Gwythe retired to the usual room but slept fitfully, the visit to the store troubling him.  Not like the others sharing the room.  The dwarf's snores were enough to waken the dead, but it did not seem to stop Ronalt and Kalador from sleeping and occasionally joining in.

Eventually he succumbed to his drowsiness and fell into a fitful dream, filled with friends old and new. Lareth! He featured strongly both alive and dead. Iviana, there was something about the half-elf that drew him to her. Slowly however his dreams shifted... the recent meeting with Rannos swimming into is subconscious.  It was almost as if he could hear his voice full of hidden strengths and menace.

"Gwythe....."

"Gwythe....."

"Gwythe....."

"Gwythe wake up!" the whispered command and slap across his face bringing the thief into full awareness. This was no dream!  He was aware of the shadowy figure sitting on the bed next to him, that and the pressure across his chest and arms that could only be a rope trying him to the bed. The continuing snores of his companions showed he could expect little or no help from them.

"So little Gwythy, pity you lady friend isn't here I could have some fun with her as well. So do you want to play some more or do you wan to get down to buisness?" said the shadowy figure.  His night adaption improving and the voice, Gwythe was in no doubt that his captor was Rannos.  In the dim light he make out that he was cleaning his finger nails with a stiletto.

Gwythe squirms a little as he wakes. "What the... What is that?" He wrestles against the rope. "What are you doing?" he raises his voice and kicks with his legs.

"Doing? I'm just continuing our conversation of this afternoon, one that could have been concluded far more easily if you had played ball... You really didn't think it was over did you?" said Rannos with a hint of a sneer in his voice.

"Of course if it was up to me you'd be dead by now, but order is orders eh! Pity you didn't follow them, Lareth might still be alive. Desertion and collaborating with the damned do gooders, should warrant a slow death still... painful as it is to me the high ups want you alive. But at a price. You are to be our spy in the enemies camp! How about that, a chance to redeem yourself! You can start by telling me of their next intentions.  Where and when are the going?"

Gwythe spits at Rannos. "Fuck off before I wake everyone up." He nods to the sleeping bodies nearby. "I don't work for you, and the people I used to work for are all dead, so I'm doing something different now." He eyes Rannos' knife. "You might get to the door before they stick something in you, but they'll spot your face and you'll be running all night. You won't be able to go back to the shop, and you won't be useful to your friends any more."

Rannos laughed lightly then went across to the nearest bed and shook Ronalt hard.  The ranger muttered something and turned over, the sound of snoring soon reaching Gwythe's ears again.

"Funny thing, it would have been so easy to have got something a bit more permanent into the food but again the high ups are against it. Well... management... they always have some strange ideas. One for instance is that the people you worked for worked for them so therefore, you are still in their employ. Oh.. and assassins are always useful even if their cover in this shithole is blown. So what do you say Gwythe are you playing ball or are you throwing your lot in with these losers?"

Gwythe sneers. "I'm not throwing in my lot with this, or any other group, including yours. I'm with this lot because I was forced to be. Once I've finished, I'll move on. As for their intentions, your fools in the fort were better organised than this lot. One has just off and disappeared. As should you."

"So be it... At least I understand what orders are about you miserable cretin. Else, you'd be dead now." said Rannos. Putting his knife away he fished something out of one of the pouches then leaning close to Gwythe he placed a rag over his face. The odour immediately told Gwythe he was being drugged.  Struggle as he tried he could not help breath the vapours.  His senses drifting away he vaguely heard a voice whisper. "One last chance Gwythe... get them to stay in the Waterside Hostel.. Rentsch will take care of the rest."

His drugged sleep was fitful, visions of cruel daggers dripping in venom crept through his dreams. tossing and turning he was vaguely aware that he was no longer bound, the thought allowing him enough comfort to rest the remaining few hours to dawn.