Nations on the Brink (storyline)/A Homecoming Surprise (vignette)

A Homecoming Surprise

Walking towards a white marble building, an elven man pats down his reddish-brown, braided hair and stops abruptly, staring at a tanned vellum poster. “Missing! How am I missing?” he shouts at no one in particular. "I was always right where I planned to be. Has this city gone mad in my absence?” With a single motion, he rips down the poster, stares at it one more time, and crumples it in a ball. “It is not even a good likeness,” he pouts.

Pulling a small key from his pocket, Linsandral opens the door to his shop and walks in. Pausing just inside, he gazes about and frowns. With long strides, he moves to a display of slippers and runs a finger over the shelving with a grimace. Leaning forward, he blows across the surface and a small cloud of dust flies up. Sputtering and coughing, he turns to a small cupboard and pulls out a flask. Taking a long sip, he sighs, replaces the flask, and walks to the back, one leg a little stiffer than the other and with a slight limp. Grabbing a cloth, he grumbles to himself as he begins to clean the large room.

“Missing, my mother’s purple rolton, missing indeed,” Linsandral huffs. Pausing to glance in the mirror, he cocks his head and poses before returning to his task. A loud knock echoes throughout the large shop, causing him to look up and stare at the door. Placing his hands on his hips, Linsandral smiles as a member of the Sapphire Guard enters.

Aertinus stares before proclaiming, “You are here! I did not believe it when I heard you were seen walking through the city. Where have you been?”

Looking at Aertinus with disbelief, Linsandral replies, “I was away on a buying trip. Everyone knows I see to the special spring shipments myself. Why would this year be any different?”

“From all accounts, you are never gone more than a month. Four months? I cannot recall you ever being gone that long. With so many disappearances, we thought you were taken too,” Aertinus responds with a frown.

“Well, those disappearances are not my concern, except now I was thought to be one,” Linsandral exclaims with a huff. “A shipment was having issues, and I went to make sure it got here safely, but in the process broke my leg when some clumsy oaf got in my way and tripped me! I fell over a pile of my own materials. I was mortified, how ungraceful of me. It took a bit of time to get a healer, and even then, it has not been perfect. This poor leg of mine still pains me now and then.” Linsandral blushes with embarrassment as he recalls the incident.

“Well, no matter the situation, it is good to see you home and that your leg is healing. I think many will be relieved that you did not get tangled with that nefarious Thaiagol and the more serious kidnappings.” With a slight bow that Linsandral returns, Captain Aertinus turns and walks out of the shop.

As the door latch clicks, Linsandral shakes his head and goes back to cleaning.