#06* Eliana is waiting for Moriel some distance from the cave. Once he 
arrives, she reaches into her bag, pulling out a length of white ribbon. 
"What was wrong?" she asks.
#06* Moriel looks away again.  "It's...it's not my home, any more.  But 
it was.  And my family...any of them that are still alive...are still 
there.  If Carthage is there..."  He shakes his head.
#01<Eliana> All the more reason to stop them, if you still care about 
your family.
<Moriel> Yes.  I suppose that's true.
#06* Moriel looks up at Eliana again, still hesitating.
#06* Eliana pinches the end of the ribbon and holds it away from her, but 
she doesn't set fire to it yet. She looks at Moriel to see if he has 
anything else to add.
<Moriel> ...my sire is there.  I expect he'll be joining Carthage.  I 
don't...want to go anywhere near him.  But...I don't want you to go 
anywhere near him, either.
<Moriel> He'd kill you if he could, I think.
#06* Eliana blinks. "Why?"
#01<Eliana> Beyond the obvious.
#06* Moriel glances at her.  "Because you helped me."
#01<Eliana> Hm.  He doesn't need to know that.
#06* Moriel shrugs.  "Hard for him not to know something, if he's been 
keeping an eye on me.  Which I'm as certain as I can be that he would.  
He just may not know what you look like, yet."
<Moriel> My associates are an obvious thing to take note of.
#06* Eliana holds the ribbon away from her and concentrates, and the end 
farthest from her catches fire. It burns about half the length before she 
drops it and stamps it out. "I doubt Demetreia's doing any favors for him 
anymore," she comments before she starts walking, following Cosimo's 
path. Moriel can come if he likes.
#06* Moriel follows her.  He says quietly, "It doesn't have to be her."  
But after that he falls silent.
#06* Eliana doesn't.
#01<Eliana> Are you so afraid of your own clan?
#06* Moriel pauses.  "I'm afraid of him.  He's persistent, and clever, 
and resourceful."
#06* Eliana smirks. "So am I."
#01<Eliana> My death is not a foregone conclusion, Moriel.  Unless you're 
only counting the first one.
#06* Moriel looks away, face tightening.  "I know.  I want to come with 
you."
#06* Eliana doesn't break her gaze from the trail, though she *wants* to 
with Moriel's voice like that. "Very well."
#06* Moriel says quietly, "I suppose I'll have to speak to Master Rolf."
#01<Eliana> Yes.
#06* Cosimo is stalking around a ways off from the cave, taking advantage 
of the new moon being nine days away. Silence surrounds him as he moves 
through the shadows in a not-terribly hurried way back to London. 
Periodically he stops, looks around to check if he is being followed or 
if perhaps he can stumble upon a Baali to hunt.
#06* Eliana spots Cosimo and glances at Moriel.
#06* Moriel is still pretty distracted, but he does notice Cosimo up 
ahead, even if he doesn't see Eliana's glance.
#06* Cosimo slips into the shadows and stops. The last time he checked, 
it appeared that there were two figures moving behind him. He listens, 
trying to catch sounds drifting in on the breeze with his newly acquired 
heightened senses.
#06* Eliana continues to walk towards Cosimo, making no special effort to 
muffle her footsteps or hide in the shadows.
#06* Cosimo curses silently. Careless. This is a time of war. But 
still... there is time. Soon the figures are close enough to see... and 
conversations close enough to hear mention of Master Rolf. He smiles to 
himself and then waits until the pair is closer before he steps from the 
shadows.
#06* Eliana is wholly unsurprised and stops when Cosimo steps out; she 
knew where he was, after all. She raises her gloved hands and signs, 
<Morning.>
#06* Moriel watches Eliana sign.  He hasn't got the whole cant yet, but 
he can understand that word, at least.  Still, he stays out of it for 
now.
#06* Cosimo nods in acknowledgment. His hands flash a few gestures. <Are 
you two alone?>
#06* Eliana raises an eyebrow, signing, <I hope so.>
#06* Cosimo frowns slightly, then looks around. <follow... there is a 
better spot>
#06* Eliana nods.
#06* Cosimo leads the group into an area sheltered slightly and yet 
elevated so as to allow for a decent vantage point on which to watch the 
area below. Once convinced they are relatively safe, he drops the silence 
and smiles. "we may speak here"
#06* Moriel murmurs, "Good evening, Master Castelletti."
#06* Cosimo bows his head respectfully. "And to you, Moriel"
#06* Eliana snorts at Moriel's greeting, and she manages to cover her 
mouth in time. Some muffled laughter escapes just the same.
#06* Moriel blinks at Eliana, but just ignores it after a moment.  Aside 
from his greeting, he's staying quiet for now.
#06* Eliana calms down in very short order. "Rolf is leading a team to 
assist a spy that they're sending into New Carthage."
#01<Eliana> Interested?
#06* Cosimo raises an eyebrow.
<Cosimo> they are sending a spy to New Carthage?
#06* Eliana nods. "To discover its location, I understand."
<Cosimo> what sort of assistance?
#01<Eliana> Once she succeeds, she must return.  They fear that will not 
be so easy.
<Cosimo> indeed
<Cosimo> very well... i am ready
#01<Eliana> I will inform him, then.
<Cosimo> i shall not, however, join this Masquerade
<Cosimo> if i go, i retain my independence
<Cosimo> will that be acceptable?
#06* Eliana snorts. "This isn't my mission to lead."
#01<Eliana> I doubt Rolf will have a problem with it.  You are welcome to 
negotiate terms with him yourself.
#06* Cosimo nods. "then that is what i shall do"
#06* Cosimo smiles.
#01<Eliana> I simply thought you would gain enjoyment out of something 
like this.
#06* Cosimo nods, with a gleam in his eye. "indeed... you honor me"
#01<Eliana> Of course.
#01<Eliana> How goes the hunt?
<Cosimo> fair
<Cosimo> the city is still clean
#06* Eliana smirks. "Good. We'll leave you to it."
#06* Cosimo nods and bows.
#06* Eliana offers a short bow in return.
#06* Cosimo flashes a quick sign. <be safe>
#06* Eliana signs, <Always.> And she turns, heading out (probably with 
Moriel in tow).
<Cosimo> [and end, i think]