feat: drafted twenty-five

README.md

@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ Leader of the gang.
 
 ## Gabaw
 
+The mechanic. Got fired from Dorsen.
+
 ## City Guard
 
 "Dame Kabisal?" One of the city guards came up. It was a hawk-faced woman that looked like she couldn't smile if her life dependent on it. She held a clipboard in her right hand.

chapters/chapter-22.md

@@ -210,4 +210,4 @@ Linsan cringed but she settled into the seat. The smell of perfume and sweets fi
 
 Brook slammed on the accelerator. Grills flared on the side of the buggy as a blast of heat poured out from underneath the engines. Steam hissed loudly as the car lurched forward. The pistons creaked twice and then began to force the wheels to turn.
 
-In the first seconds, it was only loud and hot inside the cabin. Then a steady pressure pushed Linsan back as the vehicle accelerated. The pressure increased dramatically and she sank back. Frightened and startled, she gripped the handle of the door as the car shot forward.
+In the first seconds, it was only loud and hot inside the cabin. Then a steady force pushed Linsan back as the vehicle accelerated. The pressure increased dramatically and she sank back. Frightened and startled, she gripped the handle of the door as the car shot forward.

chapters/chapter-24.md

@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ One of the other musician's head snapped up. "Sterlig?" she said in a raspy voic
 
 Linsan flushed.
 
-The female player came over. She had a flute on her hand. "Were are you from?"
+The female player came over. She had a flute on her hand. "Where are you from?"
 
 Ragon held up his hand. "Be nice, Wendil."
 
@@ -190,9 +190,9 @@ Wendil groaned as Ragon smirked.
 
 "My favorite. Mine if I join you?"
 
-"I would like that. I'm rather nervous."
+"I would like that. I'm kind of scared right now."
 
-"Nothing like an ass to help the jitters."
+"Nothing like playing an ass to help the jitters."
 
 Thankful, Linsan picked up her violin and came out in front of the tables. She was exposed, vulnerable. Hundreds of eyes were staring at her.
 
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ Someone started to clap.
 
 She spun around and looked at him as she played the next few. The sweetness of the Sterlig couldn't be mistaken. It was almost as if someone was singing a choir next to her, a chorus of the opening lines of the rudest song she knew.
 
-He responded in kind. His instrument was rougher than hers, the sound more of a twang but it sounded just as good.
+He responded in kind. His instrument was rougher than hers, the sound more of a twang and a buzz but it sounded just as good.
 
 The back and forth between them accelerated. She danced with her parts, twisting her body back and forth. On the sharper bits, she bumped her hips.
 
@@ -262,4 +262,4 @@ Linsan sniffed and turned. "Yes?"
 
 Wendil's eyes were shimmering. "Would you do the honor of playing with me?" She held up her flute. "Maybe *Dance of the Butterfly Court*?"
 
-With one last look to see that Brook was gone, Linsan nodded. "I would be honored."
+With one last look in hopes that Brook had remained, Linsan was disappointed to see that her companion had left. She shook her head before focusing on Wendil. "I would be honored to play with you."

chapters/chapter-25.md

@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+---
+title: Networking
+access: private
+teaser: >
+  Linsan's new friends have an unexpected knowledge into the men they are hunting.
+summary: >
+  Linsan wakes up with a hangover. When she goes down, there are too many people and she is overwhelmed. However, Roal and Wendil call her over and they get to talking. Roal reveals he works at the mechanics Linsan and Brook were going to visit and gives some details about the three men the women were hunting.
+---
+
+> Knowing the right people can sometimes be more important than having the information on hand. --- Saul da Grasil
+
+Linsan woke up sprawled across her narrow bed, one foot hanging off the edge and her head pulsing with a headache that felt like one of her father's saws tearing into her forehead. With a groan, she planted her hand on the side table and levered herself up into a kneeling position.
+
+Something heavy slid off her thigh and tumbled toward the edge of the bed. Immediately, she thought about her violin and grabbed it before it could break. Her fingers bumped against the edges of her case but she managed to dig two fingers into the opening before it completely fell off the bed.
+
+Awake from fear, she rolled over and hauled her case back on the bed. Propping it between her bare thighs, she ran her fingers along the lid before opening it.
+
+The case was empty.
+
+Her heart skipped a beat.
+
+Pushing her auburn hair out of her face, she looked around frantically. She didn't remember coming back to her room, nor did she remember creating a bed from her clothing for the Sterlig. The neck stuck out from a pair of her underwear and she had one of her shirts tucked over the curves as if it was wearing a pair of pajamas.
+
+Linsan stared at the instrument for a moment and then snorted with amusement.
+
+Her laughter ended abruptly with another throb of her head. With a moan, she pressed her palm against her skull and looked around for clean clothes that weren't propped up on her musical instrument.
+
+A half hour later, she was dressed, hydrated, and ready to face the world again. With half-remembered memories of a night of dancing and singing in the back of her head, she headed straight for the main room. Her travel back bounced against her shoulder and she carried her properly repacked violin case with both hands.
+
+Before she reached the main room, there was a press of people in the hallway. Most of them walked along the right side and she followed the same, instinctively joining the line that threaded past doors and toward her destination.
+
+The noise was almost deafening. Her headache throbbed in pain as she saw far more people packed into the tight quarters of the relatively large room.
+
+Linsan stalled in the entrance but someone jostled her from behind. Overhwelming, she stepped into the room while searching for some place to look around without being in the way. Not even the main entrance to the pub looked safe with steady streams of people, luggage, and staff going in and out.
+
+"Lin!" Ragon stood on a chair in the corner. He waved to her and called out her name. His dark hair was wild, sticking out in tufts and he had a scruff of a beard.
+
+Thankful for at least some place safe, she waved her pack over her head and made her way around the jostling folks and over a line of luggage before sitting down in a proffered chair. "Wow! I've never been anywhere so crowded."
+
+Wendil, wearing a dark flowered hat pulled down to her eyebrows, picked up a glass of lager and sipped at it. "It's worse at the end of a weekend. Everyone is in a rush to head home."
+
+Ragon dropped a glass of lager in front of Linsan. "Sometimes, there are fist fights. I like those. As long as I'm not the one swinging."
+
+Wendil glared at him. "You just like it when the women fight over their luggage."
+
+Ragon shrugged, his eyes sparkling. "Why not?"
+
+"How does anyone get out of here?" Linsan asked.
+
+Ragon gestured around and then toward the door. "Follow the lines back from there, you'll see it is actually really organized. Kuris and the others with the orange hats tell everywhere where to line up. Outside, Ganil and her gang wrangle the horses and wagons up and bring them according to the dance cards. Basic order is: food, check out, get in line and then get out."
+
+Linsan looked around for Brook but couldn't see far. She lifted herself up and peered over the sea of hats, feathers, and faces but couldn't spot her travel companion. With a frown, she wondered if she was in the wrong place.
+
+A young girl tugged on Linsan's shirt before setting down a full platter of food. "Breakfast for you, dame," she said before diving back into the crowds.
+
+Linsan looked down at the heaping pile of eggs, grilled sausages, and breads. There was even fresh fruit on the edge. Tucked under the other side was an envelop. "What is this?"
+
+Ragon reached over to snatch up one of the fruits. "Best food in the city. I may not make a lot performing, but food is on the house for the entertainment."
+
+He tapped on the envelop. "Your cut of the night's proceeds. You probably want to count it later, that way you won't make us feel bad. You were stunning and eveyrone is going to be talking to you for months."
+
+She smiled. "I wasn't that good."
+
+"You were and you know it. Once you get over the jitters, you are going to steal the show every time."
+
+A warm feeling filled her. She smiled and toyed with the edge of the table.
+
+From the other side, Wendil gestured to the lager. "You going to drink that?"
+
+His mouth full, Ragon snorted. "Of course she'd want more of the piss that got her here."
+
+The idea of prolonguing the hangover didn't appeal to Linsan. She pushed the foaming liquid over and traded it for a glass of clear water in front of Ragon. After squeezing a bit of fruit juice into it, she wiped her hands and drank. "That's what I needed."
+
+"Bah," Ragon said grabbing Linsan's old lager to pour half of it into his own glass before returning it. "More for me. I'd rather not go to work sober, if you know what I mean."
+
+Linsan looked over her shoulder again for Brook.
+
+"You with someone?" asked Wendil. "You seem to be looking."
+
+"Yeah, a woman named Brook. We grew up together but... not really. We were heading over to Moon Waters together. Both of us..." It took a moment to remember what she had told Ragon and Wendil earlier. She cleared her throat. "Both of us have some questions about the Sterlig."
+
+When she noticed the others were looking at her with obvious questions, she blushed and dug into her breakfast. It was good, richer than she had in a long while with just a hint of spiciness.
+
+Ragon swallowed loudly. "What does she look like? Pretty? Unmarried? Nice tits? I mean really firm ones that---"
+
+Wendil smacked him. "Women are more than breasts, Rag!"
+
+He laughed and waved her off.
+
+Wendil turned back to Linsan. "She wasn't staying with you? I saw you had your own room."
+
+Linsan looked at Wendil curiously.
+
+Ragon smirked. "Were you stalking Lin?"
+
+Wendil's cheeks colored. "I was not! I was in the room next to her and we stopped at the same time. She even asked how to dress up a baby before crashing."
+
+It was Linsan's turn to blush. That explained a little about the violin in the nest of clothes. Then she answered. "No, Brook got her own room before I got inside. She had a reservation. Probably for one of the expensive rooms. She likes to live like she dresses, fancy." Linsan remembered how Brook stood out among the others. "Even for her, she is always dressed up pretty like she's going out on a night."
+
+Ragon's eyes lit up. "Oh, was she driving the pink Glasscoaster buggy?"
+
+"I don't know what type, but it has big wheels and it's pink."
+
+He grinned. "She is pretty. Married? Do I have to get rid of her betrothed? I'm a noble fighter."
+
+Wendil reached over and smacked him before stealing the rest of his drink. "The car is probably registered with the Artificer Academy or the Mechanics and you are never going to get within miles of that tailpipe. Either of them," she finished wagging her finger.
+
+Roal sighed. "Yeah, sweet buggies like that always go with the Pistons anyways. No chance it will be driving into our garage."
+
+Linsan almost choked on her food.
+
+Raul smacked her shoulders until she stopped coughing. "Are you okay?"
+
+"You're with the unaffilianed mechanics?"
+
+Raol said nothing for a moment and then grinned broadly. "Dorsen and Sons, only unchained mechanic in thirty leagues. I'm neither Dorset or one of his four daughters."
+
+"Are you one of his sons?" Linsan asked.
+
+Raol grinned and winked. "No son. He had two but they both turned out to be girls. I blame him drinking on the job." Then he shrugged. "Not really. Everyone knew he had four daughters before he put up the sign, but he's a penny-pinching bastard and left it up. All five of them of them work the garage. I'm just their errand boy and do the little jobs."
+
+Wendil tapped the edge of her hat. "I own a hat shop in town, about five streets down."
+
+Linsan gulp adn wiped her hands. "I... we were going to be visiting you today."
+
+Roal blinked. "You were?"
+
+"Yes. Have you seen a... a... 1842..." Linsan struggled to remember the car. "Deanglen Black Lighting?"
+
+Roal smirked.
+
+Linsan realized her mistake. "Black Thunder. It isn't registered with any of the guilds and there were probably three guys in it. One of them had a guitar that did fire magic."
+
+Wendil tapped the table frantically. She was draining the glass but kept going until it was done. Slamming it down, she said with a spray of foam, "The fire guitar is Tilbin. Remember, he played here a few years ago. Did the whole light and dance show?"
+
+Linsan's heart swelled. They had heard of the murderers.
+
+Wendil turned to Roal. "Do you think he's still hanging around Mayforn and Gabaw? Those three were always sticking together ever since Gabaw got fired by Dorsen."
+
+Then she turned back to Linsa. "Stay away from those guys, Lin. They are trouble no matter what they are doing. Last I heard, they were blackjacking across the country."
+
+Linsan shook her head. "Blackjacking?"
+
+"Arson, stealing, robbing people. They hadn't gotten to murder but I doubt it would stay that way. They were always chasing after the next score. Gabaw got caught trying to filing off the registration numbers off of vehicles and selling them at Dorsen's."
+
+Linsan's stomach twisted violently. "Arson? Like setting someone's lands on fire?" Or killing Duncan?
+
+Wendil shrugged. "Yeah, if someone wanted to ruin some trees, I guess. There had to be... a...." Her voice trailed off. Then she gasped in surprise. "Do you think that is what happened to your family? I heard the Sterlig Forest had caught fire some years ago."
+
+Linsan nodded slowly.
+
+Roal groaned. "Oh, that would be horrible. I'm still dreaming of hearing yours play."
+
+"That would be Tiblin. He'd murder his father if someone paid him."
+
+"He killed his best friend's wife, remember. Nasty, nasty man. Be careful, Lin. Be really careful, he won't hestiate to hurt you if come up on him."
+
+Roal started to say something but then his eyes glanced up. Sharply inhaling, he stood up abruptly just as Brook slapped her hand next to Linsan.
+
+"Get up! We need to get out of here!" she snapped.
+
+Linsan jumped before turning to look up at her. "Brook, I think---"
+
+Brook's face was twisted in a scowl. "I don't care. We need to get to Dorsen and Sons and see if they found those damn---" She cut herself off.
+
+Roal held out his hand. "Excuse me."
+
+Brook settled a withering glare at him and his hand.
+
+He pulled his hand back and then set down. He gave Linsan a sympathic look. "I can see why you didn't want to spend the night with her. I bet she bites."
+
+There was a stunned silence.
+
+Linsan looked up to see Brook's cheeks were colored underneath her scowl. Then she turned away. "Raol, just tell her."
+
+Roal rolled his eyes. "Tiblin and his friends would never go to Dorsen's. Not after Gebaw got fired from there. Besides, if they were going anywhere, they would head straight for Geb's barn. It's only thirty five miles or so down the road and he has an entire set of tools he stole from Dorsen there."
+
+The muscles along Brook's jaw tightened. "Thank you," she said in a forced tone.
+
+"If you're nice and maybe have breakfast with us, I'll tell you where." Roal's eyes crinkled with his smile.
+
+Linsan looked at Brook sharply.
+
+Brook trembled for a moment.
+
+"Your check-out ticket isn't for another twenty minutes. You can wait. I promise."
+
+For a long moment, Brook said nothing. Then she pulled out the chair between Linsan and Wendil and sat down heavily. The ruffles of her dress tickled Linsan's arm as she settled into place. "Fine. I'll play."