Redundant

An order to report immediately to the office of Midwinter was never a joyous occasion and was made worse by Arli's inability to contact his Deathmasters so that they could also attend and share the blame, for whatever it was that he was supposed to have done.  Arli tapped his comms again but heard nothing more than the same static hiss that had greeted him as he had awoken that morning.  He'd headed straight to Undercity to see if the base transmitter was playing up but had been apprehended immediately by the two Deathstalkers now walking at his side and escorted straight to Midwinter's office.

Midwinter stood waiting and greeted him with the usual "Thorn Master" to which Arli saluted and nodded slightly.  He'd learned from bitter experience that any semblance of witty remark or friendly greeting would be met with a stony silence.

"s'just me, sir" said Arli "comms is playing up and can't contact the Deathmasters"

"Indeed"

"Oh someone has already reported it?  Great so it's already be-"

Midwinter held up his hand for silence and Arli reluctantly obeyed.

"With the aid of the Val'kyr, the ranks of the Undercity have been increasing steadily and as such, we no longer need to rely on the living to assist us in protection of Undercity or the forsaken lands and its borders"  said Midwinter, his eyes fixed on the young elf before him.

Arli nodded slightly as the words sunk in.  He understood what was being said but it still made little sense to him.

"With immediate effect, Vile Thorn is dismissed from its service to Undercity."

"What!"

"Unless of course you will confirm your loyalty to our Queen by becoming forsaken and ordering your living Thorns to follow your lead?"

"Some feckin' joke, Midwinter?" scowled Arli

"As we speak, letters are being sent to inform Vile Thorns that the brotherhood is disbanded and that they are ordered to return their tabard and communication devices immediately.  The forsaken within your ranks will be expected to remain in support of our Queen. "

"But.."

"As you so astutely noticed, the communications have already been disabled"

"I..."

"Your tabard and communications device, Sunblade" said Midwinter as he held out his hand.

"..seriously?  You're disbanding us?" said Arli with a look of confusion.  "Years of loyal service, ended just like that?"

"Your tabard and communications device"

Arli glanced over his shoulder as the two Deathstalkers took a step towards him.

"Fine" he replied as he quickly pulled off his Thorn tabard and comms and threw them angrily at Midwinter's feet.

"Deathstalkers, escort the elf from the city"

"What, no redundancy payments?  Farewell parties?  Carriage clock with small spinning skulls under a clock-face with a painting of your feckin' precious banshee queen on it?"  spat Arli as each arm was grabbed firmly by a bony hand. "So long and thanks for all the corpses, eh?" he added as he was roughly turned and marched from the small, dimly lit office.  Arli stayed silent as he was marched to the courtyard and left standing alone as the Deathstalkers returned to the underground city.  He felt numb and for the first time in many years, incredibly alone.  Fel, he needed a drink...

~~~~~

Arli groaned and turned onto his back, the cold floor underneath him accentuating the thudding pain in his head.  He'd gone for a drink, well a few drinks, in fact he couldn't remember stopping drinking and had absolutely no idea where he was.  He opened his eyes slightly, the familiar brightness of the room of arcane powered holding cells burned his eyes and he scrunched them closed.

"feck.."

His body ached and the side of his face felt sore, fel it must have been one hell of a fight he had gotten into.  As he raised his hands to shield his eyes from the bright lights above he notice, with some dismay, that his hands were still shackled.

"Great.." he thought "..so I probably got arrested for fighting and my hands are still shackled..so...I must have resisted arrest...feck..feck...feck.." he cursed to himself.

Arli groaned again, this time in dismay.  He'd need gold to get bail and feeling the state of his hangover he was pretty sure that any gold he had gone out with the previous day..or days ago, he wasn't sure at all...was now gone.  If offered bail he'd have to nominate someone to stand-up the sum of gold that would be needed to secure his temporary freedom.  With Lord Sunwing away on extended travels then the obvious choice would be Sab, but having Blood Knights turn up at his door and request he come to the cells just because of him would most likely earn him a few punches after bail had been paid; bruises on top of bruises.  There was Chey..... Arli smiled slightly, Chey would be ideal, she would surely not mind bailing him out and he might even get coffee and sympathy.  Arli curled up back on his side and shielded his eyes best he could and waited for the Blood Knights to drag him out, charge him and hopefully offer him bail until he could be brought before the Magisters.

"Can we help you ma'am?" asked the custody officer.
Chey gave another smile and an affected exasperated and resigned sigh "I've come to offer bail for Arlithion Sunblade...again" she looked at the desk officer who smiled sympathetically. "I swore the previous time would be the last..but families huh..what can you do?"
She fumbled in her bag hoping that he wouldnt ask how they were related, she just hoped he'd assume she was somehow related to the Dawnrunners and not ask any awkward questions even though she'd never actually said they were related at all.
"A hefty sum this time Ma'am, he skipped out last time, but Im sure you know" he said placing a sheaf of paperwork in front of her which she duly flicked through and signed where highlighted. Placing a pouch of gold on top the signed forms she slid it across the desk.
"It's all there, I promise" she laughed "Now if I can have Arli, I'll get him home to face the music"
The bloodknight nodded and barked the necessary orders.

Arli was escorted through the door from the cell block, she took a deep intake of breath with shock as she saw his pale, cut and bruised face, goodness she thought he looks a mess.
"It's alright Ma'am" consoled the duty officer "He came in like that, he's been treated like a valued guest since he got here" He laughed obviously thinking he was hilarious.
Chey laughed politely and rolled her eyes out of his sight. "Jerk.." she thought, quickly admonishing herself for it, after all they probably knew Arli about as well as she did, judging by the amount of time he spent with them.

Out of the building Chey took Arli's arm and started to walk towards the apartment. She was concerned by his silence, no wink or lopsided grin and a "hey Chey, thanks I owe you..." to which she already had a reply.
Instead he answered in monosyllables "Yes" "No" "Dunno" or 'K, to every question she asked or comment she made regarding his arrest.
She frowned to herself.

Inside she steered him to the bathroom and sat him on the side of the bath while she got the antiseptic and cotton balls from a cabinet.
"This will sting probably" she said
"Oh great..."
"Take comfort that it won't be half as painful as what you'll get from Sab if you skip bail this time, he did say that you'd have him to answer to if you did" she laughed "Just saying.."
"Ha ha.harghhh" he replied as Chey dabbed the cuts and splits on his face.
She was still concerned by his reticent silence and his reluctance to offer any explanation, Arli usually only being too keen to tell her about the injustice of the bloodknights.

"You and Robi  had a row?" she asked softly
"Nah.." replied Arli with a small shake of his head "Its Vile Thorn..been disbanded..."
She looked at him and could have cried, his eyes showing desolation, confusion and underneath fear of the uncertain future for him without Vile Thorn.

Over a cup of coffee she gradually coaxed the facts from Arli, who now spoke a bit more freely now that he had told someone.

"It will get better Arli, once you come to terms with whats happened, and I know youre a lot of things..some of them Im too polite to say..but youre not a quitter" she said topping up his cup and smiling at him.
As they talked Arli seemed to brighten and his tone more optimistic.
"Yeah youre right Chey...I don't need feckin Undercity"
Chey nodded her approval, it was hardly secret that she loathed Undercity and The Horde.
Arli became animated and she could see his mind working.
"I'll need new comms..good ones, new tabards...." he was on a roll. "You'll help me Chey.."
"Oh I will, will I?" she thought to herself but knowing full well she would, he had that knack about him.
"Get me the comms..you have contacts, oh yes you might as well see about the tabards while youre at it...too many people will just love to say no to me if they know I haven't got Thorns with me..just to kick me when I'm down..so best not let them know Im down huh..so you'll do it?" he continued.
Chey held up he hand "Whoa whoa slow down" she laughed "Can't the girlfriend help you there..with the comms I mean?"
Arli looked solemn again and shook his head. "She mightn't want to know me now..just being a Sin'dorei and not a Thorn and all that"
Chey raised a brow "She's really that shallow? Why would you being a Thorn give her any Kudos? get over yourself Sunblade..." she laughed.
"I'd rather not ask her.."
"Suit yourself..you know we'll help you as much as we can.." she added.
Arli smiled "Thanks Chey, knew I could trust you."

Later as Arli slept on the sofa, Chey related the events to Sabien who had come home after Arli had fallen asleep. He nodded his agreement "Aye we'll help the kid..could be a mutually beneficial arrangement to be made in this somewhere, he's gonna need a bit of muscle from time to time" grinned Sab flexing his bicep. "And we may just need a few blades now and again"

Chey nodded and added uncertainly "Yes..good idea" She recognised the look in Sabiens eye he was making plans but at the moment she didnt want to know. She'd better get some sleep..tomorrow she'd need to try and contact Robi and arrange the communication devices and maybe let slip Arli's fears about the doubts he had.

The look on Chey's face as the Blood Knights brought him into the custody room confirmed to him that he must look a sorry sight. He smiled, wincing as the effort made his lip sting.

"Sign here...here and here" said the Knight as his daggers and a pile of black throwing knives were tipped unceremoniously onto the table.  Arli signed quickly and swiftly sheathed the daggers and blades, despite his hangover this was something he could do in total darkness and under any condition.

"Make sure you answer the summons, Sunblade.  Don't want your friend losing her gold or us turning up at Sunwing Spire with a warrant for your arrest, your noble benefactor would be less than impressed I think... "

Arli just nodded slightly, he wanted out of the building as quickly as possible and any smart comments would just delay his freedom.

"Come on Arli, you need a coffee and a bit of a clean up" said Chey as she took his arm.  Arli hardly spoke as they walked back to her apartment.  He wanted to tell her what had happened but at the same time, just couldn't bring himself to say the words.  "Yes" he'd got drunk and been in a fight, "no" he didn't mean to resist arrest, "yes" he knew it was stupid to do so.   The remainder of the walk was done in silence, Chey realizing she was getting nowhere and Arli unable to find the words to tell her what had caused him to drink so heavily.

The apartment was quiet and empty and Chey steered him straight to the bathroom to tend to his cut and bruised face.

"So, what happened?"

"Told you" replied Arli

Chey shook her head slightly "Don't lie to me, Arli Sunblade" she admonished as he winced as the cleaning spirits stung his lip.  "You only get that drunk when celebrating or angry and judging by the bruises, it's the latter."  her voice softened as she added "..you and Robi fell out?"

Arli looked away as he spoke "No...Vile Thorn, it's been disbanded by Undercity."

Chey paused dabbing a cut on his cheek and turned his face to look at her. He looked lost and confused, his years as a Thorn ending so suddenly.

"But..why?"

"Feckin' Val'kyr" replied Arli with a bitter laugh.  "They make forsaken, Undercity is growing, Chey, and they don't need us living to bolster the ranks no more."

"So..thrown out, just like that?"

Arli nodded slightly.  "What will i do?  Fel I'm in for a few kickin's when people realise I don't have Vile Thorn at my call and what will Robi do when she realises she's just dating some sin'dorei nobody and not a Thorn any more?  I'm dumped..."  Arli slumped his shoulders and sighed heavily, looking completely miserable.

"Come on, I'll make you a coffee....it won't be so bad, you're just upset and not thinking straight."

Arli nodded slightly and followed Chey out to the kitchen, she was right, he wasn't thinking straight at all and he wasn't going to just give up without a fight.  He was a Thorn, the survival of the Thorn Brotherhood transcended everything, wasn't that what the original Thorn Master Aconitus had taught him?  He owed Undercity nothing, in fact owed the Horde nothing but he did owe it to the Thorns past and present to at least try and keep the brotherhood going.

"Penny for them?" smiled Chey as she handed him a mug of black coffee.

Arli returned the smile.  "Yeah, you're right, I'm being a feckin' drama queen and better I get out of it before Sab gets home and smacks it out of me" he laughed. "I don't need Undercity, or Horde...I don't need to be ordered about by anyone.  I know how to kill, intimidate, spy and drink until I pass out...what more skills are needed to lead a band of vicious mercenaries?"  Arli fixed his best boyish smile and looked at Chey "So, I'll need some replacement comms and a base unit, someone to make up tabards now Undercity won't supply them...so...how can you help me get Vile Thorn running again?"

(( So yes, no more UC links, watch out forsaken, Arli has a few scores to settle ))

Reports from Thorns and partly completed reports to Undercity scattered and came to rest on the floor of his room as with a sweep of his arm, Arli cleared his desk.  "At least no more feckin' reporting" he muttered to himself as he placed a box stamped with "Snipeshot's Superior Components - The Bright Sparkie's Sparks of Choice" onto the now empty desk.  Arli opened  the box and placed the components into neatly categorized piles on his desk, checking them off on the packaging list as he did so.  The box emptied of electronic components, he took the folded sheet from the bottom of the box and smoothed it flat on the table.  The schematic had been custom made to his specification, he knew exactly what he needed the communication transmitter/receiver to do and could probably have bodged something together himself using trial and error, had he the luxury of time.  However, he needed to get the Thorn comms network functional again, being so out of touch with his Thorn brethren made him feel increasingly tense and on edge.  Sticca had suggested he approach the goblins of Booty Bay for assistance and Shiv suggested with a roll of her eyes "well why didn't he build one?".  So off he had gone to Booty Bay and with gold and the agreement to repay their efforts in Thorn assistance sometime, they had got to work immediately.  The Chief Engineer talking through his requirements and drawing up the schematic while his assistants gathered the box of components together.  A few swift Rum's from the Inn had helped him cope with their annoying habit of talking even more than he did.

Arli dropped the now empty box on the floor without a thought, next day the Spire staff would be in to clean his room and he'd get back to find everything neatly stacked and rubbish removed.  Switching on the desk lamp as he sat down and with a frown of concentration on his face, Arli got to work on comms base unit.

It was many hours later that Arli pushed back his chair and stood up, groaning as he stretched his knotted muscles.  He'd built the unit, then checked it against the schematic, twice so if it didn't work now, well there was a Chief Engineer that would be getting a visit from a very tired and extremely tetchy elf later that morning.  Picking a half-written sheet of paper from the floor, Arli turned it over and in large letters wrote "PROPERTY OF ARLI SUNBLADE - DO NOT TOUCH" and carefully placing the neatly constructed electronic device and sheet into a leather bag, he headed for the door.

Sunwing Spire was a sprawling estate, the main building itself having many wings and passages such that even after living there for over a year, Arli sometimes got lost.  However, he'd spent a lot of time exploring (as he liked to call it, others might say "getting lost and taking a while to find your way out") and had found empty spires and his favorite, the armory.  He'd been using it to train for the past year and had never seen anyone else there, not that Abulos would have need for blades and bows anyway.   The estate itself was as secure as a fortress thanks to Abulos' magic and wards with the armory housed in one of the tallest spires and apart from possibly the cleaning staff, visited by no one else, it was the ideal location for a secure comms device.  Arli walked out onto the large balcony where the training dummies were placed, he slung the bag over his back and stepped lightly onto the railing.  Using the carved decorations on the spire wall, he pulled himself carefully up onto the roof trying not to think of the long fall into the immaculate gardens below should he slip.  The Head Gardener wouldn't be happy if he landed on his exotic blooms, not that he'd be alive to hear him tutting.  Pulling himself onto the roof he stood up and looked around.  It was very open and although likely to be unseen, he decided with a sigh of annoyance, that it would need to be placed inside the spire rather than outside.  Making his way back down the wall, he dropped lightly onto the balcony and walked silently back into the main domed room of the armory.  Tugging on the shield fixed to the wall to check it was securely attached, he pulled himself up and climbed up the wall stepping from decorative shield to shield until he could lean on the carved coving that circled the lower part of the roof.  With an arm hooked around a marble phoenix, he reached into his bag and pulled out the comms base unit, wedging it between the up-stretched wings.  Taking the now crumpled sheet, he shoved it behind the electronics, just in case they should be seen at some point, at least they might contact him before removing the device and inadvertently shutting down the network.

Chewing his lip nervously, Arli connected the power source "at least no flames..yet" he muttered as he flicked the on switch and hesitantly said "Hey...Thorns?"

Arli slammed the door shut behind him and stormed across the room "Feckin' forsaken!!  You'll never guess wha-"  

"What happened to knocking?  Me and Chey might have been, you know..."  winked Sab, causing Arli to stop in his tracks, his rant stopped mid flow and he looked confusedly at Sab.

Chey laughed "He's just winding you up Arli"

Arli furrowed his brow and glared briefly at Sab, causing him to splutter his bourbon as he tried not to laugh, before turning to Chey "...anyway...feckin' forsaken turned on us!"

"They what!" snapped Chey

"Yeah, me and a few Thorns went over to see Hal, y'know, leader of the Hand of Damnation.  All friendly and stuff, offering help."

Sab exchanged a look with Chey, he doubted very much it was as friendly as claimed.

"And?" said Chey

"Well they got all uptight, ranting on about we were out to kill them all and then one of 'em went to lock the feckin' gates and call the Val'kyr!" he finished, striding to the bottle of bourbon and pouring himself a large shot which he downed in one.

"Ok, Kid....so what exactly did you say?"  asked Sab calmly

"That we don't work for Undercity but were willing to help..." he replied.  Sab raised a brow "Really?".  Arli turned away and poured himself another large shot  "Yeah well..sort of, I mean that was my intention."

"But?" asked Sab, casually strolling over and taking the bottle.

"But what?  You don't feckin' believe me?!" he replied animatedly

Sab raised a brow again, a faint smile on his face.  Keeping this light hearted might stop Arli kicking off further, removing the bourbon was another precaution.

Arli downed his drink and pointedly avoided eye contact.  "Ok, well, Sticca might have said something about shrinking their heads.....I forget.  And I may have mentioned that anyone can be brought to do any sort of contract for the right price and that only Thorns were safe from Thorns....but..I mean...he -way- overreacted...".  Arli looked up for confirmation from Chey and Sab, only Chey nodded.

"You've been loyal to them for so many years, they shouldn't have turned against you, not after all the Thorns have done for them" said Chey

"Exactly!" replied Arli

"Ok...calm down kid and think rationally.  Now what are you going to do?"

"Feckin' remove their smug heads from their hunched bony shoulders"

"Wrong answer"  replied Sab, his voice calm and low.

"Wha-....you can't tell me what to do" replied Arli, his voice rising again.

"I know, but I can at least try and keep you alive, though my bourbon would last a damn sight longer if I just let you run off with every knee-jerk reaction you get".

Arli opened his mouth to reply but realised Sab had a valid point.  "S'pose.." he replied lamely.

"I'm not having you get yourself killed, Arli" said Chey, picking up on Sab's attempts to defuse the situation.  "They have Undercity behind them, you need to be careful".

"Aye, sleep on it and tomorrow you can decide in a more rational way on how to put them in their place".

"Guess so...but..we only just got out, the gates were coming down and...." Arli stopped as Chey put her arms around him and gave him a sympathetic hug.

"Come on, you can sleep on the sofa tonight...Sab, pour him a drink and I'll go find a blanket".

Sab looked at his half empty bottle and sighed "Aye...a small one then".