SeekingJovannaAtTheStudentUnionNot long after noon, a light, fast curricle drawn by two sleek chestnuts swept through the University gates. The equipage and its driver, Lord Giulian Anderon, were both familiar to the porter, who greeted them with an acknowledging wave. Giulian drove on through tree-lined carriageways to the campus stables. There he left the curricle and team to be cared for by University grooms, to whom they were also a familiar sight. Then, with his satchel slung over his shoulder, he made his way toward the Student Union where he hoped to find Renata and Elissa waiting for him. Renata was there, drinking a glass of what the Union called 'Collegiate Mead,' a very light version of the honey wine so popular among young people. She smiled when she saw Giulian. "Hello. I knew you would be right on time, you always are. I hope Elissa hasn't had any trouble on the way here, or getting in." Though she already had ample evidence that the other girl was very capable. Giulian raised an eyebrow. "I thought I'd find her already with you. Weren't the two of you looking over the campus this morning?" He took a seat near Renata. It took a few moments longer, but soon Elissa appeared out of the crowd, her outfit appropriate for the crowd of students standing around the Union. Her usual shoulder bag was hanging from her side while she walked and read through a student manual about the school, seriously considering about continuing her education. She glanced up and stopped to look for the others and headed towards Renata and Giulian. "Hello," she said, stopping next to them. Giulian smiled up at her. "There you are, Elissa. Have a seat... or rather, are we lunching here, or somewhere else?" He looked at Renata inquiringly. "Hello, Giulian," Elissa said with a pleasant smile as she settled next to them at the table. "How have you been doing?" "Well enough," he answered. "Busy." She shrugged a slender shoulder about the lunch question. "I don't mind where we lunch. Someplace appropriate for the both of you, will be my guess. I can fit in where needed." Shifting her bag around, Elissa moved the student handbook and list of classes inside. "Somewhere appropriate for Jo, also," Giulian noted. "That is, where we might get news of her." Renata nodded. "We didn't have much luck around here. No clues that I could spot. And I looked, Jules... it had my full focus. Plus Elissa makes a splendid second set of eyes... She's terrifically aware." Renata shot a smile at the other girl. "I know Jo ate at the cafeteria here... but I doubt anyone there knew her well..." She hesitated only a moment or two. "There was that tavern where we met for our 'assignments'... she seemed to feel at home there. They might know her. Of course we'd have to approach them the right way... they probably like nobs about as well as she did..." She laughed slightly, trying to take the sting out of the last bit, for herself as much as for Giulian. Then, looking at Elissa, she added, "Isn't that where you overheard us? How you knew what we were doing? So it's someplace you've been to before... That could be very helpful." "It's a bit far afield," Giulian said doubtfully. "I was thinking of something more in the Uni area. Doesn't she favor Bloody Bill's?" He determinedly used the present tense. "Yes," Renata said, silently thanking him for his precision -- and the hope it kept alive. "We could go there, definitely." She sat there a moment, thinking. "When I mentioned the tavern, it sparked something, but... I don't know what. I just get the feeling something happened there, when we were with her, that I either missed or simply didn't see as... significant. Or maybe it wasn't, and I'm just putting significance on all kinds of things." Giulian thought back to that evening. "She was talking with someone when we first came in," he recalled. "I hung back because I didn't want to interrupt her conversation. A tall fellow in spectacles." He turned to Elissa. "Do you remember?" Closing her eyes for a moment to bring up the image in her memory, Elissa nodded as she opened her eyes. "Yes. She was. Tall, fairly thin fellow. Dark hair? It was a little hard to see in that place. Lighting is not the best, which is why one... favors it." "Mm. Not someone you know, then," guessed Giulian. Elissa shook her head. "No. I've seen him before in the area, but not enough to know a name. My line of work, you don't make too many friends or acquaintances." "How feasible do you think it would be to track him down?" Giulian asked her. "Visiting the tavern would seem to be the first step, ask after him there." "That's a marvelous idea!" Renata said, warming to the idea, clearly interested in taking direct action herself. She then, as if just realizing that Giulian had been addressing Elissa, drew back slightly, and turned her focus to the other girl. "As much as it is a wonderful idea, I don't think he's the type to want to be tracked down, even if we could," Elissa said. "Not everyone is open to being found out about who they are. We could always try, but it may just not be worth our time and no help to Jo." "There's no way to tell that unless we make the attempt. We could start by finding out who he is, and decide from that whether talking to him directly would be worthwhile," said Giulian. "If that is what you both wish, we can try. Still, with you know who out and about, I really don't want to return to that area of the lower city. We may find this fella, but maybe something or someone else that we don't want may find us," Elissa warned. It was said in a tone of voice from one saw more than she ever wanted in her life. "There's that," Giulian admitted. "Well, why don't we try Bloody Bill's for lunch, anyway, and take the opportunity to ask around there. We'll keep the tavern in the back of our minds for later." Elissa nodded. "Let's give it our best shot. Afterwards, before we decide on the tavern, you best call another meeting." "Yes, I intend to," said Giulian, "in another day or so after everyone's had time to make their investigations." He got to his feet and reached for his crutches. "Shall we go on to Bloody Bill's, then?" |
