DoT: Not Them

Verity paused on the bridge, and handed the spyglass over to Vallatha. The younger woman was coming along well, minding her control as she slowly expanded her abilities, and it was a matter of pure shitty luck that she'd fallen afoul of a charm spell. Otherwise, she might have taken the mage captive when they'd first met. 

"I can't tell," Vallatha said at last. "The group's about the right size, but none of them look like the vendor's description -- or the elf I spoke with."

Verity sighed. "We're going to have to take a closer look.  If they're using disguises, a voice might give it away. Could you manage to talk to them?"

Vallatha nodded. "I haven't put on a disguise myself in well over two years, but I can do it."

"Do it, then. You're the only one who's had contact with them; you'll be the only one who can tell. And Mad Mattie wants answers."

"I want answers," Vallatha said, suddenly fierce. "I don't want anybody messing with my mind like that. I hate the idea of losing control like that."

Verity nodded. "I understand. Learn what you can, then, and report back."

* * *

Verity looked up as Vallatha knocked, entered her sanctum, and then dumped herself into one of the chairs. "It's not them," she said. "It could almost be -- they even had a halfling there -- but the halfling was still a child, and I don't think she's throwing spells at anybody. The rest of them... They could be a crew, and possibly Mist Eyes, but they don't match any crew I've ever heard of, and apparently they spend a lot of their time helping out people on their spoke. One of the kids is apprenticed in the bakery, and the woodcarver told me how they heal his hand every morning to help with the pain." She sighed. "And the only elf there was a woman, who kept trying to flirt with me. None of their voices were familiar, either."

"None of that proves that they didn't kill Varna," Verity observed, but she sounded dubious even to herself. 

"It doesn't," Vallatha agreed, "but I would have preferred to find something that does. We could pull them in, find a way to make sure they were telling the truth, but..." she shrugged. "I think we're looking in the wrong place."

"Very well," Verity said after a long moment. "Keep looking. Hard to believe that there might be two such groups, but Mistress Taritha's description wasn't very precise."

"Sudden violence will do that to the untrained," Vallatha observed, and Verity nodded. 

"So we keep looking." She sighed. "This mage will show up, sooner or later. I'd prefer sooner, but if they have any sense they'll have gone to ground after this."

"Is there another way to look?" asked Vallatha. 

"I'll set someone to watch them," Verity said, "and see if they make contact with anyone else. If they're just an up-and-coming crew within the Mist Eyes, though.... It's still possible that's how they went to make their name, but if so only they and Cedric will know it. We can't trust to rumor for this."

Vallatha nodded. "I have a friend who might be good for this. With your permission...?"

Verity nodded. "Tap him. He doesn't have to be brilliant, just observant and unobtrusive." 

Vallatha nodded. "I trust him. You recruited us together, if you remember."

"Ah," said Verity. "Salador." She nodded. "Do it."