He Left a Key

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 5th March 2009

Characters: Zelanka, Shadux
Description: Zelanka tells Shadux about the key the Lord Holder gave her, but there seems to be a problem...
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 11 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Nimroy, Larstad

"Hello, Shadux," Zelanka greeted, when she met the young man in hallway.

"Zelanka," the assistant steward nodded in greeting. "How are you
holding up?"

"The usual in these circumstances. I heard you and Nimroy went thru
the Lord Holder's office. Did you find anything?"

"No, nothing." And it was weighing on Shadux. Everyone was a little on
edge, for all that life seemed to be returning to normal. They kept
going, as they had always done, but in whispers, they would talk about
it. He could hear them.

"You would think he would have left something. He always thought of
everything, why not this..." Zelanka said with a bemused shake of her
head and then her voice trailed off to thoughtfull silence. She stared
into the air somewhere past Shadux's head.

"He _had_ to have thought of it," Shadux agreeed with a shake of his
head. "It's just not like him to leave the Hold in turmoil like this."

"Maybe he did," Zelanka said. "Several sevendays before his death, he
turned up in my door step one evening and left me a key."

"A key?" His eyes narrowed almost suspiciously, not of the headwoman,
but of the fact's importance. "A key to what?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell me," Zelanka replied.

"Well, where is it? What did it open? His desk, a box, what?" He
spoke fast, not out of annoyance, but of hope.

"I just dropped it into my jewelry box after he left, it's been there
ever since," Zelanka could hardly miss his excitement.

"Well, let's see it!"

"Come along. Let's fetch it," Zelanka swirled around. She had been
heading for the kitchen but now she headed for her home.

When they were there, she led Shadux to her bedroom. She had a
dressing table there, one with mirror and two drawers. Ornate bottles
and jars stood on the table in almost military order, with largish
wooden box. Zelanka opened it and rummaged thru. It contained all her
jewelries and other valuables. "Funny," she murmured and a frown
appeared to her face. She started to take out the items one by one,
setting them neatly on the table.

"What? What is it?" Shadux couldn't help but notice that there was no
key coming out of the box.

"It's not here, it's missing," Zelanka said. She turned the now empty
box around and shook it. A lone, loose safire fell out. "I've been
planning to get this reset for turns," she murmured when she picked it
up.

Well, a lot of good that would do them! "Where could you have put it?
Do you have another jewelry box?"

"No. Wait a minute..." Zelanka stared thoughtfully to the distance.
"Zetriv and Romella and their children were here few days ago. They
wanted to explore my treasure box," she tapped the jewelry box. "The
girls ended up playing ladies-of-the-blood with my jewelry, scarfs and
shoes. Except Zetmella, who decided that she wants to be a Goldrider
and wore Petriv's hide jacket. They made quite a mess. I don't
remember seeing the key when I cleaned up after them."

"Really? The fate of our hold lies in the hands of little girls playing
_dress-up_?" It was like a farce, a bad one! "Well, we have to get
that sharding key back somehow!"

"I keep looking for it, and I ask my grandchildren about it. It has to
be here somewhere," Zelanka promised and looked around in her bedroom.

He threaded his fingers in his hair as he made a full circle, not even
sure where they could begin to look. "Shards, what if that is the key
to everything?"

"We don't know that," Zelanka said. In truth, she was afraid. There
were some locks that weren't meant to be opened. What if Benaroy had
left some document that confirmed Lantriv as his son? How would that
affect her, her son's life and the whole hold. After all, it would
made Lantriv possible candidate for the Lord Holdership...

"Well he didn't leave anyone else a key. It's our best lead." But
maybe they didn't need a key. Larstad was brilliant with puzzles. If
anyone could open a lock... "What did it open, Zelanka? Maybe we can
pick it."

"He didn't tell me that. I presume it is something in his office or in
personal quarters. It wasn't big enough to be a door key, more like a
key to a box or small cabinet."

Well, that would at least give him something to do besides stand there
and watch her search. "Maybe while you look for the key I should look
for anything in his office which might be locked."

"You do that," Zelanka said.

Last updated on the March 15th 2009

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He Left a Key