"I hope your constitution is as robust as you boasted, Red," Baldovo remarked as Trosyn brought him his drink. She tilted her head to the side questioningly, but didn't ask. He smiled and answered anyway. "A few of the sailors have become ill."

"Hmm, yes, I had heard about that," Trosyn remarked as she cleared the table next to Baldovo. "Drinking alone today?"

"Just taking a break. The others are collating. We will see you tonight, right?" Baldovo asked. Trosyn nodded her head. "Ah, good. Be careful, though, as I'm afraid Volente may be coming down with something as well."

"Oh dear. I hope not," Trosyn said with a frown, balancing the tray along her hip. "You'd best make sure to take extra care not to catch it as well."

"Oh, it's not something that spreads," Baldovo said, smiling behind his mug.

"Seasick?"

"Love sick." Baldovo snickered. Trosyn did not find it quite so amusing.

"If he is, it's not for you to spread around, Baldovo," Trosyn chided. Baldovo raised his eyebrows, astonished at being reprimanded by her.

"You are getting bolder," Baldovo remarked, setting his mug down heavily.

"I adapt," Trosyn remarked before walking away to continue her work.

----------------------------------------

As per their usual routine, the four gathered together again at a table. Colto with his pipe, Volente with stacks of paper and a pen, and Baldovo with his smug attitude. Trosyn, of course, had her story to share.

Let's see now. Ah yes. I'd reached a comfortable equilibrium. Time passed, then Benold decided to make use of some of my more hidden talents. Without really telling me where we were going, he told me to dress for outdoor work and we set off on a pair of horses. We passed through the forest and came to a clearing with a sizable knoll. On the side of a swell was an opening, leading down underground. He said he needed someone who was sensitive to spirits to venture down there with him. I was astounded. You see, Benold is afraid of confined spaces, although he's always tried to hide it. To think he would willingly go into such a place was unthinkable. But it occurred to me, he may have overcome that.

He didn't say what exactly he was looking for, just that it was something he hoped would help him. Oh. Sorry, I need to back up before this. Let me re-order my thoughts. While I was accompanying Benold on some errands, one of his associates took him aside to speak with him. This associate, Sintol, was always looking to make money. His latest scheme involved working with a hated cult for access to secrets, which Sintol believed could lead to immortality or prolonged youth. I wasn't entirely sure which, as the one doesn't always necessarily mean the other. I had overheard only part of the conversation, but when my presence was noticed by Sintol, he appealed to me. This took me completely off guard. I had thought he might go silent or reprimand me. Instead, he sought to draw me in and convince me to help him convince Benold. What this told me is that at least one of Benold's inner circle believed me to have influence worth courting. This also meant I could be seen as a threat by his fraternity. The moment Benold realised what Sintol was trying, he ended the conversation abruptly.

The surprises did not stop there. Usually Benold did not speak of the brotherhood he belonged to, and their plots. But that day, he opened up to me. He explained they needed to fully conquer the island to amass the power and wealth necessary to make a bid for power back in Ayokonia. The government was weak after the civil war and it was a matter of time before a decisive coup would shift the balance. And I'd known for a long time Commander Slacht was the mastermind between more than one coup.

Benold was concerned about getting involved with dangerous forces and making the wrong allies. Sintol only cared about the wealth that could be gained from such an alliance. This cult, the Unseelie Eye, were known for pacts with spirits that were, shall we say, far less sympathetic to humanity. There was always a grievous cost in dealing with them. But Sintol believed that through combining technology and access to these dark but powerful forces, they could bypass that cost, or minimise it to turn a profit.

Benold chose his words carefully. I wish I could remember exactly how he said things. There are such nuances to Benold I struggle to convey. But I knew he was asking for my input without asking, for a man of his station would never seek advice from an inferior such as myself. Image was everything, even behind closed doors. So, I begged his permission to speak freely and was granted it, with feigned reluctance. I told him his reluctance was wise. Although with the power the Unseelie Eye could grant them, it would damage their already precarious reputation. And there was no guarantee that they would be granted what they were promised.

Benold said that Sintol had every intention of preempting a betrayal once they got what they wanted. I cautioned him that such a ploy would never work in their favour. To have reached a point to gain anything from the Eye, they would already have burnt bridges with current alliances. Then to turn on them would not win them back favour, but leave them struggling on their own. The secret to eternal youth would not save them, and may just encourage someone else to try and steal it.

Benold listened carefully. He said he thought Commander Slacht must have already considered this, but was concerned that Commander Slacht hadn't dismissed the plan immediately. He was weighing it out and giving it consideration. Benold was clearly apprehensive. I further added that power could be gained from other resources, if they were patient and good stewards of what they had. He said something about being wealthy enough to be truly independent, and I began to wonder if he was finally considering moving on from the Brotherhood.

The relevance to this is probably because I used the word 'stewardship'. Which got him thinking about using the resources on the land they'd already claimed. And thus I bring you back to the underground tunnels he wanted me to help him search.

It became apparent to me rather quickly that Benold was still uncomfortable underground. Since there weren't any other staff around, I let my guard down and began to chatter away at him. I must confess, in my younger years, I was quite loquacious. During the war I had learned to be silent and say only what was necessary. My prattling worked like a charm. Soon my jokes and anecdotes were putting my master at ease. Then I heard the sounds of knocking. As the clatter echoed through the winding tunnels, I knew my purpose. That was the sound of a Coblyn: ugly little spirits resembling people, but generally curious and benevolent. However, their attempts to help were often misinterpreted, and led people to disaster instead.

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Benold was clearly unnerved by the noises, fearing a collapse. He wanted to leave, but I bid him to remain calm. I insisted we follow the sound instead of moving away from it. It took some convincing, but he finally relented. Although I was his slave, he knew where spirits were concerned, I was his guiding light.

We were led to a fork and he began heading right. I told him it was the wrong way, and he insisted that was where the knocking was coming from. I told him to close his eyes and really listen. That was just the echo. Unfortunately, he could not distinguish the echo from the source. Although he'd been following my lead to that point, I believe he felt he needed to remind me of the power dynamic. He insisted we go right. He had worked up quite a bluster by this point, but I decided the only way he'd learn was to find the consequences for himself. And so, I let him go right, and dutifully, albeit cautiously, trailed behind.

The knocking became less frequent, and we went in circles. Benold was getting increasingly agitated. My chattering went from reassuring him to irritating him. So a silence came between us. Just as Benold was saying we ought to give up the expedition and go back to the entrance, there was a series of rapid knocks below us. I knew what this meant. I tugged on Benold, who resisted being moved at first, but when he felt a rumble under his feet, he gave way. Where he had been, the ground swelled before parting, and two large clawed appendages thrust through. There was a quake and the tunnel we'd entered through collapsed. Caught between rubble and a monster, we were in dire circumstances.

Was I afraid? Yes. I regretted not being firmer, and instead electing to teach Benold a lesson. I had imagined Benold may have come to some mischief, not any serious harm. And before you wonder, this creature was not the Coblyn, nor did the Coblyn lure it to us. The knocks were a warning. But that didn't matter now. We faced a creature with the head of a bear, and giant, broad paws like that of a mole, and a long serpentine tail. I had never seen such a creature, nor heard anything matching this description.

I was not equipped to do anything. So I did the only thing I could think of. I dropped down to the floor and covered my neck. What was I to do? I had no weapons, and our path of retreat was blocked. The whole room was filled with the resounding boom of Benold's rifle. I could feel the sound in my chest. The creature roared and I stayed down. I heard the clatter of the rifle and feared the worst. Just as I looked up, still prostrate on the ground, I saw Benold step in front of me, his revolver out. Of course he'd bring a back up. He emptied the entire chamber into that creature. It did not go down, but his final shot, to its nose, caused it to reel back.

That was it. With one hand he stooped down to drag me to my feet. Meanwhile my hand grabbed the lantern I'd dropped. There was a tunnel just past the hole crafted by this creature and that's where we ran. The creature howled with anger, and its sounds chased us through the winding tunnels. I kept my wits about me, searching for an advantage.

"If we can get up there, we should be out of its reach!" I exclaimed when I spotted a high shelf in the rock.

"How? We don't have time!"

"Give me a lift!" He hesitated. "Trust me!"

The roars were getting closer, and there was the sound of stone being smashed. We had brought rope as a necessary tool, and I wrapped it about my shoulder. Benold gave me a step up and I climbed the rest of the way. Anchoring the rope on a sturdy stalagmite, I dropped it down and Benold began his ascent. With the comfort and luxury he had lived in, it was easy to forget he had been trained in more than marksmanship. Still, I was surprised how spry he still could be at his age. I pulled up the rope and the monster charged into the chamber beneath us. It sniffed around and listened and pawed at the walls. Keeping otherwise still, I threw a rock down another tunnel at an attempt at misdirection. To my relief, the ursine creature charged after the noise, and I watched as its naked tail slithered around the nearest corner.

Benold and I were silent, holding our breaths. The sound of the creature finally became distant, and we let out a sigh of relief. By that point, Benold decided to let me guide him the rest of the way. We didn't say much. I don't think we needed to. At that moment, we needed each other.

The knocking continued as we tried to find a new route out. For me, hearing was more than just sounds. It was space, and distance, and time. It was things relating to other things. For most of my life I thought everyone heard the same way I did, but I was mistaken. I had exceptional acuity when it came to finding the source of a sound. The Coblyn led us, indeed, to a vein. Benold was pleased with this discovery, but concerned about the dangers that may lurk in this cave.

I do believe Benold learned a valuable lesson. However, he was not about to admit it to me. Still I could see in the way he watched me that he had discovered a newfound respect for me. It was hard to not let it go to my head. For as readily as I could earn it, I knew I could lose it. But when I was finally alone in my room, I revelled in the feeling. And though we had been in danger, I found myself hoping to go on more adventures with him. Because out there, there was no society telling us how to act. We could just be, and I was longing to just be.

"Did you ever see that monster again?" Volente asked. A few times through the story he had pinched the lid off of his vials of smelling salts. It was no surprise that he was relieved the danger was past, and eager to be sure it wouldn't arise again.

"I did not. I believe he put a bounty on the beast to clear it out before he could set up mining there. Though, that caused some of its own problems later on," Trosyn reflected.

"It always does," Colto muttered. Trosyn tilted her head, regarding Colto thoughtfully for a moment.

"What do you mean?" Trosyn asked, trying to draw more of a discussion out of the laconic Colto.

"Solve one problem, and new ones arise," Colto responded with a shrug.

"Yes, but that keeps us well employed! Because who do they come to to solve problems?" Baldovo preened.

"I think... it's a matter of finding the problems you can live with," Trosyn reflected. "You just keep digging until you find what you can endure." Colto blew out a plume of smoke and made a non-committal 'hmph' in disagreement, but did not seem interested in engaging in a debate.

"Well our most current problem is a bunch of sick sailors. If it stays with them, fine, but if it spreads, it could become a disaster," Baldovo remarked. Volente removed his spectacles and rubbed his temples with something strong smelling.

"I'd suggest you make sure to use this oil daily, it will ward off sickness. It's infused with medicinal herbs," Volente said, holding out a small glass jar. "I don't mind sharing. Would you like to try some, Red?"

"Thank you, but I'd hate for you to run out," Trosyn responded, putting up a hand of polite rejection. Volente frowned and then looked at Colto and Baldovo hopefully. Baldovo gave it a sniff then pushed it away. Colto didn't even go near it.

"Suit yourselves," Volente grumbled.

Trosyn looked at the three scientists. She then put her hand out. "Alright, I might try a little," Trosyn said with a smile. Volente's eyes lit up. He rummaged through his medicine bag and took out a small, clean vial. He worked on transferring some of the oil from the jar into it, and handed it to Trosyn. "Thank you, Volente."

Volente smiled foolishly. Baldovo and Colto exchange glances and both stood up. Colto put a hand on Volente's shoulder before leaving. Baldovo shook his head disapprovingly. "Come on, Volente, let's get going. We have to be up early tomorrow to check our instruments."

"Hm? Yes. Right, coming!" Volente said, scrambling to gather up his miniature apothecary and the papers he'd been writing notes on. "Stay healthy, Red."

"I'll do my best."