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Description
Clean of blood and having mended a sleight concussion, Inlé sat cross-legged in the center of his room, leaning over a map of the earth. He held a pendulum consisting of a runed iolite dangling on a silver chain from a runed moss agate over the map.

In a commanding tone, Inlé said, "Inveni. Tuatha dé Danann. Deprehende."

He sighed as he saw the iolite spin wildly over the map.

A second time, Inlé commanded, "Inveni. Coire Ansic. Deprehende."

This time, the iolite swung straight to a point over northern New York. Inlé looked intently at the map for a moment, then reached up his sleeve and pulled his silver bracelet from his wrist.

He stretched the band and stepped into the sky it revealed. Catching himself at the edge of an identical band on the other side, Inlé spun to kneel beside the portal and pulled the band he had jumped into out of the one he had exited. He then shrunk the band in his hand down to bracelet size again. This caused the other band lying at his feet to shrink to the same size. The portal was closed, and Inlé returned his bracelet to his wrist.

Getting his bearing, Inlé found himself atop a school building. He turned to face south east, jumped down from the third floor roof, and began to walk.

Arriving in a wooded area nearly an hour later, Inlé slowed his walk, glancing about cautiously. After another short walk, he came to the shore of a small pond, where he stood for several minutes.

"You may as well come out." he said suddenly. "I am aware that you are here."

"So," a sultry, watery voice gurgled, "a hunter, are you?"

"I am not," Inlé answered.

"Then," the voice said, "you should not be looking for me."

"I am not," Inlé answered. "Lady, I mean you no harm, nor did I have any plans to seek you out. I am here for a pot you may recently have acquired."

"A pot?" the voice echoed.

"Yes, namely one Coire Ansic."

"Is that what that bothersome blurker gave me? How amusing," it bubbled.

"A blurker?" Inlé repeated. "A blurker stole a piece of the Tuatha dé Danann? Is that what you are saying?"

"I merely state," the voice replied, "that if what I have is Coire Ansic, then it was delivered to me by a blurker. Nothing more.

"My, you're a handsome one."

"I see," Inlé said. "Well, what must I do to recover this item from you?"

"Hmm," the voice mused. "Nothing given, nothing gained, as the saying goes. And if you wish not to fight me for it, I can think of more ... refined ways you can pay me for this ... pot, did you call it?

"You've a cheeky mouth for one so young. I like that."

"Do you?" Inlé asked. "Well and good, but what do you wish for me to give?"

The voice was silent for a moment, then said, "Give me three days to think this over. On the third night, come to me after sunset.

"The sun does not sit well with me under it, you see. I am far too beautiful to be caught under her glare."

Inlé turned to leave, saying as he left, "As you say, Lady."

He walked into the woods a short distance, then pulled a silver ring from his pocket. This he split into two rings, one in each hand. One he place onto the side of a nearby tree, the other he twisted about his bracelet, forcing them into one piece. He then stepped through his bracelet and back out onto the roof of his apartment building.

Description
Clean of blood and having mended a sleight concussion, Inlé sat cross-legged in the center of his room, leaning over a map of the earth. He held a pendulum consisting of a runed iolite dangling on a silver chain from a runed moss agate over the map.

In a commanding tone, Inlé said, "Inveni. Tuatha dé Danann. Deprehende."

He sighed as he saw the iolite spin wildly over the map.

A second time, Inlé commanded, "Inveni. Coire Ansic. Deprehende."

This time, the iolite swung straight to a point over northern New York. Inlé looked intently at the map for a moment, then reached up his sleeve and pulled his silver bracelet from his wrist.

He stretched the band and stepped into the sky it revealed. Catching himself at the edge of an identical band on the other side, Inlé spun to kneel beside the portal and pulled the band he had jumped into out of the one he had exited. He then shrunk the band in his hand down to bracelet size again. This caused the other band lying at his feet to shrink to the same size. The portal was closed, and Inlé returned his bracelet to his wrist.

Getting his bearing, Inlé found himself atop a school building. He turned to face south east, jumped down from the third floor roof, and began to walk.

Arriving in a wooded area nearly an hour later, Inlé slowed his walk, glancing about cautiously. After another short walk, he came to the shore of a small pond, where he stood for several minutes.

"You may as well come out." he said suddenly. "I am aware that you are here."

"So," a sultry, watery voice gurgled, "a hunter, are you?"

"I am not," Inlé answered.

"Then," the voice said, "you should not be looking for me."

"I am not," Inlé answered. "Lady, I mean you no harm, nor did I have any plans to seek you out. I am here for a pot you may recently have acquired."

"A pot?" the voice echoed.

"Yes, namely one Coire Ansic."

"Is that what that bothersome blurker gave me? How amusing," it bubbled.

"A blurker?" Inlé repeated. "A blurker stole a piece of the Tuatha dé Danann? Is that what you are saying?"

"I merely state," the voice replied, "that if what I have is Coire Ansic, then it was delivered to me by a blurker. Nothing more.

"My, you're a handsome one."

"I see," Inlé said. "Well, what must I do to recover this item from you?"

"Hmm," the voice mused. "Nothing given, nothing gained, as the saying goes. And if you wish not to fight me for it, I can think of more ... refined ways you can pay me for this ... pot, did you call it?

"You've a cheeky mouth for one so young. I like that."

"Do you?" Inlé asked. "Well and good, but what do you wish for me to give?"

The voice was silent for a moment, then said, "Give me three days to think this over. On the third night, come to me after sunset.

"The sun does not sit well with me under it, you see. I am far too beautiful to be caught under her glare."

Inlé turned to leave, saying as he left, "As you say, Lady."

He walked into the woods a short distance, then pulled a silver ring from his pocket. This he split into two rings, one in each hand. One he place onto the side of a nearby tree, the other he twisted about his bracelet, forcing them into one piece. He then stepped through his bracelet and back out onto the roof of his apartment building.