“Well,” Iliskra said as she pulled her notes free from the depths of her bag, then tying it back, “these are hardly plans for seizing a city. And as for the defenses of Jadarl’s estate… I admit that the place was… well… easy.”

“Perhaps this Jadarl does not consider the Talons a threat anymore.” Ibdur said, “If Breck and his men, outsiders to the goings on in this city, learned that the Talons were gasping their final breaths surely Jadarl knows that they are. What I mean… is perhaps he thought there was no need for elaborate defense against thieves.” The dwarf immediately frowned and looked down at the floor, clearly not believing his own poor theory. 

Something was definitely out of place with all that had happened earlier. Elthel’s sudden disappearance, the admittedly lackluster defenses - even considering the golem and the guards - the trick safe… [i]Was it bait?[/i] Iliskra wondered as she ruffled the parchment in her hands. [i]A trap that did not work out as it was meant to?[/i] She doubted this. Jadarl was supposedly in the close employ of the elusive Shagarm who was set on taking over Scardale Town. A clumsily laid trap meant for the likes of the Ashaba Talons did not fit the image of this would-be conqueror or any “right hand” of theirs. 

Iliskra’s eyes wandered over the parchment in her hands. “Well,” Ibdur demanded, his burly arms crossed, “what do you have there?”

Iliskra blinked and stammered for a moment, “Uhm… m-most of what was in the letters was… logistical.”

“Logistical?”

“A report about a rise in recruit numbers… weapon shipments due in coming days… reports on Red Wizard encroachments… but…”

“But what?” Ibdur asked.

It was clear that Iliskra was distracted. The half-elf’s eyes shifting about as she looked up from the papers in her hand. “But they are sparse in detail. As if rushed or…” Iliskra trailed off again and the annoyance on Ibdur’s face was becoming more apparent. [i]Elthel disappearing… the mediocre defenses… the safe… and now the vague letters… and that ring…[/i] 

“Tempus damned it, elf,” Ibdur barked, spreading his arms in impatience, “if you have something brewing in that skull of yours then spit it out!”

Iliskra’s head snapped up, her eyes instantly locking with Ibdur’s causing the dwarf to recoil slightly as the notes she had taken all suddenly slipped from her grasp and scattered across the floor. Iliskra then looked and Leon and said without hesitation, “We need to leave here right now. And discard everything we took from that mansion.”

“Hold… [i]what?”[/i] Ibdur demanded, raising both hands up indicating he wanted an explanation from Iliskra. 

Iliskra stood up from Leon’s bed and scurried past him and Ibdur over to the door, as she reached for the knob she looked over her shoulder at Leon - her eyes filled with intent. “Leon, that ring was [i]meant[/i] to be found. It [i]was[/i] too easy to break in and make off the way we did! The safe with the stone of alarm was probably even just a ruse to sell the trap! Leave everything you took here in your room and meet me in the hall. Then we must leave.”
Iliskra hoped Leon understood her implication, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door to his and Ibdur’s room without another word or a second look.

“What in the nine Hells is she raving about?” Ibdur asked Leon, eyes wide.