ale. "They've been makin' arrangements. Some 're normal--a ship, supplies-- but some 'ave made the crew wonder. They requested a few bales o' hay, but they've no horses or beasts of burden with them. Also, they requested a large metal cauldron be moved into galley, next to the stove."

*That's weird... that sounds like egg preparations,* Pierre said, and Indyana nodded.

"Yeah, that's what I figured... you're not lookin' for an egg though, are you?"

"No, but if these men are smuggling eggs, I'd better put a stop to it," Indyana says.

"Aye, there are laws against it, o' course, but the city's got more crime than it can handle already. It's easy for smugglers to slip through the cracks 'round here."

"We'd better get some people together and go check it out," Indyana told Bill, who nodded and swilled the last of his ale with a tip of his head. "Pierre, you'd better stay here."

*What?! No way!* Pierre protested growling.

"Pierre, they're egg smugglers," Indyana said, pointing to his egg-stage daughter, who was hanging in the pack on his back at the moment. "I let you bring her along, but you and I both know that Clarinet would ring our necks if anything happened to her." Indyana crossed her arms and gave Pierre a firm look.

*Perhaps we could leave her here... it will only be for a short while.*

"Unattended?" Indyana asked, raising an eyebrow. As soon as she said it, she regretted it, because Pierre's gaze had immediately fallen towards a certain young entertainer, who was currently busy pulling coins from behind people's ears and flipping them off his fingers into his hat. She shook her head. "Oh no, not him..."

*Come on, Indy, he looks like he wouldn't hurt a fly. He seems cheerful enough too!*

"Cheerful? Yes. To be trusted with an egg? No!" Indyana said.

*Indy, all he has to do is hide the egg somewhere and keep an eye on it. It should be easy enough to do... it looks like he'll be here for a while.*

Indyana sighed. If Krisr was here now, then the kid was probably booked for the entire day, if not the week. He wouldn't be going anywhere during the next few hours. Also, what Pierre had said was true; he wouldn't hurt a fly. The boy had a heart of gold, even if he was a bit loopy... okay, a lot loopy. Finally, she nodded.

"All right, we'll ask Krisr to watch the egg. Bill, you go and get together some of the old crew. Pierre and I will get ready and meet you over at the docks, near Earnhart's."

Bill nodded and got up slowly, wishing Pierre and Indyana a good day and acting as though he had to get back to work. Then, he moseyed out of the tavern. Indyana, meanwhile, was looking less than happy as she motioned to Krisr to be quiet and come over to the table.

"Hello, m'lady," Krisr greeted her, grinning. Indyana motioned for him to sit down.

"Okay, Krisr, I've got a job for you," Indyana told him. The boy immediately looked wildly happy.

"Really? What is it? You name it, you've got it! Fighting evil pirates? Battling oppression and greed? Oh, I know, saving the realm from destruction by the forces of darkness!" Krisr seemed ready to take on anything... in his own way. Meanwhile, Indyana was struggling to contain her exasperation.

"Actually, Pierre and I wanted to run some errands, and we were wondering if you could watch his daughter for a bit."

"Oh... of course!" Krisr said, quickly regaining his enthusiasm. "I promise, I'll watch her like she was my own."

"Thanks, Krisr," Indyana said, taking the egg pack gently off Pierre and handing it to Krisr, who peaked in at the egg and waved.

*Yes, thank you very much,* Pierre told him sincerely. He felt bad for the boy... relegated to egg-sitting duty. Krisr, however, seemed to take pride in his new responsibility.

"We should be back soon," Indyana told Krisr, picking up her own pack and standing.

"'Til we meet again, m'lady," Krisr said, bowing carefully with the egg. Indyana and Pierre moved the leave the Notch, and Krisr stared after them.