Interclan relations

Alfarinn had been about to ask Thaddeus's take on it but the last statement made him stop short. He stared at the Anantya in shock more than anything else. A thousand questions suddenly filling his mind. Like did he try to stop the man? Why didn't he mention this before? Shouldn't he be able to recognize this person if he saw him again and if he couldn't why not?

He gritted his teeth in an effort to stop them from pouring out of him and took a deep breath.

"Perhaps you should explain."

Thaddeus nodded his head, slowly and sadly.

Yes, you need to know this.

He closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts and memories. He appreciated the way Alfarinn had asked him; not a prying inquisition, but a request for facts. Still, it was hard for him to separate the facts from...everything else. When he finally spoke, his voice was completely flat.

Just the information. Once that was all out, they could line it all up and see where it led.

I went to the gazebo that night as I had done every night that summer. It was the night after my turning. The gazebo was surrounded by rose bushes; you could access it only through a path that led to a latticed archway through the hedge.

I stood in the archway. I saw a figure in a black hooded cloak crouched over her body, his back to me.

He held her head in one hand and a large, curved knife in the other. He stood.

Here Thaddeus's jaw tightened.

Her head was still in his hand. Her body lay on the floor of the gazebo. When he stood, I could see the stake in her chest.

And then I ran.

Thaddeus opened his eyes and looked at Alfarinn apologetically. Those were the facts; he couldn't change the fact that he ran when he should have stayed. Often enough he had imagined running toward the killer, not away, and tearing him to pieces.

But these were the facts.

The archway was a good distance from the gazebo proper, and naturally it was quite dark. I am afraid I did not get a good look at her killer at all.

Thaddeus breathed deeply. It was somehow easier to tell Alfarinn than he had believed it would be; perhaps because he did not know the man well, it was not so hard to detach himself from the personal feelings involved and simply speak. Perhaps it was the way he simply listened quietly in much the same way Thaddeus himself would listen to such a tale. Even now Alfarinn made no move to interrupt his retelling, or to hurry him along. Silence stretched out for a long moment before Thaddeus spoke again. He hadn't covered every detail; some things he couldn't remember, some things he just didn't want to speak of. But he thought the relevant facts were on the table.

It was a long walk to the Gazebo. The killer had to have been efficient; it was utterly quiet as I approached. I'm...afraid that's all I know.

Alfarinn nodded when Thaddeus was done. He hadn't needed to ask questions after all.

He reached out and grasped the man by the wrist and looked at him directly, grey eyes meeting a matching pair across from him.

"She wouldn't have wanted you to stay. It would have only gotten you killed and that would not have made her happy or served any purpose. You did right and now you're alive with a real possibility of finding her murderer and making him pay."

Alfarinn let him go and leaned back.

"You're a lot stronger than you think you are."

Thaddeus felt his eyes widen slightly when Alfarinn gripped his wrist. He had been so far away still, half in the past. The other man's touch brought him slamming back into the present full force. He couldn't look away; Alfarinn's eyes seemed to hold his mind in place as surely as his hand gripped his own.

It was over as quickly as it had begun, and Thaddeus found himself looking back at Alfarinn from across the limo. He didn't know if he quite dared to believe what the other man had said, but he found that he did not doubt the sincerity of Alfarinn's statements. He was further surprised to discover that he was not unnerved in the least; a bit sad, and becoming tired, but mostly simply -present-.

I can only hope to, in some way, live up to the great cost of my own existence.

Thaddeus rubbed his chin, then looked sharply at Alfarinn.

We have a blue eyed, hooded vampire who murdered Emma for personal reasons, but happens to be an accomplished killer. We have an accomplice of some kind. We have a ring that was held for 300 odd years, and then dropped deliberately by the accomplice, I believe with the intention for Mai, and thus me, to find. Whether they know about my abilities or not, it should be no surprise that I would take an interest in this ring, and that I want very much to find Emma's killer.

We're being manipulated in some way. Engineered. And I don't fully understand what sort of game they're playing.

Alfarinn smiled slightly at Thaddeus's push past his statement. Always the picture of social grace but this was not easy on him. It would be best to get the rest of the discussion over with quickly but efficiently.

"It should then stand to reason that the accomplice knows you or Mai."

He paused to let that sink in a moment.

"To know you well enough to know where to drop it and what you'd do with it when you found it suggests more than passing knowledge of either one or both of you. That is very interesting and most disturbing."

That is indeed a disturbing possibility, but I fear you have the right of it. The accomplice seemed to walk rapidly to his destination, if I can judge anything by the beating of the handkerchief on his thigh; moreover, he would have had to move quickly and precisely to avoid attracting Mai's attention. It would have been tricky business indeed, I imagine.

But this begs the question once again: what is the connection between the accomplice and the killer? If only we had seen the ring change hands to better grasp the nature of their relationship. There are a myriad of possibilities here. Perhaps the accomplice is not an accomplice at all, but simply the one the killer sold the ring to. Perhaps the accomplice somehow discovered the ring's origins and decided to return it without a confrontation.

Thaddeus shook his head in the negative at this. That does not seem a very logical motivation for all of this trouble. But what else could it be? The accomplice must have known the personal risks involved in dropping this ring, as well as the danger it would bring to the killer.

More than the accomplice being familiar to us, I fear that we are dealing with two very contorted minds.

Alfarinn frowned in thought.

"That is the biggest problem, the connection between the two. You'd think that if they were working together the second would not have dropped the ring somewhere you would find it. But if they were not working together then how or why did the second person end up with the ring? Perhaps... here is a thought.. perhaps someone else out there did an investigation of Emma's death a long while ago and came across the ring as a result. Perhaps the assassin lost his trophy and they found this but not the killer. They may have only now decided the time was right for you to find it and see if you have better luck."

We seem to have more on the killer than this second person and he is certainly the one we're most concerned with for the moment. So lets concentrate on how we're going to find him."

Thaddeus nodded his head in agreement. All of the theories to explain the relationship between the killer and the accomplice seemed thin to him, his as well as Alfarinn's. But perhaps finding the killer would make things more clear.

Very well. I cannot help but feel we are playing into someone's hands even now, but I see no other reasonable way to proceed.

A vampire, likely quite old or even ancient, with a personal interest in Emma's murder. Who were Emma's enemies? It seems to me that Evenhet and Anantya enjoyed peace all those years ago, though I imagine there were personal rivalries that went beyond the competition you and Emma had.

Alfarinn shrugged helplessly.

"I can't honestly think of anyone that hated her enough to kill her. Its not something you'd do without dire consequences from your clan...assuming you had one. She was Order of the Night and its quite possible that she brought back information which caused her to have enemies from time to time but I don't know who those would have been. Perhaps you could look at some of mission logs prior to her death and see if any stand out. Look for anything unusual or just make a list of specific vampires that she bested that might have held a grudge."

He smiled grimly.

"Of course I'd be on that list. She'd certainly bested me from time to time and vice versa. "

Alfarinn thought a moment.

"The House of Pain has come up twice also. It was seen from the room the ring was left in and that seems to be where the second person dropped the ring. We could watch the area for anyone meeting the description of a large form with bright blue eyes."

He wasn't sure if that would work or how long it'd take to pay off but it was a possible direction.

I will certainly investigate our records and attempt to glean some useful information from them. As for the House of Pain...it seems to me that this location points more to the accomplice than the killer. However, I still think it is a good idea to keep a close eye on the area; observe the social circles, watch the apartments nearby...see the lay and the pattern of the place.

Yes...I feel this could lead us somewhere. We would have to be extremely careful though; The House of Pain is a dangerous place in an even more dangerous area. Not to mention the consequences of our being seen together...we must proceed carefully indeed.

Alfarinn tried his best not to grin, after all Thaddeus was being serious,but he could not help it when the mental image of the three of them skulking around in the shadows of the popular nightclub in trenchcoats and fedoras came involuntarilly to mind. Never let it be said that he did have his sense of humor even in the oddest of times. Still it would not do to voice this.

Alfarinn's eyes danced with mischief as he did at least say.

"We could see about taking up a post in one of the buildings across the street from it where we could watch the entrance of the House of Pain and its neighbor buildings."

He frowned after a moment.

"That is unless they never leave the sewers."

Oh my god.

Oh my god...that...particular possibility did not occur to me.

Thaddeus sat up a bit straighter and hoped Alfarinn did not attach much significance to the slip. He also did his level best to avoid shuddering.

It's just the sewers. A little...disgusting...slime and...smells...are nothing compared to the dangers we'll surely face. Just the sewers.

Oh my god.

We should alternate between the streets and the sewers, possibly even inside the club itself. See all of the angles, and then see which avenue holds the most possibilities.

Alfarinn quirked an eyebrow at Thaddeus and grinned.

"Well they aren't exactly my favorite place to be either, I promise you. The limo gets me where I need to go just fine without trudging through sludge besides that is a good way to ruin a perfectly good pair of shoes."

He looked down at the expensive set he currently had on and shrugged.

"It is for a good cause, however. I'd say we could install a camera but other clans might not take to kindly to that besides we still might miss something. Best we watch it ourselves."

Alfarinn wondered just how much Thaddeus disliked the sewers. If he were afraid of rats or something then they were going to have problems. He wasn't about to carry him the entire way, though that thought was amusing.

"You're going to be all right with that?"

Thaddeus took a moment to check out Alfarinn's shoes. Very nice indeed. Looks like we'll be wearing rubber boots for a while though. Thick rubber boots. Ugh.

If his voice was a touch higher when he replied to Alfarinn, he didn't notice.

I'll manage. What choice do we have?

God, they'll be rats down there. I'll manage. I can do this.

Still, Thaddeus couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt. He had never in his life handled the presence of filth well, and the mere sense of a rat gave him shivers. He would do what he must, of course, but this would certainly not be easy for him.

I shall have to create an excuse in case my clan asks questions, but I imagine I'll come up with something. Perhaps I will rent an apartment in town and claim I desire more privacy as of late. That might prove a safe meeting place for us as well.

Alfarinn had lingering doubts about Thaddeus's ability to handle this upcoming situation with ease but he let it go. They'd just have to wait and see.

"Hmm, well if you'd given me that excuse it'd make me terribly curious but then I was Order of the Night and curiosity does seem to be common amongst our kind. Perhaps you could say you've met a human that interests you?"

He smirked slightly before continuing.

"I hear even Anantya associates with them from time to time." Alfarinn continued on past his light teasing lest Thaddeus take serious offense, hopefully the boy had a bit of humor under there or this was going to rough association. " That would explain your need for something here in the city for a while before you brought them back to your clan. Or if that does not appeal to you then you could always claim a need for familiarizing yourself with the times. You're old enough to have potentially lost a since of the modern ways of doing and thinking." He sighed. " It happens to us all and for some it is extremely difficult to cope with. So it would not be out of place for you to want to understand this age a little better."

He shrugged.

"Or you could tell them that you desire more privacy. It would just seem to me that you're up to something."

Thaddeus allowed himself a conspirator's smirk.

Trust me, I know my clan. And they know me. If I told them outright that I've taken up with a human they'd be immediately suspicious...I don't exactly have a reputation for dallying with them and I especially would never discuss matters of that nature with my clan leaders. I'd likely be followed, if they allowed me to leave the Manor at all; they might presume me ill and force me to stay in bed until they can find a cure!

God, he could just see it now. It would be an absolute circus in the Manor if he told Morrigan and Sorin that he had a "human interest."Â? Sorin would probably bring that dreadful video camera in hopes of catching Thaddeus doing something undignified.

He saw no point in arguing that all of Anantya avoids extracuricular contact with humans; though it wasn't discussed, the knowledge was common enough. It was not, however, typical of Thaddeus.

However...if I told them, discreetly, that I wished for more privacy, and did so with just the right inflection, perhaps not looking them quite in the eyes, looking secretive and blushing...I suspect they would come to the obvious conclusion, but would be respectful.

Alfarinn's eyebrows rose in response to this statement. Well, looks like the boy is capable of acting as well. He feared Thaddeus was one of those in the Order that did all the research but never went on such social missions. Not everyone had the capacity to play a part. This new revelation was quite fortunate, no doubt they'd need those abilities before this job was all done.

He smiled slowly and nodded understanding.

"I believe that should work quite well. Perhaps I have been with Evenhet too long, I forget the habits of my Anantyan counter-parts. That should take care of a place to meet and a place to watch the street from."

Alfarinn swiped a hand around the outside of his eyes, ending with them pinched on his nose in absent thought.

"I don't know that there is anything else to discuss, other than a time we wish to start this venture. We can go over and over the images and feelings until we're exhausted but I have a feeling that we'll end up doing that in our own minds regardless. No doubt we'll come up with things not mentioned at this time."

"Is there anything else you can think to add?"

Thaddeus stirred uneasily. The image of the killer and the strange feeling that had come over him still bothered him to some extent, though he trusted in Alfarinn's evaluation of the situation.

Still, it nagged at him.

No, I suppose it's best to give all of this time to sink in...there's a great deal of information on the table to sort through.

I believe I can procure an apartment quickly, within the next day or two. It would take a little longer to set it up for suitable living, but a few days of absence from the Manor would only confirm that I've met a human of interest.

What would be the best way to contact you discreetly once I have made the necessary arrangements?

"Carrier pigeon?" He grinned before thinking on the question seriously. Looking down thoughtfully for a moment, Alfarinn made up his mind.

"My personal pager." It was how his Clan reached him also. Alfarinn had two small pagers clipped to his belt. One for his human contacts at Meridian and one for Evenhet. Such knowledge could be used to lead him into a trap but Thaddeus had trusted him and it was only right for him to do the same.

"1-800-253-2746"

Thaddeus nodded his head and he wrote the number down in his notebook, on a clean sheet. Once he was sure the number was committed to memory, that page would be burned; though his notebooks were either on his person or locked in a cabinet, Thaddeus Grey was not known for being a risk taker.

He was familiar enough with pagers, having seen them before if not actually ever using the device, and thought the solution a good one. He reflected that he should probably procure one of the devices for himself, so the communications could go both ways.

Very well. I will contact you soon, and make arrangements for you to contact me undetected should you have a need.

If this concludes our business this evening, Mai and I ought to be going. We should be able to find our way on foot from here; Mai has no love of automobiles, even ones as luxurious as this.

Thaddeus looked to Mai fondly, taking a bit of her billowing sleeve at the elbow between his thumb and forefinger and running down the length of the silky fabric to her wrist. She had done well, staying here so long and being so patient and helpful. Thaddeus admired her composure in what was an uncomfortable situation for her, and only hoped he could show the same grace in the sewers.