TARVA    V

Settling in with Taizu


Chapter 3:  Always Coming Home



587, Flocktime 4:    

      The Celestials return Tarva to Greyhawk.  She finds herself in the middle of the city, Heart's Reach in his scabbard, the rest of her possessions in her backpack.  She looks around and doesn't have any idea what street she's on.   Actually, calling it a "street" is a clear misnomer.  It's barely an alley, narrow to begin with, with the second and third stories of the buildings jutting out over it and and almost touching at the top.  Then, what little space does exist is mostly taken up with carts and temporary booths, with their owners hawking the various wares, and locals (or so Tarva presumes) looking over fabrics and foods and and wooden toys and pretty much anything which would cost only a few coppers.  Plus children running everywhere underfoot in mysterious games.  

    Great, thinks Tarva, this is certainly going to make for an unobtrusive entrance.  Although actually nobody seems to have noticed her sudden appearance.  But then she, or a much younger Tarva, is seemingly talking to herself, saying, "Don't your recognize this?  It's just like the backstreets in Tiran; and we ran around those often enough."  And with that a whole different set of skills fell into place.  Very rusty, and last exercised when she was much smaller, and also much less burdened with possessions.  But quite adequate to tell her how best to move in this situation.  Shoving through, as if she were somehow better than these people, was not only completely against her nature, but also simply wouldn't work: an accidental jostle, a staff just wrong, and she'd end up face down in the street.  Demanding passage as a "right" would be equally unsuccessful.  Even asking politely would merely draw unwanted attention to her.  No, the thing to do was go shopping.  

    So that's what she does.  First she swings her backpack around to cradle it against her chest -- thus both keeping it from unintentionally bashing into people behind her, and also giving her much greater control over who was trying to open it.  Most of her important belongings were under her chainmail shirt, and she doubted that any backstreet pickpocket would have the skills to touch them without stripping her first.  And as for anyone trying to lift Heart's Reach...  "HR," she mutters quietly, "look around.  We don't want to to hurt any of these people, or even startle them.  So don't answer me; but if anyone does try to mess with you, I don't care how strongly you discourage him.  OK?"  What she gets back is a feeling of a warm pulse, with just a hint of humor around the edges.

    Then, moving slowly from cart to cart, not trying to rush at all, sometimes checking out several different items, sometimes taking a quick scan and moving on, Tarva fits herself to the natural flow of these people.  By looks, clothes, weapons - everything, really - she knows that she doesn't fit in, and that she is being noticed.  But by behavior, by body language, by being nothing more than a shopper, she was telling them that while she was a stranger, she wasn't an outsider.  From each food cart she bought something small to nibble on one-handedly: a fruit, a muffin, hot pretzel; just enough that it was all eaten before she got to the next food cart.  At one booth she found some nicely stitched ribbons, and bargained the price down.  By the time she reached the next cross street, the people around her were accepting her as just one more shopper.

    The cross street was both wider and less crowded, but still gave her no view of anything by which she could orient herself.  Picking the left direction, so the sun wouldn't be in her face, she walked along it for some blocks.  Still not hurrying; still remembering long disused moves to minimize the attention she was drawing.  Finally this street opened out onto  a small square with a fountain in the middle.  Tarva had reasoned that there must be such a fountain not too far away: people needed water daily, and plumbing - such as was in Mordenkainen's Retreat - was rare and expensive.  But most importantly for her, now, this square provided enough open space that she could see beyond the eaves of the nearest buildings.  And there in the distance was the tip of the Pelor Temple's spires.  She still didn't know where she was, or how to head directly towards anywhere she might want to be, but that would all fix itself when she got close to the Temple.

    When she does reach familiar streets again, she heads for the Bard's College.  She figures that's the most likely place to find Taizu.  She's a little mystified that the first several people she asks have no idea where he is, and even say they haven't seen him in months.  Then she catches up with Suzi, who tells her, as they walk back to Suzi's room, that Taizu had been planning to teach here, but then suddenly had an errand he needed to run for his father first.  He'd left a letter for Tarva with her: maybe that would explain it more.  

    It does.   After some (highly appreciated) romantic passages, Taizu had gotten down to recounting what had happened during the first few days after she'd left.  Editing it slightly (this is Suzi, but Taizu's father Trellen had never met her, and what Taizu felt safe in telling Tarva of Trellen's activities, didn't translate into either of them passing along to Suzi), she tells Suzi that Taizu had an opportunity to take training as a Shadowdancer, decided that he wanted to do that, and was now out of town somewhere taking that training.  "So, you've no place to go?" asks Suzi.  Pointing across the room she continues, "Your bed's still here."  Tarva thanks her and accepts immediately.  Staying with Suzi will seem like old times; and certainly be less lonely.  (Later, alone, she'll take the letter back out and read the first section several times.)

    Tarva leaves most of her belongings in Suzi's room, not HR of course, then walks off to the Jade Warrior and Harp.  Morain is there, and has another letter for her from Taizu.  She also knows much more than Suzi did, and can fill in some of the gaps that the missive Taizu left with Suzi didn't cover.  She offers to let Tarva stay there at the inn; but Tarva thanks her and explains about her old room at the College.

    Tarva asks her how to find this Enstad Holme, and Morain responds that the best way is to leave a note for him, here at the Jade.  Oh, and she has a very few items that were left behind by one or both of them, which Tarva can collect whenever she wants to.  There is also a small but heavy chest which Taizu wanted to make sure Tarva was told about.  "That's our earnings," Tarva explains.  "I think, if it's ok, that I'll come back later when I've managed to hire a couple of guards and strongmen, rather than carry it myself.  And take it off to a jeweler I know."  Morain says that's just fine; but to make sure first that she, Morain, will be there, as her assistants won't know where the chest is.  Tarva says that it'll probably be a couple of days, and that she'll definately check with Morain before settling on a day and time to bring the guards.  
   
     When Tarva opens this letter from Taizu, she finds that it isn't just another copy of what she read at Suzi's.  This one has a lot less flowers and a lot more meat.  Clever Taizu, Tarva thinks, to leave a more obvious note with just enough in it to feel compromising and complete, such that anyone searching after him (or her) would find the 'Suzi' copy and think they had found everything.  This one also stops with him about to go off to tell Enstad Holme that he'd like to accept the offer; but it goes into a lot more detail of what Holme had told Taizu.  It also has an entire page, completely missing from the other letter, about Taizu's experiences at the Pelor Temple.  Which Tarva finds quite interesting.  This letter joins Taizu's other one in an inside vest pocket.

     Tarva writes a note to Enstad Holme, introducing herself, explaining that she's back in town, and requesting a meeting.  She doesn't explain why she wants to meet with him: she figures he'll be able to figure out, all on his own, that she's wanting to hear about Taizu.   And then she heads off for the Pelor Temple.

    At the Temple of Pelor Tarva finds a warm greeting.  The last time she was at the Temple was more than a year ago, but several of the acolytes and Clerics greet her by name.  While she's still exchanging greetings with people she knows, and making light of her travels, an aide comes hurrying up to Tarva and announces that Radiant Elsa wishes to speak with her.  So Tarva excuses herself from the cluster around her and follows the aide upstairs.  She had thought she might recognize the Radiant, but doesn't remember ever seeing her before.

    "Tarva Streamside," begins Radiant Elsa, "I have been tasked with collecting as much information as I can about Cleric Ahb's recent excursions.  And I understand that you joined her group somewhere in the middle of those.  I, and the Temple, would appreciate it if you would allow me to interview you, and have a scribe write up your responses."  "Well, of course I'm willing to do that," responds Tarva, "but wouldn't it be easier if I just wrote it out for you myself?"  Radiant Elsa looks surprised.  "I seem to have been misinformed," she mutters, "I was told that you did not know how to read or write."  "Oh, that was true when I was here last," Tarva admits, "but I had to learn if I was going to become a Bard."

    Radiant Elsa now looks very flustered.  Secretly, Tarva is just fine with that.  This person may be a Radiant of Pelor, but she was also rude to Taizu.  Impishly, she has no problem with giving this woman some gentle payback.  "Oh, yes, Ahb wrote that you were becoming a Bard.  I should--" But here Tarva interrupts: "Ahb!  Is she here?  Can I see her?"  (What Elsa doesn't know that Tarva knows, is just fine with Tarva.)  

    "I'm afraid that Cleric Ahb has departed to begin training to become a Radiant," Elsa replies in a chipped tone.  "Now, here is what I'd--"  But Tarva interrupts again, "You said she wrote something.  May I read it please?"  Radiant Elsa now looks very pained.  "We would much prefer it if you could tell us, or write up, your version of the events, without having heard the others.  That way we will know that each of you have given us your own version, and not someone else's."  "Oh.  Yes, I can see that.  Sure.  I'll write up my version, and then you'll let me read the others, yes?"  Grudgingly, Radiant Elsa agrees to this.  

    "You said 'others'," Tarva continues.  "That means more than just Ahb's, right?  Who else has been here?"  "The ranger Rowan; but--" anticipating Tarva's next interruption "--she's returned to Courier duties and isn't in town any longer.  And your Bard friend Taizu," and there's definitely a hint of distain and disapproval about Elsa's tone of voice here, "but he didn't have time to write anything up for us."  "Yes," responds Tarva calmly, "he is off on an errand for his father.  Family duties are very important among the Elves, you know.

    "Well, if that's all," as Tarva starts to rise, "I'll bring my writeup by in a few days.  It's going to be rather longer than I can finish off in one day, I'm afraid."  "There is one other thing," Elsa says reluctantly.  "During the brief time he was here, Taizu felt it very important to impress on me the need for great secrecy about your sword.  He said that you would explain."  "Ah," smiles Tarva.  "Heart's Reach, I would like you to meet the Radiant Elsa, an important official here in the Temple of Pelor.  Radiant Elsa, this is Heart's Reach."  "It is with extreme gratitude that I am allowed to meet an esteemed cleric of your order, Radiant Elsa.  As a humble practicioner in the arts of healing myself, I am in awe of someone, such as yourself, who has devoted their entire life to that discipline."

    Radiant Elsa is stitting with her mouth open.  Reading about just isn't the same as experiencing for oneself.  "He speaks, he casts healing magic, he is a person, just as you and I."  Tarva continues.  Then after a short pause, she nudges, "It really would be polite for you to say 'hello' back to him."  "H-h-hello?"  "I am sorry if I have shocked you," HR contributes courteously, "I apologize for causing you any distress ."   "It speaks.  It really speaks."  But Tarva won't put up with that. "'It' is a 'he'," she says sharply, "and his name is Heart's Reach.  He's a person.  He deserves to be treated with courtesy."

     Radiant Elsa blinks her eyes twice and visably pulls herself together.  "Yes, of course, you're quite right.  Heart's Reach, I apologize for my boorish behavior.  I have no excuse for it, but I hope you will forgive me anyway."  "Radiant Elsa," responds HR, "I accept your apology, and of course I forgive you.  I am completely confident that Tarva believed you were already in possession of the facts about myself, from Cleric Ahb's writeup of our traveling together, or else she would never have brought me to your attention in such a shocking manner."  Tarva represses a grin, sure she wouldn't.  Actually, HR isn't lying a bit.  What he said was absolutely true, if for a different reason.  Indeed, Tarva would not be bringing HR's abilities to anyone's attention, if she could avoid it; so HR was quite right: it was only because Tarva thought Radiant Elsa already knew about HR that she had, effectively, brought HR out into the open.  

      And now, to bring that point home.  "An intelligent sword, one with healing and other wonderous abilities, would be extremly attractive to various greedy and evil people.  But only if they know about him.  It is very important that knowledge of Heart's Reach and his abilities be restricted to as few people as possible.  I will not censor my writeup of my travels with Ahb.  But I will request that either all of the writeups be kept under a seal of secrecy; or else that they each be rewritten in such a manner that mentions of Heart's Reach are seamlessly removed.  Do you understand now why this is important?"  

    Radiant Elsa looks at Tarva, looks at HR, looks back at Tarva.  "It is not my decision to make.  But I will pass your request along; and with it my recommendation that your request be granted.  I trust that will suffice."  Tarva now does break into a smile.  "Thank you," she says, holding out her hand to shake, "that is very generous of you."

    Next Tarva goes down to the Temple's hospital.   She's happy to see that Father Llewellyn is still in charge.  And in turn, when he sees her, a large smile comes onto his face and he immediately gets up and comes over to her.  "Tarva!  I didn't know you were back."  "What, I was going to dally around elsewhere and let someone else tell you first?"  "You're looking great.  You'll have to tell me all about your adventures.  Um, are you going to be staying long?"  "I'm a Bard now, Llewellyn, not just a singer.  My fiance and I are planning to open a small auditorium and earn our living by performing.  So I expect to be staying a very long time.  And yes, before you ask, of course I'm planning to resume my stopping by each day to see how I can help out."  "That is so wonderful."  "And Llewellyn, I can do a lot more healing now, a lot more.  Have you got time now?  Let's grab a cup of tea and I'll tell you all about it."

    So the two of them go off, and Tarva explains about how her Faith Healing has grown with her own advancements; and about becomming a Bard, and thus being able to cast Cure Light Wounds three times a day, and Delay Poison once per day; and then about discovering her Celestial heritage, and being able to Lay On Hands for 71 points a day.  Father Llewellyn is suitably impressed, but professes to not be surprised at all at Tarva's increased abilities to provide healing.  

    Leaving the Pelor Temple, Tarva then walks up to the militia HQ.  Some of the militia hanging around recognize and remember her, and she's relieved to find that Captain Romer is still in charge.  She hangs around, gossiping with the women and men she knows, until the Captain returns.  There are two things she wants to discuss with him, she says.  The first is that, now that she's back in town and planning to stay for the forseeable future, she'd like to resume practicing with the militia, for the same fee as last year, if that's acceptable.  Captain Romer says that it is.  The way that he's appraising her, he's clearly thinking that she's going to be a challenge, and a good workout, for some of his better men.

    And the second is that she wants to hire a couple of his men for a day.  Probably only for a couple of hours, but she'll pay for the entire day.  She needs to move a small but valuable chest from its current location to a jewelry store, and thereafter some of its contents on to the Temple of Pelor.  She's going to hire a carriage for the day, so the men wouldn't need to do much hauling, or even walking.  But she does want them armed and ready for trouble.  Captain Romer says he can arrange that.  When?  A couple of days from now, Tarva thinks.  She's going to need to coordinate with some other people first.   She'll be back by tomorrow with a certain date and time.
   
    The obvious next thing to do is check with Morain again, and firm up a time to pick up the chest.  So Tarva walks back to the Jade Warrior and Harp.  Luckily Morain is there, and they agree on mid-morning, two days hence on Flocktime 6.  Thinking of the date reminds Tarva that it's a full moon tonight.  But that doesn't matter any more: she's not trying to get back to Feyland; "home" is here, now.  When Tarva asks, Morain recommends a reliable coach service that will rent her a coach and driver, and tells her how to find them.  Tarva goes there next, and arranges to have the coach come pick her up at the practice yard around early mid-morning.

    Next, she heads for the jewelry shop where she used to work as an exotic guard.  Cylarus Ringe, the propriator, is delighted to see Tarva again, and immediately asks if she would like her old job back.  Tarva smiles at this, a friendly smile, and explains that she is a bit better off now, and won't be needing to find work.  In fact, she goes on, she's here as a customer.  She and her fiance have done very well through their adventuring, and now plan to settle down and open a music conservatory here in Greyhawk.  And towards that goal, she would like Master Ringe to appraise the treasure they've brought back. And also, if he'd be so kind, advise her on setting up an account at a bank, so that she wouldn't need to be carrying around large amounts of cash with her.  Master Ringe is delighted to be of help.  He is an owning member of the board of the Sceptre Trust, which is just around the corner and a block away.  He'll be delighted to personally introduce Tarva to the day-to-day officials at the bank, and help her set up an account.  She arranges with him to bring the treasure items by on Flocktime 6, and then call on the bank with him after he's made his appraisals.

    By now it's getting late in the day, and tea with Llewellyn wasn't much of a lunch.  So Tarva heads back to the Bard's College, to eat dinner with Suzi and catch her up on (most of) what she's accomplished this day.  After dinner she shamelessly raids the College's supply of paper, pens, and ink, grabs an empty study cubicle, and starts writing up an outline of what happened, and when, during her and Taizu's time with Ahb. Before she's finished, there are lots of insertion marks, and circled text moved to an earlier or later time.  But she's pretty sure she's listed everything she wants to write about.  That seems like enough to do for one day, so she goes back to Suzi's room.

      Suzi is already asleep, and Tarva thinks that's a great idea.  Only, her bed is completely covered with her possessions, which she had neglected to do anything else with, after dumping them there that morning.  Well, she's not going to unpack now.  Quietly, so as to not disturb Suzi, she lays them on the floor, mostly out of the way, strips, and crawls under the sheets.  After three months on the Celestial Plane, sleeping _not_ in armor doesn't seem unnatural any more.  But she has still -- as she did all during those three months, also -- brought HR into the bed with her.  Security blanket or not, she just feels less lonely that way.


587, Flocktime 5:    

    The first tinges of light from the false dawn woke Tarva up.  Quietly, as she knew Suzi's preference was to sleep until well past breakfast, she dressed herself and slipped out of the room.  Low Summer in Greyhawk wasn't too bad; especially if you knew what the upcoming High Summer was going to be like.  But already people were adjusting their schedules to get as much of their work or duties done in the earlier, cooler hours.  And since that included the City Guard's practice and training sessions, Tarva needed to get a move on.  The practice grounds weren't too far away, and jogging there helped warm her up.  After the general exercises, when it came time for the sparring, Captain Romer paired her up with different people, getting a feel for what her abilities were, and finding that they'd changed a lot since she'd last been practicing with the Guard.  "You've gotten a lot better," he told her.  Nonetheless, there were several members of the Watch who could have easily handed her her head, had they been using real weapons.  

    When, at the end of the session, she told Captain Romer that she'd be coming by with a coach around early mid-morning tomorrow, he pointed at two of those better fighters and called them over.  "If you're wanting protection for this excursion," he explains, "then you'll be wanting Guards that you won't feel compelled to protect - when they're supposed to be protecting you.  No arguments -" he stifles Tarva's attempt to interrupt.  "Think I don't know you well enough to anticipate that?  Think again."  Then, to the Watch members, "Boys, Tarva here needs to move some valuables from place to place tomorrow, without losing them.  That's your part.  She'll be by about mid-morning with a coach to pick you two up; and after that you do what she says.  Right?"  
 
     One of them gives an abrupt nod to the Captain; the other grins at Tarva.  "That one with the smirk is Thumper," the Captain continues.  "And the other is Glimflashy.  Anything they can't handle, especially with you backing them up, would be a big enough problem to attract the militia."  "Glad to meet you," Tarva says, "Thumper.  Glimflashy," and offering her hand to each.  "You fight pretty good," says Thumper, and, "Yeah, for a woman," amends Glimflashy.  "Nah," Thumper opines, "it's just her size.  Put her up against anyone her own height and she'd do fine.  But brutes like us are just going to overpower anyone that size, male or female."

    It should prehaps be pointed out that Tarva was having to tilt her head way back to look these two in the eyes.  She was used to Taizu's six foot height, but Thumper was taller by at least four more inches.  Glimflashy wasn't quite that tall, perhaps halfway between Thumper and Taizu, but he was so broad that she wondered if he had to turn sideways to go through ordinary doors.  "Nah," said Thumper again: it seemed to be his favorite way of starting a thought.  "You just listen to like the Captain says, let us do the guarding, and that way you can pay attention to your business, no?"  "Right," replied Tarva, "we'll do it that way.  I'll see you both at practice tomorrow."  

    After her stop by the Pelor Temple's hospital, Tarva thinks about what is the next most important item on her mental agenda.  Many of them, like finding lodgings for herself and Taizu, will need to wait until she has settled her finances.  Finally she concludes that really her time will be best spent by working on the report for the Pelor Radiant: the sooner she finishes that, the sooner she'll be allowed to read the other reports.  And also, the sooner she'll get another chance to lobby for suppressing mentions of Heart's Reach.  So she goes back to the Bard College and spends the rest of the day there, willingly breaking off to eat meals with acquaintances.  Some of those talk her into an impromptu session, which she decides is a much more pleasant way to spend the evening.


587, Flocktime 6:  

    Shortly after the morning's practice session, the rented coach and driver pull up to the guardpost, and Tarva gets in with Thumper and Glimflashy.  She gives the driver directions to the Jade Warrior and Harp, and they start off.  Truth to tell, with their needing to stay on wider roads, and with all the other traffic, they would probably have made better time walking.  But having hired guards, Tarva wasn't about to interfere with their ability to react to any problems, which carrying a heavy chest certainly would do.

    At the Jade, Tarva has the two guards wait in the lobby, while she and Morain go into the office alone.  Once they're alone, Morain hand Tarva an envelope, saying, "It's your reply from Holme."  As Tarva tucks it into her vest, for reading later, Morain opens her hiding place, then she and Tarva manhandle the small but heavy chest out of it and onto the office floor.  Morain closes the hidden compartment before opening the office door.  More easily now that there's room, the two of them carry it into the lobby.  
     It's clear that Thumper and Glimflashy have worked together before.  Glimflashy goes outside again, looks around, and also inside the coach, then holds the coach door open while waving at those inside.  At that signal Thumper, with a, "by your leave," takes the one side handle from Morain.  He and Tarva carry the chest out of the Jade and into the coach.  After which Glimflashy gets in with them.  

     Tarva gives the coach driver the street that Master Ringe's shop is on, and once again they're moving slowly and fighting traffic.  The two guards chat with each other, but Tarva notices that they don't take their eyes off the outside world while they do.  Glimflashy is sitting starboard, facing front, while Thumper is cattycorner to him: facing rear on the port side.  Tarva herself is in the middle of the forward facing bench, with the chest under her feet.  "We'd have gone faster walking," Glimflashy echoes Tarva's earlier thoughts.  "Nah, not with that thing to carry," Thumper replies.  

     Eventually they do make it to outside Master Ringe's.  Somehow it does not bother Tarva a bit that she - or her rented coach - has instantaneously turned from being a part of the traffic into being part of the reason traffic is so bad.  Tarva goes into the shop for a quick check (Glimflashy wanted to do that instead of her, but she convinced him that Master Ringe would take it much more kindly to have someone he knows treat his shop as a potential ambush site).  Satisfied, she and Glimflashy maneuver the chest inside, and then he returns to stand guard outside with Thumper.  The coach driver is told to go find a place to park it, then come back and tell Glimflashy where he'll be waiting.

    At the worktable, Tarava opens the chest, then sits on a stool and watches.  Master Ringe and his three assistants pour the contents of the chest out onto the worktable, which they'd previously draped with a white leather covering.  They sort through the contents.  All the coins are shifted to one end, where two of the assistants, with scales and tally sheets, start working their way through them, classifying and counting them by type, and verifying that they're not debased.

    Meanwhile, Master Ringe and his principal assistant are working with the gems and jewelry.  Cataloging each one, determining the type of each gem and how many carats it is, and doing something complicated with the jewelry.  Tarva knows that they're speaking common -- each word is one she's familiar with -- but the way the two of them are putting those words together do not make any sense to her.  Well, she's encountered that phenonemon before: every trade has its own specialized language.  

    All in all, it takes about four hours.  At the end, Master Ringe tells her that he puts the contents of the chest at 170,157.78.  Does she want to take them to a second jeweler to obtain a validating opinion?  No, she tells him, she knows he's honest, and she also knows that he's meticulous, so she is quite sure he has told her the correct value.  She takes 200gp from the coins and pays him his appraiser's fee.  

    The assistants have been packing everything up in various pouches and bags, marking the outside of each one with some kind of shorthand that Tarva cannot read, although she does figure out that the tags are declaring the contents and value of what is inside each bag.  She recognizes the alchemical symbols for Gold, Silver, and Copper, and that, plus knowing that those bags' contents came from the coin end of the worktable, allow her to guess what is in each one.  All of the bags are placed back into her chest.

    With the Sceptre Bank only a few steps away, she doesn't bother to have her coach called.  Master Ringe, Tarva, and the two guards accompany two of the assistants carrying the chest to the Bank, while the third assistant stays behind in the shop.  At the bank, they are clearly expected.  Thumper and Glimflashy stay behind in the lobby while an official of the bank escorts Master Ringe and Tarva into an office.  The assistants bring the chest in to the office, but then leave (and Tarva presumes they go back to the shop).  The bank official, one Master Emory Horder, has his own assistant.  He takes Master Ringe's tally sheets, then pulls a single item out of each bag and has his assistant appraise it.  All checks out, and he declares himself satisfied with the evaluation, and thus the value, of the contents of the chest.  Now, in what way can Sceptre Bank assist Lady Tarva?

    Recogninzing the inappropriate title as one earned by six figures of value, Tarva doesn't try to correct Master Horder, but instead gets directly to the point.  She wants to set up three accounts.  The largest, with roughly half the money (85,000gp) will be a joint account that either she or Taizu Trellen Treesong can draw upon.  It's intent, initially, Tarva says, is for the purchase of land and a building, or of just land and then construction of a building, for an Opera House that the two of them will be building.  At some future time there may need to be associated acounts, for things like employee salaries, but for right now, a single account, jointly accessable, will be sufficient.  The other half of the money will be split into two accounts, one for her, and the other for Taizu Trellen Treesong (Tarva is being careful to give Taizu's full name each time).  Taizu Trellen Treesong is out of the city at this moment, but when he returns Tarva will personally bring him by the bank so that their account setup process can be completed.  Oh, and if she, Tarva, is not available to do that, she trusts that Adelsteen, the Dean of the Bardic College, will provide an adequate validation of Taizu Trellen Treesong's identity?  Yes, Master Horder confirms, he knows the Dean, although not very well, and that will serve as a quite adequate introduction.

    For her own account, Tarva wants to hold out 8,500gp worth, to instead take away with her today.  Is it possible, she inquires, to have that amount entirely in gold pieces?  If that's not convenient -- if the Bank doesn't have such quantities of such small coins on the premsises, she'll quite understand.  Master Holder believes that there will be no problem granting such a wish for their newest client, and tells his assistant off to accomplish this.  She does know -- he just wants to check and make sure -- that so many gold pieces will weigh about 170 pounds?  Yes, Tarva is aware of that.

    While the three of them are waiting for his return, Master Holder comes back to Tarva's subject of buying or constructing.  He would like Tarva to consider Spectre Bank as a possible note-holder, should it turn out that she and Taizu Trellen Treesong (he, also, is careful to use the full name) are unable to fulfill their dream building with their available funds.  For such valued clients of the Bank, he feels sure that their usual 12% compound interest rates could be dropped down to 10%, or possibly even 8%.   Tarva politely goes over with him what these terms would mean; at one point asking permission to cast a small spell, and then using Easy Math to make sure she really understands what taking out a loan and paying interest on it would mean -- would cost them.  She ends up promising to keep Spectre Bank in mind, as the first place the two of them will go, if they do decide to take out a loan.  

    Eventually the assistant returns, accompanied by two others carrying a sort of stretcher.  On the stretcher are thirty-four leather pouches, each weighing five pounds and holding 250 gold pieces.   These are placed back inside Tarva's chest, which she then locks again.  She and Master Holder and Master Ringe all shake hands and declare themselves much satisfied and delighted with the day's activities.  

    Back in the lobby, she sends Glimflashy to fetch the coach, while she and Thumper watch over the chest. When the coach arrives, and they (and the chest) are all inside, she tells the drive to go to the Temple of Pelor.   "One more stop, boys, and then we can relax over some beers."  At this non-busy time, the frontage on the Temple is quite large enough to hold the coach, so she tells the driver to wait for them there.  

    Tarva makes noticably more of an impression than usual, when she comes into the Temple.  Perhaps this is because she's not usually accompanied by two very competent looking large watchmen, one helping her to carry a chest, and the other watching everyone around them suspiciously.  Having made donations before, Tarva knows her way to the bursar's office.  Once there, she gets the attention of Her Wisdom Ginerva Counter.  She explains to Ginerva that she has a slightly larger than normal tithe to donate [a vast understatement: when Tarva was last living in Greyhawk, there were some weeks where her hand-to-mouth existence meant that her tithing consisted entirely of her volunteering her healing abilites at the Temple's clinic.]  Opening the chest and then giving Ginerva the key, she explains that the adventuring she left on, a year and a month ago, has been very profitable.  That these eighty-five hundred gold pieces represent a tithe of her share of the group's accumulated treasure.  And that she expects the Temple will find several ways to put this to good use.

    Her Wisdom Ginerva is momentarily speechless.  Then she is overly talkative.  And wants Tarva to go with her to some higher official, to be properly thanked for her generosity.   Tarva demurs, and then declines more strongly.  Recognitions and ceremonies do not hold any attractions for her, and she still has a lot to get done.  Eventually, she does manage to make her escape.  

    As she's about to get into the coach again, Thumper asks her if that's all she needs the two of them for, that day.  "Except for paying you out and treating you to a beer, yes.  Why?"  "Well, it really is quicker to to walk than ride in that thing, so unless you really want to bump along at a snail's pace, why don't you dismiss the coach and we'll use longshank to get to a pub."  "I know a good one just a couple of blocks away," puts in Glimflashy.  So that's what Tarva does.  

    While they're at the Werewolf and Flute, Tarva strikes up a conversation with the manager, Valderand the Insidious.  When she broaches the idea of her coming back that evening for a couple of sets of singing, his eyes get very big.  He is, apparently, finally making a connection between this customer and the singer the Mended Drum had a year ago.  He is almost stuttering, falling over himself in his hurry to accept her offer.  Tarva laughs at him, but in a friendly way, and says that it is only for this one night: just so she can get her hand - well, her throat - back in shape.  They strike a deal: he pays the city taxes and treats her to dinner plus all the hard cider she wants; she charges no fee but gets to keep all the tips.  Two sets, an hour each, one at eight and one at ten.

     Finally having some time to herself, she pulls out the note from Enstad Holme to read.  Out loud, so HR can hear it also, but quietly, so nobody else will.  There is a lot of flowery language, but it all boils down to two points: Taizu is out of town learning to become a Shadowdancer, and can be expected to return soon, say within a couple of months; and if Tarva really needs to have her hand held, she can come see Holme, but it would be safer for her tall boyfriend if Tarva and Holme were never seen in public together.  Well, Tarva will take Holme's opinion as being that of an expert, and stay away as he asks.  For a month or two, anyway.

    She spends the afternoon updating Suzi on what she's been doing, then going to talk with Morain to get her advice on hunting up lodgings for her and Taizu.  Then, expanding on the idea she had earlier, she drops in on a handful of taverns and arranges to sing at some of them for a single upcoming night.  Her thought is that she (and Taizu when he returns) need to start now on a campaign to publicize themselves, so that there will be an audience when they do have somewhere to perform.  
   
    Of course, the clientele they are aiming their Opera House at will not be frequenting bars (or not very often).  Tarva sees this as a background level of word-of-mouth advertising.  But she has other ideas also.  Towards evening she is back near the Werewolf and Flute, but goes first to the Pelor Temple to talk with Brother Callum.  He is delighted at the idea of her coming to sing for him on a regular basis - every  Godsday celebration Tarva says; and they arrange that she'll attend a rehearsal each Godsday afternoon, prior to the evening service.  Brother Callum is almost cackling, thinking over upcoming concerts, as she leaves.

     That's two strings on her instrument.  When Taizu gets back, he can add a third (or more) by arranging recitals at the Bard's College for them - solo, duets, and with small groups.  If, in addition, and on the basis of those recitals, they can get invited to perform at some private parties among the nobility, that will go a long way towards giving them an initial audience when they open.  (And she feels confident that between them, Taizu and she can keep any such audience coming back).

    She goes to the Werewolf and Flute, has dinner, and then has a delightful time singing for the tavern.  It is quite full: it seems that Thumper and Glimflashy have talked all their buddies into coming back for the evening.  She goes mostly with drinking songs - some singalong, some thumpalong - and folksongs, but also performs two arias in each set, just to show off her voice.


587, Flocktime 7:

     Tarva settles into a routine.  early morning, practice with the City Guard; mid-morning back to the Bardic College to chat with Suzi (usally up by then) and write on her Ahb adventures document; late morning: volunteer her healing abilities at the Pelor Temple's clinic; then lunch at a tavern where she can discuss the possibility of her singing some evening soon.  Immediately after lunch she stops by the Jade to catch up with Morain; then most afternoons (but not Godsday) she follows Morain's advice on househunting.  And each evening (but again not Godsday) she tries to be singing at a different establishment.  After the second set she goes back to the College, and possibly lets herself get dragged into a rehearsal or a jam session.  However her final hour, before going to sleep, is reserved for finding a secluded spot, pulling HR out to hold him and talk over the day's events, their plans, and anything else that occurs to them.


587, Flocktime 13:

    That afternoon, in one of the nicer middle-class neighborhoods of Greyhawk, Tarva finds a tidy bungalow that has an air about it that immediately attracts her.  After looking it over from the outside, she finds the owner's agent and returns for a complete inspection.  A main room with a fireplace for heating and cooking, and a second room in the back.  Looking at the oversized bed in that back room, a good six inches longer than Taizu, convinces Tarva that this place is where they are meant to stay.  Besides the bed, with a down matress and comforters, the room has only a clothes press and a honeypot.  The main room has a medium sized table, four nice chairs, and a minimum of cooking utensils, plus plenty of room for Tarva and Taizu to bring in their own possessions.  Plus some items can be stored on top of the rafters.  The front stoop has an extension of the roof, sloping down to almost head height.  There's a bin for storing wood which should keep it dry in all but the worst storms.  The door is sturdy (but Tarva wants Taizu to examine the lock and see if it's any good), and the windows actually have glass in them, albeit all small framed and wavy: they'll let in light, but don't actually allow anyone to see out (or in).  The agent says that the nearest public square with a fountain is three blocks away, and tells her how to get in touch with the nightsoil service.  

    The agent wants 40gp a month, but Tarva turns on her charm and suggests that he offer a discount, in exchange for her paying a year's rent in advance.  They eventually settle on 35gp a month, and Tarva writes up a charge on her account for 455gp (a year being effectively thirteen months long).  

   
587, Flocktime 17:

    With her afternoons now (mostly) free, Tarva makes much faster progress on her writing up of her adventures with Ahb.  And this morning, before going to the clinic, she finds Radiant Elsa and hands in her report.  Actually, she has two copies, or, rather, versions of the report: one of them carefully leaves out any mention of Heart's Reach -- he is mentioned no more and no less than any specific weapon of any of the other adventurers.  Radiant Elsa looks surprised, then thoughtful, when Tarva explains what she is being handed.  Tarva arranges to come back that afternoon to read Ahb's report.

    After she has read it, she offers to write up a copy of Ahb's with all references to HR unobtrusively removed.  Tarva's suggestion, which she poses as a desire, is that the two complete, unexpurged reports be locked up somewhere very safe, available only to high church officials with a reason to be told; and that the modified copies be what the church used for their investigation into Ahb's adventure.  Radiant Elsa stares at Tarva for a long moment, then excuses herself and leaves Tarva alone in the office.  Several minutes later she comes back and asks Tarva to accompany her.  

    They go down a hallway, up a flight of stairs, and down a second, much more elaborate, carpted, hallway.  Tarva is beginning to get the idea that they are going to see some very high up church official.  At its end, the hallway opens into an anteroom.  A man sitting at a desk there motions them through, saying, "go on in."  And then they are in the chambers of His Most Holy Halbot Channellite, head of not only the Temple of Pelor in Greyhawk, but of the entire Church of Pelor on this continent.  Tarva immediately kneels (a courtsy would be foolish, since she isn't wearing a dress) and stays there.  

    "Please get up."  The voice is melodious but firm.  When Tarva stands and looks, and gets past the robes of office, she sees a handsome man of mature years, his temples beginning to silver.  He has -- no surprise there, Tarva thinks -- a ton of charisma.  He gets up from behind his desk and gestures for both of them to join him in some chairs arranged for conversation.  But then he just looks quietly at Tarva for a couple of minutes.  Finally, indicating HR, he asks, "is this the sword you're so concerned about?"

    "Heart's Reach," says Tarva, "we have the honor of being in the presence of His Most Holy Halbot Channellite, the Primary of the Church of Pelor."  "Most Holy," HR begins, clearly responding but not replying to Tarva's statement, "it is with the deepest sense of honor and gratitude that I find myself in your presence.  If I were capable of genuflecting, I would most assuredly be doing so; as it is, please accept my statement as being the deed itself.  Seldom have I been in conversation with someone as exaulted as yourself, and I will treasure these moments."  

     There is only a slight tightening of the skin around his eyes, to show that Halbot has been affected by this demonstration of HR's sentinence.   "I see," he says.  "Well, Sir Sword, from what I have been told, the honor is hardly one-sided; and I in turn thank you for your assistance to one of our most promising junior clerics."  "It was my pleasure to be working with someone as dedicated to the arts of healing as is the Reverend Ahb," HR replies.

    Now Halbot switches his gaze from the sheathed sword to Tarva.  "It is most preplexing," he says, "you do not seem to be the sort of person who would set out to cause disruptions, and yet, here you are.  Do you think you can bribe this Church into making decisions along the lines that you want?"

    Tarva's jaw drops open in surprise.  She hasn't had time since entering this room, to develope any preconceived notions of where this meeting would go, but this was entirely unexpected.  "I-I beg your pardon?" she stutters.  But meanwhile she's also beginning to grow angry: how dare he...   HR must have felt this rising indignation, because, quite uncharacteristically, he interrupts her.  "Tarva, this happens.  In every Church, in every world, there are some people who worship money over all else; and who think they can buy, oh not the Deity's favors, but those of the mortals who make up the Church.  His Most Holy is making a not unreasonable assumption in considering the possibility that you are such a person, even though in your case he is completely wrong."

    "Indeed." says Halbot, nodding at HR.  "Miss Streamside, you first showed up here and made a highly unusual request, then a few days later provided the Temple with quite a large amount of money, and now have reiterated your request.  It fit into a very familar pattern, and I was duty bound to determine if that pattern did apply in this case.  The suppression of information - which is what you are asking us to do - is not something that we will agree to lightly; usually not at all."

    "That was a tithe, nothing more," begins Tarva.  "It is my privilige to support the Church of Pelor to the extent that my successful adventuring, singing, whatever, allows.  It was not, it was never, intended to 'buy' anything.  I --"  Halbot cuts her off with a wave of his arm.  "Yes, but I had to check.  And before making a decision on suppressing these reports, I had to personally investigate the truth behind them.  Sir Sword, I will not ask you to demonstrate your ability to bring someone back to life to me: I will trust that Revereand Ahb and Ranger Rowan are both unbiased and observant, and their report bears that out."  Looking at Tarva again, "I agree with you, then, Miss Streamside: this is a matter which should be restricted and limited in who has access to the information.  Your full report will be placed in a secure vault, and the expurged one used for our more ordinary purposes.  Likewise, an expurged version of Reverand Ahb's report will also be created, after which her full report will also be placed in the vault.  Your offer to create that expurged version is appreciated but cannot be accepted: it would be too obvious that the same person penned both reports, calling into unnecessary and unwanted question the validity of both reports.  Instead, you will work with Radiant Elsa to determine the alternate wording, which she will write out.  I will leave it to the two of you to work out the details of your shared activity."

    Then he stood up, clearly ending the visit.  Tarva and Elsa both rose also, and Tarva executed a bow.  "Thank you," she said.  "It has been a most interesting day," he replied.

    Back in her office, Elsa and Tarva set up a schedule to work on the rewriting of  Ahb's report.  "No hard feelings?" asks Elsa.  "Of course not," Tarva replies.  "You were looking out for the best interests of the Church, and rightly so."