"That was close, I didn't like being on the floor," Gavril bemoaned. "This has been happening way too often. I miss out on the battles!"
"We will keep you upright if we can get to you," Ursina replied.
"We still need to talk with that Assassin who had our names," Ciprian reminded the party as he and Erevel entered the rooms at the inn.
"Thank you all for saving my life. I will put in a good word for you when we see the Princess," Dahab interjected.
After relaxing for a short while and having an evening meal, the party began asking Dahab questions again.
"What work do you do for the Princess?" Ciprian began.
"Well, I am kind of a information broker and sometime spy," Dahab replied.
"Have you heard of the name Biting Lash."
"Where did you hear that name?"
"We were looking for someone to help us secure supplies and transport for a desert trip."
"Yes, I have heard of Biting Lash. I doubt that is her real name."
"You said "her". How would you know she is a she?"
"All the Gnolls and Hyenas are led by females. You should know that."
"Do you know where her tower is?"
"No, I am not familiar with her tower or residence."
The party then recalled that they had seen female leaders at the fleshfair and the Princess was certainly important. Ursina had been paying close attention to Dahab's words.
"I don't think you are telling the whole story. You know something else about Biting Lash," Ursina challenged Dahab.
"I'm telling you all I can," Dahab replied.
"We have saved your life. If there is some issue or something we need to know you should tell us." Ciprian said with a slight threat in his voice.
"I really can't tell you anything. It is up to the Princess. She and Biting Lash are bitter rivals."
"I suppose that makes sense. We will just talk to her tomorrow."
The discussion continued for some time with more question and answers about Fazar and his possible link to the Princess. Nothing new was learned. Dahab was not sure what Fazar, or whoever, wanted with Princess Njano. The party also tried the Confabulation plates on the Assassin, but he apparently succeed in repelling the magic and did not respond to Gavril's questions.
The party then spent a well needed night of rest with no ill effects. Paullus even awoke as Paullus no Agna was heard from. After researching spells for the day, the group headed out with Dahab to the Palace of Waterfalls to meet with Princess Njano and return Dahab, almost whole.
No tail was noticed and Barnabas did not see any group waiting to ambush the party. Arriving at the Palace, Ciprian turned invisible with his new ring and the group was met by the highly armed bodyguard.
"Aren't you missing someone?" she lightly inquired.
"I'm sure he will be along," Erevel replied.
The party was led to the main reception area where Njano was pleased to see Dahab.
"We will have to do something about those ears though, maybe a new hairstyle. It is great to see you alive," Njano observed.
"I owe it all to these heroes who saved me from a creature I thought was my new lover," Dahab replied.
Further discussion followed with the heroes describing the situation they found at Salir's Fine Leathers, poor quality, bad business transactions and the missing Salir. Ciprian said that they had the body of the Pairaka Div and began to pull it out of the bag of holding.
Njano directed her bodyguards to take the corpse for examination. "This thing thought it could challenge my position? Unbelievable!"
As the bodyguards approached Ciprian the dark woman growled at him, as usual, spitting some denouncements of his weak skills. They took the body and left the room.
"Please join me for a brunch," Njano offered.
"Blossoming Thorn is a defensive tower, sixty feet tall. It is Biting Lash's main stronghold," Njano offered. "I respect her as a worthy rival, but I will crush her!"
Late in the meal Gavril, Paullus, Ursina and Erevel noted that the bodyguards had not returned. They asked Njano about this as they recalled they were always around when the group previously met the Hyena Princess. Njano was concerned and called a slave close asking her to check on Kisetz and Hakoor. Some time later the slave returned saying that the pair were no where to be found.
Njano assured the heroes she would be safe as she directed Dahab to begin gathering some of his people to protect her. The heroes, anxious to head to Blossoming Thorn but unsure of being followed, asked if there was a way to cross the river here at the waterfalls so they could wander back into Okeno hopefully unobserved.
Njano provided that as here estate spanned the river and the group headed to the east through back streets and some alleyways. An hour later they arrived at the tower which sat alone in a cleared area.
The building was clearly designed for defense, not for looks. It was a cylindrical fort 60 feet high and capped with lush gardens. The outer walls were large, smooth, tightly fitting stone blocks with no windows.
"This is the tower I have been looking for. It was in one the whisper messages we received," Gavril noted with finality.
Paullus directed Barnabas to fly over the top of the tower, not too close, but trying to see any possible enemies. The rooftop terrace was a magnificent garden. Trees grew in abundance, the area was rich with flowers, and numerous statues dotted the garden. A large tent rose in one area, while a elegant wooden pavilion rose not far away. The tower was a cylinder as Barnabas noted the empty circular middle of the top, with gnolls and humans on the sandy floor of the tower.
The invisible Ciprian circumnavigated the tower using detect magic to try and find secret doors or windows. He found only single arched entrance that allowed access. Moving as close as he felt safe at he could see gnolls and humans in the middle of the tower apparently training at fighting with spears. The arched entry was around twenty feet high and there were no obvious gates or traps.
DM's Notes: The heroes earned 4000 XP for the night.
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