Introductions

     The old man stood still for a moment, assessing the elf with diamond-
bright eyes. He was a statue of a man, rigid and time-worn. Then he burst
into a high laugh, however never taking his eyes from the elf. His laugh
finished shortly, and he walked to the bar and pulled out a stool. He didn't
sit just yet.
     "K'tarin, sit with us."
     The redguard removed his hand from his axe and quietly seated himself at
the nearest table. The two patrons siting across the table stared pop-eyed
at the man. The redguard seemed to take no notice of them. Now the small
man took his stool. It was hard to detect, but he saw the flicker of surprise
and curiosity pass over the high elf's face at the redguard's movement.
     "You must be Elfiran." It was a statement and a question all at once.
"Please excuse my rough manner, but I have traveled from beyond the great
desert for near a month with little sleep or rest. I have grown...cranky."
     The man glanced at K'tarin as if sharing a private joke, but the
redguard's face remained impassive, a work of sand-blasted stone. Though he
did not have the physique of the high elf, his physical presence was no less.
The small man jerked himself straighter yet, his eyebrows raised.
     "Forgive me. I haven't introduce my party. This is K'tarin, as you
know. These are T'salin and Shomshar, my escort." He indicated the redguard
and breton respectively. "And my name is Alduin dor Lammoth."
     Alduin's brow twitched once as he seemed for the first time to notice
his escort's predicament. He turned back to his host and gave a cold smile.
     "Although K'tarin here doesn't know he's supposed to be paralyzed, I'm
sure the others would not be...ungrateful if they were released. Now that I
am, I trust, in good company, I assure you they will behave."
     Elfiran looked over the hapless breton and redguard for a moment before
flicking his hand. The breton unceremoniously stumbled into his companion,
having been paralyzed in mid step. The redguard for his part remained still
as if the spell had not been lifted. Only his eyes moved, and they flicked
from Elfiran to Alduin. At a slight nod from the old man, both men seated
themselves at an unoccupied table. Satisfied, Alduin continued.
     "You may or may not have heard of me. I am the Master Scribe of the
Pearl Tower, Kineschel unu Lammoth. I have heard there are great deeds afoot.
I have come to record them. I was hoping to meet Balefire, but meeting you is
far better. I've heard you are at the center of it all. Is this true?
     "At any rate, I wish to accompany you on this adventure. Falalla, the
Master Scribe before me, thinks this a fool's errand, but he never had vision.
Always relied on heresay and digging about in books. This is fine for
compiling chronicles, but not tales. One has to be there! Do not refuse me.
I'm an old man, and have traveled too far to turn back now."
     Alduin matched Elfiran's gaze for a long moment, then turned to the
barkeep. "You do serve Aldabaran Dark, I trust? Good. Fill me a pint."

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Alduin dor Lammoth