Brishen sighs faintly, propping her chin up on the palm of a slender hand as she stares fixedly at a tall stack of papers. Despite her best efforts, and the broad arc of polished wood that serves as her desk, the documents that pass through her hands every day still seem overwhelming. She sighs again, fidgeting a little on an austere, if attractive stool. "Ugh."

Through the latticework screen of the porch that adjoins the embassy office, a large lupine figure can be seen. "Ah … Missus Ambassador? Hellllooooo?" He snuffles at the woodwork.

At the same time, there's a knock at the office door, across the room.

Brishen glances out towards the porch, smiling faintly. "Wait a moment." Her dress whisks about her ankles as she stands, scooting about to lean against the front of her desk. Then, after a moment's thought, she walks over to open the office door. It wouldn't do to confuse the Titanian.

The office door opens, revealing Degarde, a black-robed kitsune, and a white-and-gold winged creature.

Brishen blinks, once, then smiles warmly. "Welcome to the Embassy." Her gaze narrows slightly as she glances at Degarde. This appointment was not scheduled for another twenty minutes, at least. She lets a vaguely apologetic tone creep into her voice. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm just finishing an appointment. If you'll wait a moment, I'm sure Degarde will make sure you have whatever refresments you'll need." And with that she casts another meaningful glance towards Degarde.

"Ah … er … yes, Ambassador," Degarde says, "… but he charges by the hour." He fidgets with the collar of his uniform. "Ahem … very well, then, let me see if I can get you some TEA, Mage Francisco… "

"Please," the Kitsune says to Degarde (but also to anyone else who is paying attention), "as I said, just 'Francisco' will do."

Brishen smiles again, then shuts the door gently behind her. She practically flies over to the other door, then stops, takes a deep breath, and opens it slowly. "Hello, come in!"

The Titanian ducks as he lumbers in. "I … I's awful sorry for runnin' way like that. I dinna know yas wanna ask me kestyuns. Uhm… " He looks around for somewhere to sit, and settles for a spot on the floor. Just as well – He might have crushed one of the chairs.

Brishen clasps her hands together, neatly, her smile gentle. "That's alright. And I really only have one question." She leans back against the front of her desk, "You saw something when you were working – I believe you called it "Yammerants". Could you tell me everything you remember about it?"

The Titanian nods his head vigorously. "She wuz black as oil, an … an really scary! An she kept askin' about foxies an about Missus Kara. Uh … I means, I thinks YOU. 'Cept she was callin' you Bree-AHN-nuh." He sounds like he's trying to attempt an accent on the last word, but failing miserably.

Brishen covers a smirk with a slender hand. "Oh? Well, perhaps she wasn't talking about me at all." Her voice is gentle as she asks again, "And she does seem to ask about foxes a great deal. What did she ask you about me?"

The Titanian furrows his brow, then says, "Uh … askin' if YOU liked foxies? And if you had lotsa gold. Guess she wanna buy some for dindin?"

Brishen tilts her head slightly. "She might. I don't like the idea of someone eating foxes for dinner, and certainly not near my embassy." The last two words are stressed, slightly. There's a few moments where Brishen looks at the Titanian thoughtfully, then asks, "When you saw her, was she trying to protect something? Did she try to hurt you?"

The Titanian furrows his brow in deep thought, again – quite a feat for his kind. "Ah … She wuz just scary-like. And she kept inneruppin me. I wuz gonna smash dat statue of the hornyhead."

Brishen looks down her muzzle at the Titanian, her eyes bright and just a little cold. "Oh. She did." And then her smile grows warm again and she reaches out to pat the Titanian gently. "You've done a very good job, and I'm glad you reported this to me. I want you to make sure that if you ever see this "Yammerants" again, that you make sure that the guard here knows. Do you think you can do that?"

The Titanian nods vigorously. "Shore!"

Brishen grins as she gently shoos the Titanian out the door. The image is somewhat comical, given how small she is, and how very large the Titanian is. "Oh, and what's your name?"

The Titanian says, "Stonhed! Of Clan KRAKK!" He smashes his hands together at the mention of his clan name, adding a loud clap for punctuation.

Brishen covers her ears with her hands and winces. "A very percussive name." She shakes her head, twice, then smiles weakly. "If you see Yammerants again, don't tell her that we've spoken. I want it to be a secret, hm?"

The Titanian nods several times. "Shhhhh!"

Brishen grins. "Yes. SHHH." And with that she starts gently ushering the Titanian out the door again.

The Titanian heads out the door, then turns back, grinning widely as he goes, "SHHHHH!"

Brishen shakes her head, grinning, then rubs her forehead until the ringing stops and she can open the door to let her other guests in.

Outside the door, Degarde can be seen, entertaining the Kitsune and Exile over some tea. The assistant stands, suggesting that his guests go to the office now.

Degarde ushers the two guests into the ambassador's office, and pulls out a chair for the lady Exile. Of course, these chairs are tailored with winged persons in mind. Alas, no such considerations were made for those with multiple tails.

Brishen leans back against her desk, absently smoothing out a wrinkle in her dress. After signing documents for so long, it's good to stand. "Hello, Francisco." She smiles a little. "And hello, Envoy. Welcome to the Embassy."

Francisco smiles, and bows a little in return to the Ambassador, before taking his seat. He's not had much luck with chairs suited for him today.

Degarde wipes his brow. "Oh! So you DO know the mage! Well, that's a relief."

Envoy smiles and bows to Brishen, but stays near the doorway while Francisco conducts his business.

Brishen crosses her arms, letting a grin creep across her muzzle as she looks at the Exile. "I do know Envoy, but I haven't met Francisco before. I do, however, have sharp ears."

The gray fox grins back. "I see that I have a reputation that preceeds me, Ambassador," he says. "However, I must apologise for this seeming like it is so abrupt, but if I could get to work with the object in question? My time today is precious, and I should like to give you an answer to your question about it by the time I have to leave."

Degarde says, "Ah … I believe we have a room that can be used … I can show the mage there, if you'd like."

Brishen nods. "Indeed. And if you'll remain at the Embassy, afterwards, I believe I have some work for you that will be both fascinating and profitable."

Francisco nods to the assistant, "Please." Looking then to Brishen, "I should like to discuss that, Ambassador," he replies, and heads off to follow Degarde.

The room is now empty, save for the Exile, who has been left conspicuously alone. The office is fairly spacious compared to what those in the Temple might expect. In fact, it adjoins a deck that provides a beautiful view of the north orchard, beyond which is the wall that runs around the entire embassy grounds.

Envoy pokes around discreetly, wondering what it is an Ambassador does, and how it differs from, say, being an envoy. There seems to be a lot of paperwork involved, and she casually scans the top page of the stack on Brishen's desk.

There are many papers on the desk, including several with diagrams of the embassy grounds and its surrounding areas. A map shows the embassy grounds and the surrounding areas of the Old City and Old Cemetary … but with notes that seem to suggest that things might be BUILT there, in place of the tombstones and ruins.

Envoy hmms at the plans, once she figures out where they are. Why would anyone want to build over graves? The grounds didn't look dug up, so maybe the Titanians are only removing the markers.

The light sounds of footsteps outside the office door herald the return of the ambassador and her assistant.

Envoy returns to her spot near the door.

Brishen brushes a lock of her hair out of her face as she returns to her spot at the front of her desk. "It's okay for you to sit, Envoy."

The Exile nods and takes one of the seats designed for Eeees, and thus accomodating to her wings. She pulls out a sealed envelope from her pocket. "I have a message for you, Ambassador, from the Temple."

Brishen beams as she takes the envelope and sets it down beside her on the desk. Then, on second thoughts she slips the envelope open and looks the contents over. Her voice is cheery as she squeaks. "Are you a courier these days, Envoy?"

Envoy manages a smile, "I run errands for the Temple, mostly. I'm not in the Bard's Guild anymore, though."

Brishen ohs, dipping her chin slightly. "I'm really sorry to hear about that." She murmurs, "Working for the Temple can certainly be interesting." The letter she keeps discretely canted away from the exile's eyes as she glances down at it.

Envoy keeps her silence while Brishen reads, not wanting to distract her from her work. If there's a reply, she'll probably need to take it back to the Temple…

Brishen frowns at the letter. Then, she brushes a lock of hair from her eyes and frowns again. "Well."

Envoy catches a glimpse of color off of the letter, and asks, "Bad news?"

Brishen looks fixedly at her feet for a moment, then smiles. "Not particularly." They're too late, anyway. I've done most of what I set out to do. Chalk one up for inefficient bureaucracy.

Brishen walks to the other side of her desk, where she smooths her dress out a little before sitting down. "I'll have a response for the Temple, Envoy, if you want to wait for a bit."

Envoy nods, "Of course, Ambassador. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime? I've some skills at scribing and translation."

Brishen slips an expensive sheet of parchment from a nearby stack of paper, and starts writing. "I think I'll be fine, Envoy." She glances at the exile. "Have you ever been to the Old City? Around here, specifically, before the Embassy arrived."

"I didn't begin exploring this part of Rephidim until recently, I'm afraid," Envoy says. "All I know is that a nobleman lived here before, and it is the house Kame Ikata painted in before relocating to the Asylum." After a moment, she adds, "I have been trying to record all of the inscriptions on the various gravestones though."

Brishen tilts her head slightly, then looks up from the letter. "Really? Have you found any interesting inscriptions near the statue of the Aeonian? It's near the mausoleum."

Envoy says, "Yes, I think that's one of the older monuments. The inscriptions have faded a bit from weathering."

Brishen scratches a few more lines of text onto the parchment, then nods. "Have you been able to make any of it out?"

"In honor of the hero Raph-something-iz-something, who gave his life that something something," Envoy recites. "A lot of it is too worn to read directly. I suppose a rubbing of the inscription might be clearer though."

Brishen murmurs, "I don't think that would be difficult to arrange, Envoy. Would you like to return here, when you're off duty?"

Envoy blinks, "Certainly, Ambassador." She's almost always off-duty, afterall.

"I can probably return after dropping off your reply," Envoy says. "The Temple mail room tends to close early."

Brishen grins. "That would be wonderful. When shall I expect to see you?"

Envoy estimates the amount of time standing in line, plus flight time… "Perhaps an hour after you give me the message to take back."

Brishen signs the letter, then looks it over a few times to make sure there are no embarassing errors. Then, she seals it within a sturdy envelope which she hands to Envoy. "It's a deal."

Envoy secures the envelope, and bows to Brishen. "May I use your porch then? It will be easier to launch from there."

Brishen nods. "Go ahead." She grins as she stands, absently arranging a few stacks of paper on her desk. "I'll be at my office, when you return, or perhaps on Embassy grounds. If you ask, the guards will know where to find me."

Envoy bows again, and exits through the porch…

It's now late afternoon which finds the ambassador perched on the south wall of the Embassy grounds, scanning the Old Cemetary with a spyglass. The old mausoleum stands, a few broken gargoyles leering back at the bat from their own perches. Next to it, an ebon statue of an Aeonian stands, weathered and worn, staring in the direction of a wall that has splashes of what might be paint (or blood) on its stone surface.

Envoy flies back from the Temple, and circles the embassy once before spotting the Ambassador perched on the south wall. She alters course to land next to the Eeee.

Brishen tucks the spyglass into a sturdy case at her side, then stretches slowly. She appears eminently comfortable, attired in a fashion not unlike what she wore when she was once a courier, though the discerning eye could tell that she is, after a fashion, attired as opulently as she was at the party some time ago. The theme at the moment: Snug, black and dangerous. She even has a beret. "Hi, Envoy."

Envoy sits down. "Are you thinking of having the monument restored for your gardens?" she asks.

Brishen sits down nearby, dangling her legs off the edge of the wall. "I don't think so. I suspect it's going to stay right where it is, for the time being."

Envoy peers at the statue, and quietly asks, "Why are you interested in it, if I may ask? I mean, if it's not a matter of state… "

Brishen glances over at the exile and narrows her eyes slightly. "Do you want to make a promise to me, to keep a secret?"

Envoy seems to consider that. "Does the promise include keeping it secret under torture?"

Brishen's ear flicks, ever-so-slightly. "I'm not going to ask you to make a promise like that. Not for me." She kicks her legs absently. "I will ask you one thing, though, and I will ask you to keep it a secret from anyone but Arch-Inquisitor Melchizedek."

Envoy blinks three times, "Alright. I'm used to working in secret for him."

Brishen, despite her attire, and despite the way she kicks her legs, as if she was a young girl out with a friend on a lazy afternoon, does not appear at all youthful as she watches the exile. She nods slowly. "Alright. Have you ever seen a vixen near here? A vixen with a mask?"

The Aeolun shakes her head.

Brishen smiles. "Well, then all you need to do is make sure that no one but the Arch-Inquisitor finds out that I was curious. And I'd rather you not tell him."

Envoy blinks, trying to make sense of that request, then just nods as she assumes it means not to tell anyone.

Brishen pauses, then laughs. "Yes, that means you can tell him if you have to. I suspect he's going to ask you about what I said today, anyway."

Envoy smiles. It would be nice to see the Aeonian again. "Since you don't want your interest known, do you need me to do some research for you?"

Brishen tilts her head a little and stops kicking her legs. "Actually, yes. I want to know everything there is to know about the statue of the Aeonian, and the mausoleum."

Envoy nods. "And that wall opposite? You were looking at it through your spyglass."

Brishen grins, shrugging. "Sure. And the mausoleum nearby."

Eyeing the cleared area between the wall and the mausoleum, Envoy asks, "Do you know where the cleared tombstones are taken?"

Brishen furrows her brow, slightly. "I'm not certain. I can give you the name of the contractor, though. They should know where they took them."

Envoy nods. "There might be some information on them that could help, but I'll start with the names from the standing mausoleum. The wall might be the remains of another one."

Brishen nods. "Envoy, the conversation we're having now, I'd like to keep it a secret, just like my question about the vixen. But I don't want you to be hurt. If you're questioned by Melchizedek, tell him everything I told you. If anyone else from the Temple questions you, make sure they know that you can only divulge the information to the aforementioned Arch-Inquisitor. It's very important."

Envoy ponders that. "I think my previous relationship with the Inquisitor may have played a part in his demotion. I may not want to mention his name to any Temple officials, if I can avoid it. They don't pay much attention to me now anyway."

Brishen nods slowly. "Alright."

Envoy figures she probably won't be seeing the Inquisitor anytime soon anyway. At least, not at the Temple! "I'll examine the mausoleum tonight, and see what I can find out. I don't think the birth and death records are classified."

Brishen's eyes widen slightly. "I'd rather you avoid the area at night. I have a feeling it won't be entirely safe for a while."

"Will there be any Titanians working in the area during the day?" Envoy asks, remembering the plans on the desk that called for more areas to be cleared.

Brishen shakes her head, smiling. "No Titanians, for now. The work crew has finished its job."

Envoy nods, "Alright, I take a look during the morning, when most of the nocturnals have turned in for the day and the diurnals are just waking up."

Brishen nods. "That sounds like a good time for secrecy."

A bat with a tall hairdo walks across the Embassy Grounds, coming in through the gate, and heading for the entrance. She stops, then calls out, "Oh, yoo hoo!"

Envoy smiles. "When I find out anything," she whispers, low enough so that hopefully only Brishen can hear, "I'll try to pass along the information during a normal message delivery."

Brishen grinds her teeth. "That's a good idea," she whispers back. "I think it's time for me to go, Envoy. I'll see you around."

Envoy slides off the wall into the grounds surrounding the Embassy, and waves up to Brishen before walking off into the evening gloom. Amazing how foggy it gets this close to the edge of the island.

A white bat with a smile that shows lots of gums in addition to teeth makes her way along the grounds, disappearing from sight as the orchards obscure her. She can be heard talking with one of the guards. "Oh, why THANK you… "

Brishen floats down from her perch atop the wall, in a low arc that sets her down opposite the orchard.

On the other side of the embassy building, a guard can be seen leading a gray fox in black robes. The guard looks about, scanning the grounds.

Bryanna, in the front court, pauses in a conversation with the guard, then continues, "… and as I told them, of COURSE it must be a mistake. Our dear Ambassador would never do something like having a few dozen monuments, tombstones and the like destroyed without being sure that they were on grounds she owned … especially while we were still negotiating reparations for wartime damages! My dear friend, the High Prince, couldn't possibly have appointed someone so thoughtless of the damage her actions would cause, would he?"

The guard just nods, as the white bat then says, "All right … now then, let us go see my dear beloved cousin, shall we?"

Brishen says, clearly, "They are on grounds I own, Secretary of State Kara."

"My dear cousin would never misread a map so disgracefully as to imagine that her estates included not only everything within the walls, but outside," Bryanna says chattily with to her guard, as she walks toward Brishen. "Why, the next thing you know, she'll be clearing the rest of the Graveyard while you're at it, and building shops on top of former graves! You can only imagine how thrilled merchants will be to have hauntings regularly in their shops. Just imagine! Some enterprising young thing might think to offer tickets to nightly shows!"

Another guard, meanwhile, points out Brishen to the gray fox. "She's over there … but it looks like she has company… "

"Then perhaps you could interject on my behalf then?" Francisco asks. "I am a little short for time right now."

"Good point," says the guard accompanying the fox. "What should I report to her? I can return this for you, of course," he says, indicating the necklace.

Francisco suggests, "You could tell her that I am ready to tell her what I found?"

The guard nods. "Of course. And I'll take this back to her."

Her voice must have deafened her. My luck. And with that she floats quickly over to the guard and the Mage Francisco. "I'm afraid I shall be entertaining the Secretary of State of Ashdod soon, so I am somewhat bereft of time. If possible, Francisco, could you leave a report with Degarde, as well as the item I had you examine?"

"And speaking of which," the white bat's voice echoes off the embassy walls, "I'm certain it's only an oversight of course, but I can't imagine that my cousin should be so neglectful as to not have returned my darling necklace! Why, everyone else who had things of theirs stolen at that dreadful little soiree of hers has had their things back for ages. Now I would never think of dear little Brishen as the … acquisitive sort, but perhaps a closer look at her books would be warranted, don't you think?"

"If you wish," the Kitsune replies, "Though it's a fairly straightforward report I have to offer. I'm confident that this object has no magical properties at all, Ambassador."

Brishen nods. "Thank you. Degarde will see to it that you are paid for your time, and, at your convenience, shall arrange for another appointment – this week, perhaps? I shall require your services again."

Nodding, the gray fox turns to leave. Then he remembers something and turns back to look at Brishen. "One quick question if I may, Ambassador?"

Brishen smiles, faintly. "And what would the question be?"

"Well," says Francisco, "As I said, I didn't pick up any trace of magic - however, it's not an exact science to determine that. But I did pick up a few remnants on it… "

Francisco continues, "Not magical remnants, though. Scents and… drool, mainly."

Brishen's eyes glitter faintly. "Ah. That would be the Vykarin."

The Kitsune arches an eyebrow a little. "There was one other thing I found on the necklace. In between some of the links of the chain there were a few golden hairs, smelling particularly foxlike. Was the previous owner of this item a fox, do you know?"

The echoes of Bryanna's chatter bounce off of the walls, though they're unintelligible at this distance, since Bryanna is on the opposite side of the embassy.

Brishen shakes her head. "Not the previous owner, no." She holds her hand out, an ear canted back towards the cacaphony. "I think I shall take the item now. Make sure you see Degarde before you leave, however."

The gray fox hands over the necklace, and turns away to leave again, heading over to where Degarde is.

Brishen tucks the necklace away. "Farewell, for now, Mage Francisco."

As the gray fox takes the route around the front of the embassy (rather than going in the back door), the white bat notices him. In the middle of her chatter with the put-upon guard, she says, "… but I must admit the attendance at the party was quite eclectic! Why I don't think I've seen anything quite so unusual since … Oh my! Now has my dear cousin taken up with Nohbakims now? And a mage at that? I don't think I've heard of a Nohbakim taking up magic in all my life! Do be a dear and ask what his name is, won't you?"

The guard says, in as calm a voice as he can, "Ah, Madame Secretary, that would be High Mage Guy Fox Francisco the Kitsune, of the Sphere of Illusion."

Correcting the guard again, Francisco interrupts, "It's just 'Francisco', please. As I've told a few other people today, I'm not big on personal titles."

Well, that was inevitable. Brishen saunters over to finally see her wonderful, wonderful cousin.

The toothy bat says, "Oh! A High Mage, of course," Bryanna answers, giving the fox a knowing look. "Do you suppose that's why you have so many tails, because they help you with your magic? Or is it a sign that even great magic can't get rid of the last four tails? Some things one can't help in life, I suppose! Like my dear cousin Brishen. It's so good to meet you, Francisco." She pauses from petting a furry creature she holds in her arms, to reach out one hand, palm down, as if inviting it to be kissed. "You may call me Bryanna. Unlike my cousin, I don't stand on formalities and appearances, either."

Unwilling to get into a long discussion about his past and origins, Francisco nods. "Somethinkg like that, yes. Well, pleased to meet you, Bryanna, but I really must get back to Esoterica."

The fuzzy creature looks up at Francisco, its big ears perking up. It looks INCREDIBLY cute. It has very sharp teeth, too, and a ringed tail.

It could be said, dear cousin, that if you stood on apperances, you'd fall over. "Good afternoon, Secretary of State Kara," Brishen murmurs.

"Well, you run along, then, and get back to your magery!" Bryanna says, a whistle singing through her nose as she smiles. She turns toward Brishen. "Oh, darling Ambassador Kara! So good to see you again!"

Brishen nods. Her eyes glitter faintly. "Your voice echoed from the walls of the Embassy. I couldn't help but hear you. What brings the Secretary here at this hour of the day?"

Francisco smiles in polite farewell to Bryanna, and continues off to where Degarde apprently is to collect his fee, and then back to the Collegia.

Bryanna says, "Oh, you doll, you! I'm simply here to check on the latest news … and to make sure that most of it isn't true, of course. Oh, the High Prince simply adored his stay in Rephidim City, but he's headed back to Babel now. However, he granted my request that I be allowed to stay around a few days, as I'm sure that I can deal with these little misunderstandings that have cropped up as of late. We'll have things back in tip-top shape in no time!"

The white bat strokes the fuzzy fuff'nar she holds in her hands. He keeps his mouth shut, though a couple of sharp fangs still show.

Brishen says, in quiet counterpoint to her cousin's nasal escapades, "There are no misunderstandings, Bryanna. If you have seen the map of the region, and specifically the map of the Embassy's grounds, you will note that the wall is some distance from the actual border of the land granted to us by the Temple. The land that was since cleared reaches out to that border, and no farther."

Bryanna dimples, holding her hand to her muzzle in the way she always has when Brishen made a faux pas. "Oh! How could I be so foolish. I'm sure the whole matter will be cleared up when the Temple sends a crew out to survey and finds that the grounds beyond your cute little Embassy's walls are also yours… And I very sincerely hope for your career, my dear cousin, that you're absolutely right about that… Unless of course, you would like me to speak with the dear Temple people about this little matter? Just in case there was a teensy little clerical error?" She bats her thick, heavy eyelashes.

Brishen narrows her eyes, slightly. "I would not wish to trouble the Secretary of State with the affairs of the Embassy, particularly in a matter such as this where the responsibility for uncovering any clerical errors are entirely in my hands. I assure you, if there are any mistakes they will be corrected."

"But my silly cousin," Bryanna coos. "Your business is the business of the Secretary of State, especially when the dear High Prince is in an absolute fit about wartime reparations. This trifling little matter has driven up the interest on our reparations quite a few points, I must say! And that, combined with… " She glances after the long-departed fox. "… certain obvious expenses makes me wonder if there might not be something that my dear cousin would like to share with her best chance at mollifying those dear people in the Temple. Perhaps she's looking for some sort of buried treasure?"

The pasty white bat titters. "But of course, with all those dreadful scavengers from Downside, I'm sure any interesting finds have long since been cleared out."

Brishen tilts her head slightly. "It has, has it? As I am already in communication with the Temple about the recent land clearing, I would be very interested in receiving any and all official documentation from Ashdod pertaining to the increase in rates you describe. I am sure, given the speed with which these events occured, that the material is already en route." She smiles, "And as for buried treasure – " Her smile grows just a little wider.

Brishen looks back at the Embassy, at the tall glass windows, at the movement inside, even at this hour. "The treasure isn't buried at all. It's here, it's this Embassy. It's the new beginning it represents for us – for Ashdod. Nothing is worth more than that."

"Well! That clears up everything, doesn't it?" says Bryanna, smiling too sweetly. "By the way you wouldn't happen to have found my necklace here, would you? I seem to have lost it here back at that cozy party of yours, how, I can't imagine, and I thought that you might have come across it in all your renovations."

Brishen tilts her head a little. "Your necklace. No, it hasn't been found yet." She smiles gently. "Though I continue to look for it."

Bryanna raises her eyebrows. "Well! Then I will continue to look for those reports that you should have already received about our negotiations." She blows a kiss to Brishen. "Do take care, my sweet cousin, and I'll make sure that High Prince Boghaz remembers you well when I speak with him next. I'll have your darling guard show me out now and back to my carriage."

Brishen nods. "I look forward to the reports, Secretary of State Kara. Given their importance, I expect that they will arrive at the scheduled time." She adds, smiling, "Perhaps, as you are to remain in the city for the next few days, you can bring them to the Embassy, though I imagine one as busy as you are would hire a courier instead. Either way, I'm sure the reports will arrive intact and in a timely matter. It would be dreadful if I had to send word to Ashdod that official documents were maligned in transit."

Caressing her little creature – a pet, some masochistic nobles might call the beast – Bryanna resumes chattering at the rather put-upon looking guard, who escorts her back to the gate of the Embassy. At the end of her trip, as she gets into the carriage, at that very moment a particularly old vase in the garden cracks and sends a shard falling to the ground. An omen?

Brishen turns and walks swiftly through the monochromatic orchard, her path a slow, shallow arc towards the Embassy and the office where she'll spend much of the evening. Her wings, held out behind her in a darkly angelic crescent, rustle faintly as she plucks a branch from a tree and slowly removes the leaves. One of these days, I'll see her in a grave, and I'll be the one to throw the first clod of earth. Faint laughter whispers through the trees.