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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 9.5, Accountability

The hotel was a fine place to house a base of operations as far as Sanmer was concerned. It was a centralized building from which access to the city could be obtained in any direction. There were two public exits to the hotel downstairs and another two that were reserved for staff which meant a total of four methods for escape if Sanmer needed it. That also didn't count the numerous fourth and fifth story windows that had easy enough access to adjacent rooftops assuming anyone making use of them were capable jumpers; Sanmer considered himself to fit that description well enough.

Yet all of that tactical knowledge took a back seat that evening when room assignments were being considered and the Fox accepted a rather out-of-the-way suite for no other reason than it was large enough to accommodate his traveling companion. The corner room had a big double-bed sized for bulls, horses, and of course bears; there were double doors which made entry and exit easy for Roaring-Flood and, best of all, it had extra thick walls-- perfect for privacy. A fortunate side effect of getting the corner room was that Sanmer also had a decent view of the street below.

While the Fox would normally have maximized his opportunity for people-watching he ended up otherwise occupied that evening. He reasoned that it was a past time he would be able to save for later; after all, being in a new town provided ample time for him to deal with that at his leisure when he wasn't otherwise... 'tied up'. Twisting his naked body around on the mattress the Fox attempted to scratch his nose by rubbing his face up against the pillow; it wasn't a bad way to spend the night... not really. Truth be told, however, he wouldn't have minded being untied before Roaring-Flood had fallen asleep and he just didn't have it in him to awaken the Bear.

Flittering the edge of consciousness, Sanmer found himself spending equal times dozing off and squirming in his restraints. Normally the Fox would have slid out of his bonds easily enough but Roaring-Flood was a rare partner; the Fisherbear had a knack with knots and in Sanmer's case that meant more than one thing. It wasn't until the sun started peaking through the silhouettes of buildings that Sanmer realized that dawn had arrived. Squirming to the edge of the bed the Fox finally let out a content sigh and rolled his body off the mattress. Using the scant seconds in the air, Sanmer slid his tied-up paws around to the front of his body by pulling his legs in close to his abdomen so his feet would clear the bonds; he ended up landing on his elbows and knees but even that was with practiced silence.

It took more time still to successfully escape the ropes that held him bound even once he had access to the bindings. Making use of his mastery of body (and when all else failed, gnawing with his teeth), Sanmer ultimately completed what he fondly referred to as one of his many escape-capades. From there he would be able to brush his fur and get dressed... but first he settled on a little bit of more intimate personal grooming styles. With running water in every room, the hotel got another positive mark in the rogue's book as he took to cleaning bodily fluids off his fur.

Roaring-Flood was up by the time Sanmer had finished and the Bear remained laying on the bed, head propped up in a paw as he regarded the Fox. Sanmer watched the Tribal in the mirror for several minutes before the Bear spoke. "You know this place?"

Sanmer turned back to his room mate, securing his belt around his britches. "What place? The hotel, or the city?"

The Bear swung his thick, stocky legs over the edge of the bed and onto the floor with an audible thud. "Either. Both."

The Fox admired the view Roaring-Flood gave him as the Bear got up and about, taking very little time to ready himself even as Sanmer finished his final steps of preparation by sliding his headband on and smoothing out the fur atop his head. "Graddin is the capital of Lehsunia-- I know that much but I've never been here... as for the hotel, it's what we in the 'business' call a 'hot spot'."

Roaring-Flood glanced his way as he secured his loincloth; the Fox was generally remiss at losing sight of such gifts the Bear's parents had bestowed upon him but he kept his focus on the discussion and had the benefit of being rewarded with hitting another one of the Tribal's many language barriers. "It is not hot... it is just as warm as any place."

Sanmer giggled as he crossed the room to join the Bear, taking hold of one of Roaring-Flood's wrists; it was so big around that the Fox's finger tips barely touched one another. "Not hot like temperature... it's 'hot' because there's a lot going on with people to see and things to 'obtain'... now come on-- the Princess said we'd be meeting with her contact in the morning."

The Bear obediently trudged after Sanmer as the two exited the room. The Fox paused long enough so he could lock the door; it wasn't that they'd left any belongings inside but it was out of reflex. They made their way down the hall and saw that Enarork was already standing by the powered elevator. The brown furred Bear had apparently taken quite an interest in it. Sanmer didn't miss the opportunity. "Amazing device, is it?"

Enarork shrugged, glancing to the two of them before looking back at it. "It works like any wooden plank with rope attached to it... but I do not see men raising and lowering it."

Theo approached from down the hall and moved to join them. The unassuming Ermine picked up right where the Bear left off. "The fundamental function is the same, Enarork. Just like with the plank and rope there is something providing movement... only with an elevator it is a collection of gears. We step into a box that goes up or down based on whether the cord is pulled or released."

Sanmer couldn't resist getting a few words in edgewise. "Except with an elevator you don't have to worry about the guy holding the rope getting tired and dropping it."

The Ermine stepped past everyone standing in the hall and pressed the button. "You have to call for it first."

He glanced at Enarork who shrugged. "I have only been in this machine once yesterday, and I did not call it."

Roaring-Flood made a comment to his brother in the Tribal tongue, to which Enarork's only response was a dour expression followed by a very solid straight-arm punch into the black Bear's shoulder; Roaring-Flood began laughing immediately. Although Sanmer didn't understand it he could see the blush from Theo and so he assumed it was probably worth having translated... but he also realized that the scholar likely wouldn't.

Making a mental note to ask Roaring-Flood about it later, the Fox's thoughts came to a halt when the elevator doors opened and the group came face-to-face with the Princess. She was immediately all smiles. "Ah. Good-- you are all up. I was hoping I would not have to summon each of you independently."

Kesst, who had been hanging back away from the bulk of the party was the first to respond to her 'greeting'. "We didn't have a clear time as to when you would be meeting with--"

She cut him off. "He is downstairs waiting for us. I've been breaking my fast with him and his associates for nearly the last three quarters of an hour. This way, please."

With nothing more to be said the group piled into the elevator. It was a tight fit, especially considering the two Bears but everyone managed. Being purposefully closest to the button selection Sanmer took the opportunity to hit every single floor between theirs and the lobby and grinned while doing it; the activity elicited a groan from Theo and a sigh from Kesst. The Fox's excuse was entirely fabricated of course. "Sorry... can't maneuver very well... accident and all that."

Despite his antics the group finally did arrive at the lobby and followed the Princess out of the cramped quarters and into the grandiose atrium. It was still relatively early in the morning; the majority of the guests hadn't yet begun to fill the passage so they had free run of the place. Princess Noriene went immediately the side door which was clearly labeled "Lounge". She glanced back to the party. "Breakfast is already served."

Stepping through the door, Sanmer was surprised at who awaited them.