Fion kept thinking that perhaps she'd hallucinated it. That maybe she had wished Lochlan real because stress and sadness were all bearing down on her and her mind was giving her something to do. Then she'd recall the shape of his face and the lost cant of his shoulders and know that never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined such a future for him. She'd let it go, any hope she'd ever had of finding him, and as soon as that was done there he was again.

It was tearing her to shreds. Her bones hurt, there seemed to be a gaping space where once her heart had been. Even if she didn't want him by her side anymore she still loved him. He'd been her friend, her childhood sweetheart... He was the father of her son. He'd left her all alone and not found her. She did not know if he'd even tried. She'd had to give up on that because Piran deserved to have at least one parent for whom he came first. What was Lochlan's excuse?

The walk to the B&B was a slow one. She still wasn't sure how she was going to word it to Stu. Ivan wasn't home for her to plead for help with. She didn't know what to say, what if Ginny knew she'd turned Stu down? Surely she'd be angry. Would a reasonable person think she'd done the wrong thing? Part of her felt it wasn't her fault, that sometimes no one was at fault, but that was squashed by the memory of hearing Lochlan's parents screaming because he'd been seen with a human girl.

She entered the B&B, looking around cautiously though there was no reason to be. She took a seat by the bar and waited for someone to come over, while she looked about at those present. She needed to find Lochlan, she needed someone that owed her a favour and that would keep their mouths shut. She didn't know what she was going to do with the information but she was fairly sure Lochlan needed to know about his son. He deserved to know, even if he rejected him. Better he hurt Fion irreparably than Piran if he sought him out.

Ginny was alone at the bar when Fion entered, sullenly wiping down the countertop with the usual wet rag, one of Stu's old ripped shirts. She looked up at the door and smiled.

"Evenin'," she said, inwardly glad that Stu had stayed down in the basement that night. He probably couldn't handle seeing her right now. Ginny decided to proceed as if all was normal. "What'll it be?"

In those three words of greeting, Ginny had asked how Fion was doing, what was going on in her life, how her son was and what she would like to drink; they had simply repeated the ritual so often that there was no need to say anything other than "What'll it be?"

Fion smiled, tension easing from her face. It was like throwing a bucket of water onto muddy cobbles, washing away the detritus and showing what was really underneath. She really liked Ginny.

"Evening, Ginny, how have you been? Could I have my usual please?" She wasn't sure of how to go about the usual rituals, she was too preoccupied. "Is there anyone in right now that I could talk to? I need to find someone, someone that helped me out a long time ago, quietly."

She could no more explain what had happened to him than fly. She was sure she didn't want Serro to get wind of it, he used what he could. Surely he'd figure it in a heart beat.

Ginny thought for a moment that she was talking about Stu, but her bartender training had taught her never to assume. "Sure, Ox is in the rafters, as usual," she said, looking up while she began to fix Fion's usual drink.

There was a clanging from the basement. That stupid human was working on his damn machines again. Ginny ignored him and set the drink on the bar, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "He's always looking for more work. Or there's Ludo in the haunted room, but he's no good anymore, he's been spotted."

She said this last bit darkly. Being spotted meant your identity had been compromised, and you were no good to anyone then. It was a risk keeping Ludo around, but Ginny had a soft heart and Stu had been to distracted to object. Besides, he'd helped them out of a few scrapes before.

Fion wasn't sure if Ox would keep quiet if she asked, although it was probably going to be the telling that determined that.



"Ah..." Fion sighed, feeling for him. "I'd send my condolences but they wouldn't do him much good."

She heard a great clanging coming from below and decided it must have been Stu. She felt her skin reddening, she wasn't sure she should ask after him. He probably wanted a little space. She decided to settle for a greeting.

"Thank you, Gin." Fion said, downing her drink. "I think I'll go see Ox. Take care, tell Stu I said hello."

She eased down off her chair, heart still beating faster than it should have been. Fion slipped past the tables and chairs, heading up the back staircase towards where she'd seen Oxidus last. She took a moment on the final landing, breathed in deep and let it out as a sigh, before walking out into the poorly lit hall. She kept her chin up and ran her request through once more. She'd practiced it a few times in her head on the way over. Of course she was going to have to engage him in conversation before she got even that far.

"Oxidus?" She called out, hearing a slight echo of her own voice thrown back at her. "Are you there?"

There was a lazy sort of drawling sound; presumably, Fion had just woken Oxidus up. A moment later his head appeared upside-down in front of her, his long black hair falling around his ears. She could see that he was hanging from the rafters above them by his long legs. He looked sleepy.

"Mmmph," he said. "Good evening, daughter." The Bastian man rubbed his eyes with silver-ringed knuckles. "You rang?"

Fion tried to tell herself that she was used to the way Oxidus appeared from nowhere. She was lying.

"Good evening to you too, Oxidus." Fion said politely, not letting her nervousness show. "I hope you're keeping well."

She inhaled through her nose and looked slowly around the rafters. She didn't know if anyone else was about.

"I have a favour to ask of you, a personal one... Is it safe to talk here?" She asked, not wanting anyone else to know about it. "An old aquaintance of mine seems to be in trouble. I'm worried, I owe him."

All of which was true and not particularly incriminating. Everyone had old friends and old debts. Oxidus was incredibly good at what he did. She sincerely hoped he did not putting his skills to use on something that, at least to him, was the height of frivolity.

"This is the safest place in all Vienda," Oxidus replied smoothly, tipping his hat (which had miraculously remained on his head) and dropping to the ground. The sturdy timbers of the Book and Bell barely shuddered. "Mr. Grey does his level best to keep it so. It's privacy you're wanting, daughter. Let's retire to Ms. Ginny's room."

He didn't say if he had permission to do that, but Fion suspected that even Oxidus wouldn't willingly cross Ginny over her own property. He pushed open the door, revealing a brightly colored and very small space with a bed, a chair and little else.

Sitting on the edge of the chair, as though he were about to bolt away, Oxidus smiled at Fion and tapped his foot.

"I'd be happy to help," he said, tilting his head to one side. "I shall remember for a long time the black eye you gave my friend Vert after he attempted to seduce you. To refuse you the benefit of my expertise would be sheer masochism." A smile slipped onto his face and then disappeared like it owed someone money.

((Hahahahahaha! Fion punching people, classic!))



Fion looked around at the room, smiling and feeling more comfortable. You could tell just from a look that it was Ginny's space.



"Oh Gods..." Fion said with a laugh. "I was vainly hoping you had forgotten about that. In my defence, I did warn him that his advances weren't welcomed."

She sobered, coughed a little to clear her throat.

"Thank you for your help, Ox. I'm looking for a man by the name of Lochlan Greensmythe, he was a healer when I knew him last, years ago." She paused for a moment not really wanting to move to the next part. "He's... a galdor. I think he may work at the palace. He helped me once, I don't want to leave him hanging."

She watched Oxidus' face very carefully. She had no hope at all of seeing a reaction he didn't want her to see, the smile was proof of that, but it never hurt to be cautious.

If Oxidus thought that it was an odd request, his face didn't show it; having been raised in Bastian high society, he had a permanently false expression.

"Greensmythe, all right," he said briefly. "Nothing to fear, daughter, I am sure you know how well I can keep a secret. In return, I wonder if I might have the pleasure of your assistance sometime in the near future. It is a small job, but I am in need of someone of your particular talents."

Fion nodded, grateful that Oxidus was asking a favour in return. It made her feel more comfortable knowing she wasn't just begging for charity.

"Of course, if you need me, I'm available." She said quietly and somewhat pensively. "What would this job entail? I wasn't aware that I had any talents past being able to listen to drunks."

She was genuinely interested in what he could need her for. Fion was good at her work but the vast majority of what she did involved merely being at the right place at the right time. Even that was only because the right place was frequently a bar. A cynical vein in her character whispered that he might be alluding to something completely unrelated to her intelligence but she squashed that down. She'd only started thinking that way since she'd been cooped up at Khymarah's, and if she was being honest, since Ceres had stealth-kissed her.

"You're a very good liar," he said, and from the way he said it, Fion got the impression that he did not give out compliments very often. "I am in need of an informant. Very soon, a lady of high society in Vienda will be having an elegant soiree, and someone of interest to the party will be attending with some friends. I would like for you to apply to work for the caterers. We already have a girl on the inside, but she's a bit useless, and I need someone with a bit more..." He eyed Fion up and down, pursing his lips. "Substance."

He stood up and began pacing in the room. It was a ridiculous and futile endeavor, and he soon gave it up.

"I will send you the information later this evening," he said, acting as though he knew where Fion was staying (and he probably did). "It will be a few hours' work, I expect. He may not discuss his plans at all. But that will be covered in the memo I send you."

Fion smirked slightly. That was high praise indeed.



Fion rested her hands on her hips and lowered her eyelashes at him.

"Flatterer." She said, a little scepticism still apparent. "I can work as a caterer, that's not an issue. Would it be on a work night?"



Fion noticed Oxidus' strangely furtive movements before he decided to stand still again. That was rather strange, he was rarely so physically demonstrative of his moods.

"I can deal with that. Is there any way you could get me in as a server, for the wine. It would make it easier to stand nearby." Fion tried not to be disconcerted by his knowledge of her whereabouts. "I do hope your note will include just what you want me to listen for. It will help, I can assure you."

It was perhaps prying but she hated nothing more than walking into a job blind.

"Naturally," he said, "I cannot reveal everything, in case the message is intercepted. But trust me, you will know when you hear it. Just tell my friend in the kitchen what you would like to do, and she will arrange all."

He put his hands on Fion's shoulders, a very Bastian thing to do.

"I thank you, daughter," he said emphatically. "And I will work tirelessly to find your man."

Fion nodded, filing the information away for future reference.

"Alright, I can do that." She said, wondering just where she was going to have to go.



Fion went a little red and reminded herself that Oxidus probably didn't mean it that way. She wished she were slightly more continental and slightly less picky about her personal space.

"Thank you, Oxidus. I really appreciate this." She said, not quite knowing where to put her hands. "I'll do the best I can to get you the information you need."