She was working at her icy desk, putting the finishing touches on another article, when the loud bellowing ruined her concentration. She rose from her chair - leaving her work on her desk, and swept over to the livid gentleman.

"It is obvious you are alive and well - may I help you sir?"

Wyheree blinked as the man waved the paper in her face, listening to him carry on. When he took a breath, she turned her glittering silver eyes to him, the temperature around her significantly lower than the rest of the room.

"I am not the editor, nor did I write the article last month. I just started work here last week in fact. I can take your name, and where you may be reached, and I will leave word with Lady Starfare that you are indeed alive."

She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring back at the irate man.

Wyheree may not know exactly what a "ditz" is, but the fact he's screaming at her makes her angry, and her icy winds begin swirling about her as she sweeps her arms about the otherwise empty office.

"Do you see anyone else here at the moment? The deadline is fast approaching, so everyone - including the editor - is out on assignment. Screaming at me does not change what was printed. I see that you have two options. One - I can do as I offered before. Two - you and I may sit down and discuss how it came to be that you were reported as dead, when in fact you are alive."

She again folds her arms across her body, glaring at the man with glittering silver eyes.

A nod to her guards had her moving on through the reception area and into the office area proper, with them surrounding her in a diamond formation, where she located Wyh and a man. She had seen that look on Wyh?s face before and knew the ice elemental was indeed not happy at all and that the man was about to get iced real quick if something wasn?t done.

?Vedui? il?er. Wyh Lle tyava quel? Lle rangwa amin?? Tera said hello to them both and asked Wyh if she was alright and if she understood her, although her attention rested mainly on the man, while the High Elven warriors came to a halt in a half-circle with her in the center.

Tera knew immediately something was indeed wrong here as she recognized the man?s head as the one she had been offered as a gift by the frozen caveman so even though she had no idea whether or not Wyh spoke Elvish she was not about to speak common until she found out if she and Wyh could communicate in a language this guy didn?t know.

Her Majesty then lowered her voice to just barely above a whisper knowing that Elven ears would hear her without difficulty and were always tuned to the slightest nuance of her voice which now held caution as she commanded them to watch the obviously irrate Lawyer. ?Tira ten? rashwe.?

Granted she had asked people to come to the building if they had seen the missing head but this wasn?t quite what she had in mind when she had written that last line. Tera had expected someone to drop by with either the head in a bag or news of where it had reappeared. Not for it to show up attached to a body that appeared to be living. But in RhyDin one could never be sure just what you were dealing with on the living vs. dead scale as she had always known but according to Sid this was one that it would have been best if they had stayed on the far end of dead on the scale.

It was then Tera remembered her fellow reporter Sharon having mentioned that this guy had made threats against her life so she quickly looked around the open office area trying to see if she was at her desk today. While it would make a great story for the paper if one of them were injured or even killed right here in the building, she could see the glow in their Editor-in-chief?s eyes now at just the thought of how many papers that would sell, she didn?t relish the idea of Sharon getting hurt.

She kind of liked her even though the two hadn?t spent much time together due to their busy schedules not allowing for much socializing between them. Then again she hadn?t been doing much socializing at all with anyone really except when she was tending bar or calling duels now that she was so tired much of the time and sick in the mornings.

All of these thoughts ran through her head in less time than it took to blink as her gaze moved between the two standing in front of her while she stood with a polite smile very correctly in place.

Wyh?s accent was very different indeed as were some of the words that she used when speaking to her but using the ones she did understand coupled with the icy winds, the tone of her voice, the obviously irrate man with the head that had gone missing, her having reported this apparently alive man as being dead, him having a copy of the paper in his hand, and Tera jumped to the conclusion that diplomacy was needed.

The only problem was that was not normally her department. Gavilean was the true diplomat in their partnership as he had years of experience but she had been watching and listening to him lately so there was some hope.

Yes, she had taken deportment lessons before they got married however during those she had spent over half the time trying her best to horrify and mortify her tutor, the evil and hated Miss Partinger who was now the newest resident of the tallest, coldest, and most forsaken mountain Holding in the entire Kingdom of Westridge, at least that was where Tera thought she was. As long as she was out of Her Majesty?s sight and sound the Queen was happy!

Nevertheless Tera was determined to uphold her standing as a Lady and represent their Kingdom with dignity so when the Ice Queen finished speaking she nodded slightly in her direction then turned back toward The Oracle?s guest and switched to another of her languages, flawless common trade language (the one she usually spoke) to address him personally.

?Greetings Sir. I am Lady Tera Starfare. My friend and fellow reporter here tells me that you have come absolutely determined to speak with me and only me. With so many Oracle reporters that you could have chosen to tell the story of your miraculous rebirth I can?t tell you how honored I am that you have taken time out of your no doubt busy schedule to come all this way to the office just to speak with me. May I have someone get you a cup of coffee or perhaps a glass of wine? I have a nicely aged bottle of scotch at my desk if you prefer something a bit stronger while we talk.?

She was dignified and poised and took great care not to appear unapproachable or condescending in any way. The Lawyer?s return to life would make a great news if she could get the story straight from him of just how he had managed to get his head back on his shoulders when she had seen it herself in someone else?s hands unattached.

Wyheree appreciated Des and her diplomacy, and as she calmed down, the temperature in the office area slowly returned to normal. She kept a careful watch on the man, noting his distinct change in attitude - and she decided to stay in the office in case her assistance was needed - or her special brand of magic. Her silver eyes remained focused on both Des and the arrogant man as they continued the conversation.

Howe?s beady gaze remains on Tera as he spoke, watching how carefully she crafted her expression, how easily she retained the seemingly calm fa?ade. He also noticed how rapidly she avoided contact with him. Howe knows these games, he watches them play out every day that passes. He too keeps his visage polite, (although to the most astute one might catch a glimmer of something dark moving behind beady eyes.)

Howe?s smile seems sincere, warm, even inviting as he acquiesces to her hesitation in taking his hand. But he is a consummate poker player and he sees it as a tell; she?s fearful of him, or so he assumes. His thoughts weren?t nearly so warm and fuzzy as his presentation suggested but, like Tera, they do not display in his appearance and he keeps them tightly shielded from potentially prying minds.

Of course his demeanor changed once she asked if he would explain the situation. Howe simply isn?t going to do that. It?s nobody?s business but his own and he plans on keeping it that way. A frown tainted with sadness wrinkles his face, tugs at thin lips. Gone is the jovial, polite man of moments before replaced by a man wronged.

?They attacked me, Lady Starfare; they were trying to kill me! Is there no *justice* in Rhy?Din?! I am the victim here, Lady! I did not start the fight; all I did was defend myself.? He gives the impression of a man who carries such weight of the worlds upon his shoulders. ?This article you wrote will do harm to our Law Firm, we will lose potential clients. How can this be fair, I ask you??

?The truth is Lady Starfare, that when they set upon me, I didn?t know what to do. It all happened so suddenly. One moment we were chatting like most are want to do but the next? Wham, they were on top of me like ravaging dogs! I used an illusion spell to escape, you see. I bought it from Mad Madam Mim?s store over by the Marketplace. It allowed me to create a magical shell of myself which I left behind so that they would think they still had me. But it was only to give me time to escape! I know, that was wrong of me, but I panicked, you see. I wasn?t thinking very clearly as they were all attacking me at once! It was horrible, just horrible, I tell you!?

?I?m a lawyer, a civilized man! I didn?t know what to do in the face of such savagery! They are bullies and monsters, surely you already know this? You are after all a reporter, yes??

Howe sounds and looks exceptionally sincere; his tells so slight that they are practically invisible, (he?s been playing poker longer than Lazarus has walked the planet, of course he?s good at it.) Before Tera can interrupt him he continues, his voice full of conviction and truth.

?It?s those Bloods! They are nothing but a bunch of ruffians, mobsters, hit-men. Trust me, it?s true; my firm has been gathering evidence against them for several years now and that Lady Starfare is why they want me and my partners dead. They kill whoever gets in their way! Go ahead, investigate; you?ll find the same skeletons in their closets that we have.?

Howe
Alive and Kicking
?Revenge is best served cold and late, that way they won?t remember to duck!? Howe

Howe isn?t certain if he?s managed to convince Tera of anything. She?s like a hard-shelled turtle pulled inside itself; nothing shows but that oh-so-polite yet beautiful fa?ade. Yes, the lady is beautiful, but Howe senses her skepticism. Something tells him that the Bloods have already gotten to her. Perhaps it was the sudden gleam in her eyes as he mentioned the skeletons? Like an artist?s stroke that belies disbelief.

Retaining his most woeful of attitudes, he gives her an incredulous look.

?You want the evidence?! But Lady Starfare, I?ve already given The Oracle the evidence! And I must say I am sincerely disappointed that none of it has yet to see print! My partners and I assumed the Bloods paid to keep the information private; they do seem to hold a lot of power and influence in Rhy?Din, you must admit.

?Hmm,? a calculated yet seamlessly fitting pause, his expression thoughtful. ?Let me see, I think it was the mousy one with the glasses that we first approached, a Sharon something, I believe the name was. She brought in another reporter from your staff, an extraordinary beauty by the name of Pink. Physhra Pink, yes that was it. I handed over image orbs, files, pictures; a bounty of evidence collected by my law firm over the past two years.

?You see, Lady Starfare, a very nice lady came to us one late summer afternoon about two years back and begged us to help her and her five children.? He doesn?t mention the realm where this occurred, that information would be given only if required. Currently it?s moot. ?It seems that her husband had been set upon by persons unknown when returning from work late one dark and gloomy night.? He doesn?t mention the type of work the widow?s husband was involved with. ?Her situation, as you can surely imagine, Lady Starfare, was dismal; five children and the bread winner gone? We couldn?t ignore her needs.?

?Or the gleam of that precious soul.? Howe thinks, but keeps this closed and close, his expression carefully groomed to reflect the seriousness in this turn of conversation.

Howe is plotting; this time however it?s all about Tera. He works the widow angle with finesse; most females are often swayed by such emotionally charged and heart-rending situations. He?s banking on Tera being kind-hearted and compassionate so he tugs brutally at those heart-strings.

?It wasn?t long before we unearthed the connection between the widow?s husband and the Bloods. However, I must keep to the truth,? Yes, because Howe is all about ?truth, justice and the democratic way?.

?We haven?t yet gained enough substantial information for a conviction. So our search continues. We won?t stop until we get justice for the lady widow and her five, hungry children!? He deserves an Oscar for his performance; he sounds and appears so convincing even he?d buy his own spin on this story.

?Since you seem far more interested in aiding us in getting the truth out than those other two slacker reporters, I feel it only fair to share our evidence with you, Lady Starfare. Your skills surpass the other two from what I have been able to gleam reading your fine newspaper.?

Right. Howe really does respect The Oracle. And pigs fly. But he looks and sounds convincing and sincere.

?Perhaps you would meet me at the Red Dragon one night later this week? It would give me the time I need to get everything copied for you. I confess there is a lot and it may look a bit overwhelming, but I have faith in your abilities, Lady Starfare. And I look forward to reading what you deem worthy to report.?

Howe gives Tera a warm and comforting smile but he doesn?t offer her his hand again. ?I admit I am looking forward to working with you My Lady Starfare. Such a generous and understanding soul that you are, I suspect you will want the truth out there as much as we do.?

?Truth?. Some may claim it is set in stone; nonnegotiable and unyielding. However, it is a nebulous term to say the least, often clouded in zones of grey. It can easily be spun to reflect whatever side one wishes. Howe isn?t a man who enjoys repeating himself but, throughout his multitude of years of existence, experience has taught him the psychological impact of such behavior; you say it long and loud enough people will begin to listen and believe. It is a tactic that as a lawyer he?s learned to exploit.

He?s been very careful to tell Tera the ?truth?, with a liberal spin, of course, but, as any attorney will tell you, it?s only fair. He is expected to represent his clients, (and himself,) in the best light possible. Should Tera decide to investigate, Howe already knows what she will find and that, dear readers, makes telling the ?truth? a wonderful thing.

Wyheree stood by her desk, her arms still folded across her chest as she listened to the story being crafted by the man. She learned much from the way he had screamed at her, only to change his demeanor when Des entered. She believed his tale as much as she would believe that ice sprites lived in the fire realm. She kept her post by her desk, her eyes never leaving her friend - for if he attempted to cause any harm to Des, here or anywhere for that matter - he would find himself missing far more than his head.

Tera returned the warm smile in kind as she listened to the being across from her speaking about his preferences in drink. She would be watching him very carefully when they met over drinks as it was imperative to her plan that he end up drunk, skunk drunk if possible. At the very least spilling whatever secrets she could get him to tell her before he realized what he was saying!

The slightest sign that he wasn?t enjoying the drinks she ordered and he would have his Scotch whiskey single malt, aged in a sherry or cognac oak barrel for at least eight years. It was essential to her plan that he be co-operative and answer all the questions that she had about himself, not the Bloods, but since he wanted to talk about the Bloods she would let him, for now.

Tera purposely hadn?t introduced herself by her royal title. Many years ago she had learned to never lay all your cards on the table so she never gave her title and spoke many different languages although very few people knew just how many she actually was fluent in because she rarely spoke them in public in order to be able to glean more information without others realizing she was.

She wouldn?t tell him about Westridge as this would give away something about her that she didn?t feel he needed to be knowing. No, this Lawyer would take that information and run with it she was fairly certain so her being a Queen was not something she was going to share with him until she had to and that time was not now.

?Sadly my schedule is quite hectic Sir so I?m only available on certain evenings for meetings. Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday after the eastern clock tower strikes the hour of ten in the evening I could meet with you in the Inn and would be most pleased to do so Sir. If you prefer on the weekend on Saturday I am free after Midnight and Sundays my evenings are usually free until midnight. Can we come to an agreement on a good day and time to meet perhaps??