Setting: The Smuggler's Rest Inn, Last Stop, Cairhien

Cast:
Mirla Sunami: An ex-smuggler, who doesn't know the true identities of her visitors.
Megwyn: Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah
Nata: Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah
Silkor: A theif, and Mirla's oldest friend.

Mirla leans forward and grabs a shotglass. She downs it, cheeks all ready flushed, and scoops up the dice cup. The men at her table watch with varying degrees of concern, smugness, or outright amusement. She rolls--a horrid roll, 1, 2, 2, 4 , 6. She scowls, and orders more whiskey.

Nata trails in after the other two, her glance moving from one to the other with out lingering enough to seem rude or draw attention as she quietly observes those about her.

"Mirla," one of the men says, gently for this rough company, "maybe ye'd better be stoppin'. Haven't ye lost enough money?" Mirla growls. "Roll the bloody dice! "

Megwyn crosses, paying the woman behind her little mind more than a brief nod. She crosses into the .. tavern.. and orders herself a drink. Her gaze rakes the room and seemlingly aimless steps put her at the edge of the group dicing. She ignores the sharp looks she gets, watching all of them.

The man shrugs and rolls while the others at the table--save Mirla, who watches the dice intently--shoot suspicious glares at the newcomers. Three sixes, two fours. Mirla narrows her eyes and tosses down the drink.

Megwyn glances at the woman here amongst the men and pulls a few coppers from her pouch. Despite her clothing, the tones of her voice harken back to the street as she lays a few side-bets on the dicing.

Mirla glances up at the woman...almost too finely dressed for this place, but what does she care? She blows on the dice, "My luck's gotta change," shoves the last bit of silver in front of her into the pot. One man leaves the game, saying h e won't cheat any woman out of her money this way, even if it is Mirla Sunami. She grins at him and rolls. "ALL SIXES!" She whoops, drawing the attention of the entire room. "Pay up, Handsome!"

Nata moves over toward a spot easily withing hearing distance of Megwyn yet with out hovering around her. She finds a spt out of the main area which would be less noticable. Ordering a drink, she takes a long thirsty drink when it arrives.

Megwyn shoves a grumbler aside, "Pay up!" She takes his spot as he moves off. She watches the too-kind gambler leave with something more than idle interest. Her eyes fall back on the woman gambling with what /could/ be a better's speculation. She bets again. "Th' chit'll roll high." She puts a silver mark on it.

Mirla grins, a fire in her eyes as she fiddles around in her newfound winnings and produces the only gold mark in sight. This time? Full House. "I'd think you were up tae yer old tricksa cheatin', Sunami," one of the men says, "if I didn't just watch ya nearly loose all." Mirla smirks. "Cheat?" She hands him the dice c up. "I ain't never cheated." He, for his part, rolls a pair 'o ones, and the one after him, a couple a fours.

Megwyn takes her winnings and worms her way through to end up sitting near the young woman at hand. "S'yer Mirla." She drinks off the rest of her tankard and gives her a direct look.

Mirla sits up, all of the sudden very wary.

Mirla answers slowly, "Aye." The men clear out, recognizing this, and move to another table to bury themselves in their ale.

Megwyn grins, ignoring the other woman's start. "I've heard things abaht you. Y' r good a' getting things tae different places. Things tha' one doesn't want noticed goin'."

Mirla orders another drink. Ale, this time. "I'm out of that business," she says , harshly.

Nata sips he brew quietly. The door opens to permit one to leave and another group to come in, three men heading toward the bar, two talking, one simply nodding from time to time at the appropriate spots, none doing more than slightly raising a hand to casual acquaintenances.

Megwyn nods amicably. "Oh, true enough. True enough. M' more interested in somat that might already have passed yer way.."

Mirla takes a swig of ale. "What's that?"

Megwyn says "Oh, s'not much many might look'd twice a'. V'been tol' is abaht so big an' dark-like. Kinda black 'er purple." She makes a shape with her hands, watching Mirla closely. It describes something the size of a juggling-ball. "Certain parties 'v sent me tae see to it's recovery."

"Blood and bloody flaming ashes," Mirla mutters. "That thing again? I don't have it. I'm well rid of it. I don't know what it bloody well did and I don't wanna know. Bloody thing ruined my flamin' life, it did. Sorry. Can't help you. JAK! I want more ale!"

Megwyn captures Mirla's hand at the wrist, eyes sharp, "Then you c'n bloody well tell me who you gave it to, Mirla, an' I'll be leavin' you alone right bloody quick." She leans over the table, not letting her gaze slip at all from the other woman's.

Mirla twists her hand out of the other woman's grip, eyes narrowed and dangerous. "Don't threaten me," she says, softly, suddenly completely lucid. "I'll be glad to tell you where I left it." Her street accent leaves. She leans forward. "I traded it to the masked man who came for it for Marla's life. She's the guildmistress of merchants in bloody Tar Valon, kid that she is, and ungreatful at that . I haven't seen it since."

Megwyn punctuates each word carefully, "And who was that man?"

Mirla takes a swig of ale. "Dunno. He was masked," she mutters into it. "You're in the business. You know there's a time for askin' questions and there's a time ta cut your losses."

The level of the drink in Nata's cup drops steadily as she sips from time to time. She seems to be minding her own business rather well.

Megwyn looks a bit disgusted and leans back in her chair, crosses her arms. "M'losses are likely to be significant i' I c'nnae track this one down. There are those mighty displeased wi' this turn of events an' I've b'n charged wi' puttin' ' em right again." Her gaze lingers on Mirla. "Th' ones takin' the caravan were wa ntin' this thing somethin' harsh. I need tae know why, Mirla an' I c'n be outta yer hair. Why and how the'd know you'd be the one t'have it. An' mebbe where i' might be goin'. S'cost too much time t'come near t'Cairhien t'go back wi' nothin ' tae show fer it. " She ends almost on a note of pleading, as if to imply that harsh measures might be taken upon her should she come back to her 'employer' empty-handed.

Mirla scrubs her fingers through her hair. "Where it went? I don't know. Tar Valon, first, I 'magine." She winces. "Why did I have it? Because some flamin' fool offered me 1000 to take it, 1000 gold, mind, and paid 500 in advance. Never did get the other bloody 500, and lost some other cargo as well, due to the flamin' Whitecloaks. I don't know what it did, though I do have a theory."

Megwyn frowns deeply, "Wha' sorta fool'd be payin' y' tha' much just t'carry such a thing?"

Mirla smirks. "One who was desparate, that's who. A real fool. Threatened me at the top of his lungs at the Flamin' Arrow where everyone could hear if I opened it. On and on about punishments and such if I did. I did anyway, you understand, after the Kid was taken, and the ravens showed up, and the rats. Figure he was a bloody darkfriend, too."

Megwyn muses out loud, two questions falling on top of one other, "An' what does it do, I wonder? Does this fool have a name?"

Mirla shakes her head. "The fool doesn't have a name and I don't know what it does, but..." she leans forward and lowers her voice. "I think it's pretty bloody coincidental that a few months after this darkfriend /rock/ disappears that an entire noble house gets slaughtered. Maybe it was some sorta Aes Sedai made thing which could kill a buncha people in the same place when you worked it right. Cause...all it looked like was a rock, and none too valuable. But you know that."

Megwyn nods slowly, "Mirla.. thank y'. S'not much help, but it might be useful. D'ye have any other s'spicion's abaht this blasted thing?" She smirks suddenly, "Anythin' tha' might save m'hide s'useful."

Silkor has arrived.

Mirla shakes her head and looks at Megwyn seriously. "Stay away from it. Tell yer boss, whoever he is, that it ain't worth the trouble. It's the Dark One's work and doesn't bring nothin' but the Dark One's own trouble. I lost my livelyhood and found out a bunch about a friend I didn't wanna know over this pieca rock. Chase somethin' else. There's far more profitable stuff to deal in. I can hook ya up with several good people. Leave off with this thing."

Nata sits quietly minding her won business as she drinks from a tankard. A group of men around the bar are talking with each other and laughing from time to time. Mirla and Megwyn are speaking with each other.

Megwyn shakes her head sadly, "I dinna have much a choice. It's wanted tae be off the market. Permanently. But thankee." She puts out a few coins on the table. Silver and one gold mark. "Fer yer drinks an' th' trouble. If'n ye c'n think o' anything else, 'r one that could tell me more, 'd 'preciate th' trouble. Word 't ae Delg in Will's Tavern 'n Tar Valon'll get tae me."

Megwyn flashes a brief grin, "Mebbe I'll be back t'bet on y'. Y' seem tae ha' some luck on yer side.."

Mirla scoops up the coins, needing them, and tucks them away. "For now," she agrees with a slight grin. "If I can avoid tickin' off my enemies any further. Nice talkin' to ya. Delg, eh? I'll remember it. Don't know that I'll ever make it back that way, but I'll remember it."

Megwyn nods and rises. "Luck, Mirla, in what'er ye be tryin' tae do."

Megwyn slips out of the common room without another word.

Nata seems to finish her drink and leaves proper coinage for it, her fingers moving near grudgingly as they part from the coppers. She rises and starts to work her way toward the door.

Mirla watches the two women leave.

After a period of time some of the men finish drinks and depart.

Silkor strolls over next to Mirla crosses his arms and waits.

Mirla drains her alemug. "'Lo, Silkor."

Silkor says "Hey Beautiful."

You say "Hey, Handsome. Welcome to the biggest Hole in the Wall apart from the Tooth and Jugular."

Silkor looks around. "Aye, it's kindaa' homey."

Mirla chuckles. "I thought you were in Tar Valon."

Silkor smirks. "Not after you left in such a hurry. Did you think I wouldn't follow to make sure you're alright?"

"Didn't think about it, really." Mirla says. "Wasn't thinkin' about much, 'cept gettin' outta there."

Silkor places a hand on Mirla's shoulder. "What happened?"

Mirla takes another swig of ale. Her voice is low despite the agitated nature of her tone. "Darkfriends tried ta bloody well recruit me, that's what flamin' well happened."

Silkor's hand tightens slightly on your shoulder. "Who?"

Mirla shakes her head. "Don't worry about it."

Silkor says "Fine, then that means all I have to worry about it you."

"Ahh." Mirla mutters. "All I gotta do is pay the bloody debt to Talin...figure on hittin' somea these high-class sorta gamblin' houses ta do it, gettin' outta Cairhien. Once they open the flamin' gates. Then go somewhere else. I don't know where."

Silkor grins. "I hear Arad Doman is nice this time of year."

Mirla smirks. "I ain't wearin anything like those flamin' clothes."