.

All the way back to Qeynos, Falco daydreamed about how he should have stood up to M’Tun for his insults. Next time he was really going to tell him off.

He decided to use the front gate because no one needed to be that cautious and it was a lot dryer. He breezed past the guards without a single glance from them. They never even noticed him amongst all those passing into the city.

“Hey” one guard whispered to his partner “that’s the exhibitionist that was shtumping Llisanya in the window the other day.” The other guard nodded. “Yeah, hard to recognize him with his clothes on” he guffawed. “What do you suppose he was doing out in Antonica?”

“Probably nothing good. If he’s hanging out with Llisanya we best mention him in the End-of-Watch Report.”

“Yeah.”

In the harbour area, Falco found a corner where no one could see him and dove into the stream. He swam underwater and had no trouble finding the hole in the wall under the bridge. It was a long swim along the tunnel and he was getting short of breath. When he had gone so far that he knew he would not make it if he had to turn around it suddenly occurred to him that M’Tun had played a trick on him and there was no well ahead. He would drown in this tunnel.

To his relief, he did come to a well and swam up as fast as he could. He broke the surface and gasped a big breath in relief.

Before he climbed out he looked around. It was a cavernous cellar without windows. Several torches brightly lit the room. The well was just a hole in the floor. Three women were looking at him curiously but calmly. They were a Gnome, a Half Elf and a Dark Elf.

They were certainly pretty. The auburn-haired Half Elf had exotically comely features suggesting some High Elf ancestry in her. Too bad she was cursed with a flat chest.

The brown-haired Gnome was tiny but her body was well proportioned and she had a very pretty face. For her body size her tits looked proportionately large.

It was the Dark Elf that really caught his eye. He had never even seen a female Teir’Dal before this. Did they all look this beautiful? Her high cheekbones emphasized her almond eyes.Her skin was a very dark blue, darker than M’Tun by a long sight and so much more exotic. Her long hair was pure white, framing her beautiful face. She would have been tiny were it not for the Gnome standing beside her and making her look tall. He noticed she had big breasts, assuming she was not stuffing. If she was stuffing maybe she should show her Half Elf friend how to do it.

It was the boyish figured Half Elf who spoke. “Climb up and dry yourself off, Wood Elf.”

He climbed up but stood there soaked. No one offered him a towel. He dropped his soggy pack on the floor. So much for using the front gate to keep him dry. He had not thought ahead.

“How can we help you, Sir?” asked the Gnome.

“You’re in luck” the Half Elf chimed in. “It’s a slow day of sales so you have a good choice of stock at good prices.”

The beautiful Dark Elf remained silent.

“Thank you” Falco answered the Half Elf, a little haughtily “but I am here to see a fellow named Sprockfuddle on a matter for him only.”

At this, the Dark Elf finally spoke. “He is not here, as you may notice. Just us girls. What do you want from him?” she asked curtly.

He ignored the question. “Well, can you tell me when he will be back?”

“In about two weeks…” the Dark Elf answered flatly “…assuming time off for good behaviour. So it will probably be four weeks, knowing him. Angry little asshole.” The three found that funny. Those large breasts on the Dark Elf jiggled under her top as she laughed. He liked the sight of them. His penis woke up. The Dark Elf caught him looking at her tits but did not say anything except “I feel sorry for the jailor that has to look after Sprockfuddle.”

“Why don’t you tell us what you need from Sprockfuddle?” the Gnome suggested. “I am sure we can help you. Maybe a magic scroll spell or a well-made dagger that happened to have fallen off the back of a cart? I am sure we can match Sprocky’s prices.”

“No” Falco responded tersely. “It is business with Sprockfuddle alone. I need to give him a message.” He instantly kicked himself for volunteering that last piece of information.

“Oh” The Dark Elf took on a reassuring tone. “Sprockfuddle is our associate. Any message you may need to pass to him can be given through us. We can get him the message and can be relied on for full discretion.”

Falco was dumb enough to actually consider doing this just so he could get this errand done. Once he left them with the message he could go grab a bite and an ale then head back to tell M’Tun he was not able to find Sprockfuddle but that he had left the message with these three pretty girls. He did not know them…but they were pretty.

Luckily, the idea sounded stupid even to him. “No. I am afraid I can’t do that. It is rather confidential.”

“Oh” the Half Elf interjected brightly “this must be regarding his erectile dysfunction again!” All three had a jolly good laugh at the expense of the imprisoned Sprockfuddle. Again, those breasts on the Dark Elf jiggled as she laughed. She saw him look again.

“I am afraid I cannot tell you what it is about” Falco stubbornly persisted, lifting his lecherous eyes from the Teir’Dal’s chest. He was at a loss how he should proceed. He had done his part, he reasoned. He could not hang around for several weeks for Sprockfuddle to be released from jail, nor could he could waltz into the cells and and tell the jailkeepers “I have a message for a known criminal. Please don’t write down what I tell him.”

He figured that he had completed his end of the agreement. Sprockfuddle’s absence was not his fault and not his concern. He had earned his gold getting to this hideaway and M’Tun had no right to consider the deed undone and make him pay it back. He would tell him “Tough luck, Dark Elf, I did my bit. What are you going to do about it?”

Yeah, the three gold coins were rightfully his.

The thought of the three gold reminded him he had some equipment to buy. He took a good look at the Dark Elf. The swell of those breasts under her blouse made him think of those firm tits that were eagerly waiting for him back in Archer’s Wood. He tried to see if her nipples were showing through her thin top but saw nothing. He wondered what colour a Dark Elf’s nipples were.

“You must be Arabella?” he inquired. “If so, I want to buy some new gear. M’Tun told me that you could give me a discount.”

At the mention of that name all three suddenly stopped exchanging quips about men’s performance problems and looked quite serious. “You know M’Tun?” Arabella asked. “In that case, yes, I can give you a discount. M’Tun and I have a mutually beneficial relationship…sort of like ‘I’ll-scratch-your-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours.”

That broke up the seriousness of all three sales women who laughed uproariously at a joke Falco did not understand.

Arabella became sober soon enough. “What may I sell you, Wood Elf?” She looked at what Falco was wearing and churlishly answered her own question.