Lily Ripper 12

And They All Got Drunk

"Of course! Brilliant!" Cherry was nearly standing on top of the table at the pub. "Now all we need to do is check every garden in Annalow! There's only hundreds and hundreds!" She wasn't being ironic. Cherry really meant to systematically search the city.

Any other pub would have stopped all chatter due to the noise, but Cherry and Anna visited Merick's Mug was used to her. It was the hang out of Anna and Cherry most nights. That night, they were joined by a dehydrated and hunger Madeline Fallbringer. She mostly ignored Cherry, too, choosing to focus on the heavy meal of bread and mutton. Merick was a Borc. Bread, meat, and beer was all he had.

"Please, Cherry. We're not just looking for every garden." Anna was calm behind her pint. We're looking for a specific garden that no one can hear what's going on inside."

"You assume too much." Madeline mumbled. "There's no reason to think Lily doesn't do her deeds in a separate building. All you're guessing is the blood is 'drained' in a garden."

"It's true, I'll grant you, but there's still the matter of discretion. If the bodies are bleed there, Lily wouldn't want anyone to see."

Cherry Jumped up again, "Alright! So now all we have to do is find a Garden next to a building in a city! Let's Go!"

"Gently, Cherry. Gently." Cherry sat back down, vibrating with excitement. "Let's assume Lily has a sound proof building with an enclosed garden so no one would hear or see the goings on of a murderer like this. Even so, we have the problem not just of tracking down its location, but the owner. Lily's greatest power is that of anonymity."

Cherry cocked her head. "What's that mean, Goldy?"

"It means there are too many suspects and too many buildings. We need to search for-"

"No, I mean 'Anminininity.'"

Madeline took another swallow of beer. "Means no one knows who they are."

"Oh." Cherry cocked her head at Anna again. "Anna? What are you doing?" She was straining her neck to see over Cherry, was what she was doing.

"Uh..." Anna saw Peter swish aside the curtains that led into the pub. He was rain soaked and motioning to a servant. "I'll be right back."

Peter Leftgood ordered an ale before Anna got to him. "I knew I'd find you here." He ruffled his hair. "I...wanted to talk to you. About the killings, I mean."

"Oh good. We're just talking about it. Glassneck," Anna adressed the serving Effee, "bring his drinks to my table, would you?" Anna pulled petter along into the back corner where Sherry was trying to convince Madeline to drink her beer in one gulp. "No." Was the only answer she could get out of the Red Guard between chewing.

"Sit." Anna comanded to Peter. He did as he was told, rather intimidated by two red guard and a white maiden. Anna did the proper introductions and said "The bodies are left all over Annalow, but were all the girls abducted from the same area?"

"Nah, can't be." Answered Cherry. "Mrs. Mellowond was deeply surprised that it could have been her own child. So were the servants! No one expected Lily to strike in the high end."

"It makes sense." Madeline had almost finished her mutton. "Sticking to one area of the city risks notice, even if you're disguised. I'd bet my stores Lily was dressed like a White Maiden. Even that would be out of place if it were the same womume ever time."

"Uh." Peter looked away. "Lily can't be a mume. The...the cuts would need a lot of strength."

Anna put her hand out to Peter, reassuring him. "Strong or not, Peter, Lily could be nothing other than a mume. Not that it make much difference. This is the Mume capital of Mash'ta." She turned to Madeline. "But don't assume Lily is a womume. Male or female, we don't know, yet."

Cherry shook her fists. "Oooo! It makes me mad to think of Lily dressed like a...a...an impostor Maiden!"

"Just imagine Lily's a boy." Madeline said.

"Oh. That helps, actually."

Anna looked down at her drink. "Boy or girl, I promised that girl I would catch her killer."

"WHAT?" Peter pulled away. Anna didn't take notice. She looked longer into the bubbled at the bottom of her mug.

"And then what?" Madeline asked. It was a good question, and the whole table thought it over.

"Well," answered Peter, "you would turn her over to the city guard, of course."

"Sure," Madeline finished her beer. "you believe everyone else's accusations. Why not believe our's too?"

"Well, I mean..." Peter rolled it around in his head. "Well, it would be different. You're Red Guard. The cheif would listen, surely."

"Sure he'd listen." Madeline laid the venom on think in her voice.

"Madeline, make silence." Anna waved her away. "The thing is," she told Peter, "we're not supposed to be looking for Lily." Peter looked away from Anna. "Even if we had proof, the Red Guard would punish us for disobeying orders."

Cherry giggled. "Then you could both become White Maidens and we'd see each other ALL THE TIME!"

"Oh stop blathering." Madeline waved down Glassneck for another beer. "When you're reaise Red or White, you stay red or white. You can't just change, moron."

"Why not? That's what Gringill is doing."

Anna waved for another beer. "What?"

"What?" Madeline's jaw dropped.

"Sure." Cherry hovered over a new beer like a hawk. "Gringill's a teacher's teacher! She's been working with us at the school since just after I started. Gave her fairwells today to us and the kids. I'm gonna miss her, I am." Glug glug glug.

"You can't do that!" Madeline yelled over the noise of Cherry choking.

"Not in one gulp." She sputtered. "Maybe two. I'll try again."

"No, you can't switch! She doesn't even understand the pricipals of Red! I'll wager she won't last a day as a privet!"

Cherry finished her second gulp and slammed the mug down. "I think," she panted, "she's joining as a major or something." Madeline's jaw dropped again, this time accompanied by the widest eyes Anna had ever seen. "And she want's to meet you, Anna. Like, tomorrow morning or something."

Peter tapped Anna on the shoulder. "Anna...uh...Miss Goldeyes." Anna looked over and up. Peter was standing to leave. "I really do need to talk to you about something." Anna dropped two bits on the table quietly and followed Peter, leaving Cherry and Madeline to bicker behind her.

Once they were outside, Peter turned his face away again. A habit Anna found adorable and anoying at the same time. "It just that... Lily can't be a mume, is all. I mean,"

"What is it?" Gently, Anna turned Peter toward her and lifted his chin. "It's okay. You can tell me."

"I..." He couldn't turn his head, but his eyes went down, away from her face. "I think I saw Lily. That night, I mean. I'm sure I saw her...or him."

"What happened?"

"When we saw the body, I was...scared. I had to g-g-get away. I'm not like you lot. I-I can't stay..."

"It's alright. Take is slow, Peter. We have time."

"Well...I mean. When I left you and b-blew my whistle, I..." He grimaced. "I saw her. She was just like everyone said. Huge, but quiet and wearing a cloak with a hood. But huge. Like a Borc, only bigger."

"Where? Where did you see her?"

"Where? It was the other way, I think." Peter looked into Anna's eye for the first time. "If I had chased her, I could'a caught her! I mean, Yeah! But...But I c-can't." He looked away again. "I'm not like you lot."

Anna's arms instinctively wrapped around him. She could feel his shoulders shake, and it all came pouring out. "Shhh...It's alright, Peter." He didn't cry, so much as cry out. Anguish or frustrasion, Anna couldn't be sure. If you like, Cherry's a maiden. She can-"

"No!" Peter pulled away, but Anna pulled him back into her arms. "No, I can...I mean. I'll be alright."

"Alright, Peter. If you change your mind, I'm be around."

"I have to go. I have something at home. It's something I do to relax. I mean, you know. To..." Anna loosened her hug. "If you want to come see. I mean. It's quite beautiful."

"Maybe later, Peter."

"Alright. I mean. Later. Yeah. I'll go." Peter looked into her eyes again. The second time she could remember. "Thank you, Miss Goldeyes." He kissed her hand, turned, and left.

Anna watched him disapear into the street shadows. Savor, she thought to herself. Sav- She was interrupted by an elbow in the ribs. "Goldy, you sucker! You could'a had SEX!"

"I...what?"

Cherry bounced out of the pub and wrapped around and behind Anna, speaking in her ear. "Peter and Anna, touching in naughty ways. Naughty naughty."*

Madeline patted Anna onthe shoulder as she passed by. "Goldeyes, See me before you see that White Maiden tomorrow. I want to talk to her."

"Uh...sure." Anna tried to shake off Cherry. Tried and failed.

"Don't worry," Madeline waved as she left. "You'll fuck him next time."

"Why do you two assume I want anything to do with him?"

"Because," Cherry answered, "the last time I saw you blush like that I was the one fucking you."

"I don't even... We never... Cherry, Shut up."

*footnote: Mume's have no sense of 'Naughty' or 'taboo' when it comes to sex. Cherry is making a Borc reference. Also, she's drunk.

Lily Ripper 11

That Evening with Madeline

Before we begin, understand that memories work backwards. From Anna's descriptions, the flow of memory starts from the end and follows into yesterdays where the images get foggier and foggier. I say this because Madeline began with...

The deal with the pleasure house would benifit her without flaw. A simple trade of some of the freshest and best Cocoon Petals for wanderroot in equal portions. It was perfect since Madeline had a surplus anyway in her stores. It reminded her of...

The deal with Anna couldn't be true. Cocoon petal was hard enough to get in the city. It wasn't illeagal, but taboo items are few in number and Mumes and Borcs look so lowly on the petal. What a strange trade, the flash blossom. She must need to itimidate. No, that makes no sense. Anna Goldeyes was already known as a hard womume to deal with, especially if you had something she wanted. She couldn't be Lily Ripper. Or maybe she was. After all, she loved children and perhaps that love drove her mad. Madeline will have to keep an eye on her. Now that she knew Lily uses Flash Blossom to kill from...

Madeline hated this place. It was gross and creepy. Her own dungeon had been cleaner than the morgue. Down here, there was a Borc that Madeline was told about. There he was. The disgusting beast, hanging over the dead like a spectre. Get the questioning over with. She wanted away from this evil place.

"Are you Duffworm?"

Duffworm looked up and ran his filty hands through his hair. "Oh, pardon, Ma'am. Didn't realize I had company, I didn't. Er...Don't get visitors m-"

"I'll take that as a yes. Tell me if you've seen this before." Madeline held out a flash blossom. Its blue glow crackled across the twists in its petals.

"Er...Can't say as I have... Weird sort of thing, that. What is it?"

"Take a closer look." Her gloved hand held out the flower. If he was dumb enough to grab it- He was. The disgusting borc yelped in pain and pulled back. "Careful." Madeline smiled. "It's a little dangerous."

"Ooo, that smarts."

"Have you come across it before? Perhaps on one of the bodies you've been across?"

"Oh yeah. I don't forget some'n like that, Ma'am. Nope. Don't forget."

There was a pause. "Well?"

"Oh. Right. Well, see, it was on one of them child murders you hear about. Only it weren't no flower, Ma'am. It were a kind of resedue." Madeline could feel the blood drain from her face. This had been her fault, and she couldn't stand it. She had to get out of here.

"Thank you." The walls disappeared. It was too dark in this place. The stick of death hurt her nose. The borc said something, but she couldn't hear over the rush of blood in her ears. It was as she thought...

There was a murder in this ally way last night. The city guard had already cleared the scene. Madeline was passing by after visiting a fellow alchemist. She looked into the crime scnene and shuddered. No mume should have such a thing happen to them, especially not a child.

What was that? A slight glint on the stone of one of the buildings. What this where the body was found? Madeline leaned in for a closer look. Perhaps some of the blue dye had scrapped off onto the wall, but that was strange. Rumor had told of a dark blue shroud, not a light blue. With her gloved finger, Madeline scrapped at the wall. The blue mark gave a familiar crackle.

Oh no. No no no. This was flash blossom. If this was here, that might mean that Lily Ripper was using alchemy to... She was torturing the children! Madeline's imagination ran wild with the idea. The blossom could be crushed and mixed with a thickener to make sure it stuck like paint. Then, applied to the flesh... The pain would be inconceivable! It would kill!

She vomited into the corner. This was her fault! She kept close tabs on Flash Blossom. She had to! But...But last year, before the killings started...

It was spring rain again. A month after the bloom of Flash Blossom. Good. Her shipment should come in. Madeline made a good purchase early that year with a vendor on Jerrow. Madeline made lots of deals these days. She had to in order to keep her stores full of alchemical goods. To think, she had once 11 troops of Red Guard under her comand and two of the finest majors. Ah, but the sacrafice of power was worth the pursuit of knowledge. Only now, she had to run a business to keep the goods flowing.

Tonight, she stoof on top a yellow brick building in the rain to make sure the shipment went without a hitch. Flash Blossom was on the menu today. Flash blossom and gold. Below, her agent, a borc named Mortok Meanwillow was buying her suply fresh from the docks. He looked up and waved, causing her to duck. Mortok, you dunderhead. Don't call attention.

New rain like this was perfect because the Marf came out of the ground to celebrate the falling of the water. It's sight was disturbing to most Mume and Borc. As dumb as Mortok was, he was always willing to do anything for a bit of gold here and there. They met after a previous deal involving moss-hair and cocoon petals.

The squeek of cart wheels could be heard aproching from afar. Her stores would be full after this. Full of so many mysteries Madelines head spun. The possibilities.

Wait. What was that? Was that the other side of the building? Madeline leaned over the opposite side and saw 5 fully equipped city guards. No. It was an ambush! She tripped over herself to Mortok's side and waved. The idiot! He was waving back! No! No! Guards over there! Mortok looked confused, then frightened. Without another look, he bolted down an ally and into the back door of someone's home.

Whew. At least he'd be safe. As the back door shut, Madeline saw the guard wirl around the corner to meet the cart. She heard conversation and accusations. One of the guards pulled up the cart's tarp letting a blue glow shower him. This was a huge blow to her business. Finding another to farm Flash blossom wouldn't be easy. Worse, they would confiscate it and put it all in less secure stores. Anyone could snag a bit of that...

Maybe she could. Just a little...

But it's all her fault. She ordered such a large amount of Flash Blossom, and someone could easily steal a bit of it. Someone like Lily Ripper.

=====

Anna pulled away. "You blame yourself?"

Madeline shrugged. "As much as anyone. I provided the weapon."

"Brishah." Anna held out her dagger to the house mother. "I'm sorry. Please, take it." Brishah took the knife hesitantly. Unsure of what just happened. "We'll be okay, now. I promise." The mother looked at the two knives in her hands. She nodded and left. "So, how do you think Lily got the Flash Blossom?"

Madeline took a slow draw from her pipe and held it. She didn't talk for a long while. "It's easy." She say finally, letting the purple smoke out. "The stores of contraban in held at the city gate. During a rainy night, when the Marfs come out of the ground, someone can sneak on top of a certain abandoned house and into the window of the stores. To be honest, it looks like the guards set up such an access. Nothing to do with my influence, I assure you."

"A criminal, you said. Instead of a priestess."

"Of course. I deal in hard to get things, now. I have to. I need money for supplies, else my research ends." Madeline looked at Anna, really looked, for the first time that night. Her eyes softened into someone with a soul. "But if it weren't for my blunder, thoughs little girls would not have to suffer so much. I'm to blame, Anna."

The two sat in silence. A dull pluck of the sitar snuck in from the main room. "For what it's worth, Madeline, you're no more at fault than a brewer for alcohol poisoning." Madeline returned her gaze to the flower patern. "And your memories have tied up a loose end I wondered about. Duffworm told me I was the second mume to see him. No wonder he thought the Red Guard are investigating Lily Ripper."

"Be you careful, Anna Goldeyes. The question has already arisen, 'Which Red Guard found the last body?'"

"I know." Anna stood up. "I need to see Duffworm again anyway."

"We're not done here." Anna gave Madeline a look of confusion. Madeline could not have seen it, but spoke "Don't give me that face, child. You're invasion of my dreams has nothing to do with the meeting I must host. Sit. Smoke. Draw in the petal slowly, Anna."

Anna did as she was told. It didn't take long for her to pull free of herself again. The world was purple and she twirled her fingers around the chain of smoke linking her to her heart. Madeline made shape with her spirit, like a flake of ash drawing grace in the winds of a fire. "The world," she said to Anna, "has so many perspectives and layers and shifts. If we think of it like an apple, then our senses can only see one paper thin slice of it through the middle. But the Crynt, Anna. The Crynt can change the angle of that slice. You understand?"

"No."

"It doesn't matter. Even if you don't see the machenery for the gears, you'll understand the outcome just the same. Now, touch me."

Anna found she could. Her soul touched Madelines and was gripped. She felt her heart beat as if she were back in Madeline's memories. This must have been how Madeline read her mind without touching her. Madeline pulled her in an unpointable direction and the world fell away. A thin line of the room remained, but the rest of the world seemed like a mass of dark blue outlines in all directions. Anna could see and trace the catacombs under her and the alleyways outside.

"This is wrong." She said, both calm and alarmed. "Madeline, this is wrong."

Madeline hushed and held Anna. "You will find your way back. I'll not let you be lost. Now come with me. We have a child to find."

The world bent in ways it shouldn't. Anna held nothing in her heart but virtigo. Panick was bearly held back by Madeline's spirit wrapped around her, the way her mother held her hand at the edge of the world when Anna was just a girl. They moved, or the world moved, until Anna recognized the outlines of the allyway she had first seen the body.

"No." She repeated to herself, crawling toward the body as that first night. "Don't make me." Her words exactly, but she was compelled. Not by her training as she had first thought, but by...

"What's happening?" Anna asked, her smoke quivering.

"You were meant to see, Anna Goldeyes. Anna who's eyes flash at the sight of children." Madeline turned the world and the body returned in the corner. The little mume girl lay in the shadows, a carved flower on her check, spread out like a sun. Only, her eyes were open and following Anna.

"Please, show me no more, Madeline. I beg mercy."

"This has nothing to do with me, Anna. She drew you close to begin with."

The child's head twisted at an impossible angle. Her features limp, but in pain. Eyes open and folowing. Were her lips moving? Anna crawled closer. Closer to the horrible image of cuts and bloodless gore. Art made of pain. She could feel the girls lips touch her ears now. A whisper. "it hurts so much."

"I know." Anna whimpered. "I know, and I'll make them pay."

"flowers." the child said. "blood into flowers."

Anna stood up from the pillows. It was involuntary, like a jerk away from a fire. "Flowers. Lily likes flowers."

Madeline blinked away the purple, trying to come to terms with the world again. "Huh? We were..."

"Madeline! Don't you get it?"

"Uh...The...the ally..."

"Lily uses flowers for everything. Flowers to kill, Flowers to morn. What's blue dye made from?"

The alchemist rubbed her head. "Er...Flowers?"

"All this time, I've been looking for a slaughter house! But what I should have been looking for was a garden! You know about growing things. Blood can be used as fertilizer, especially for certain alchemical herbs."

"Sure. Yes." Madeline pulled her sheets closer, trying to shake off the effects of the petal. "Yes, that makes sense. And, if you're right, then the reason Lily kills in the spring is..." It fit together in Madeline's head. Her eyes widened. "Oh."

"Flash Blossoms bloom in the first month of Spring. Lily grows her own weapons."

Lily Ripper 10

My Wolf?

The next morning, Madeline wasn't meditating in her normal spot. Anna guessed she was either still as Brishah's pleasure house or at an inn somewhere. It didn't matter, now. The only loose thread to tug was back at the morgue, but that would have to wait until night when Duffworm returned. Cherry was no where to be found that morning either. She was likely picking up her roll as teacher in dance. There was simply nothing to do yet.

Anna found herself at a Leaf Shop across Brishah's to sit and think. Juice in hand, she half closed her eyes and began to meditate. A thin line of blue sound hummed in her head, making the rest of her mind calm and clear, like the way that night sky gave way to stars after the storm clouds parted. Now she could gather what she new of UnSub and paint the picture she needed.

The access to blue dye and flash petal meant UnSub had resources to buy both. UnSub was artistic and needed to risk discovery while making cuts on the body of the victims at night in the rain. Why Spring? Why not all year round? UnSub also had access to a place where they could drain blood. Who would know where slaughter houses would be in Annalow?

"The Library." Anna said out loud.

"What about it?" Anna pulled out of herself to find a city guard hovering over her. It was the guard who had helped her that night she found Beatrix.

"Peter. Hello." Anna fumbled with her cup and kept from spilling it in time. She took a drink, hoping to hide her blush. Damn he was good looking.

"I was passing by on patrol and recognized you. What's at the library?"

"Nothing much." Anna thought she should keep the investigation tight for now. If word got back to Major Eleanor... "Just research. I'm a researcher for the Red Guard, you see. Will you have some Leaf?" She motioned to the seat across from her.

"Oh no. I'm just starting my shift. I was just checking on you." Anna felt like she was floating. It wasn't a natural feeling for her, but she liked it. Something about those sea-green eyes in Peter's head. She smiled. "Well, I have to go. There's something of a panic in this area and the city guard had to step up their petroling." Waved and left.

"I'll come with you." Anna put a bit on the table and hopped on after him.

"Well, I'm not headed to the Library building, Miss. That's closer to the bizzar."

"No no, it's fine. I'm sort of wasting time until nightfall anyway." Anna found she liked prancing next to peter. Anna was tall for a mume and was pleased that Peter met her hight. His yellow locks spilled from under a leather helmet. The armor, White, black, and red, the colors of Annalow, fitted over him nicely, making him look stronger than he probably was. "Besides, we best enjoy the morning before the spring rains return."

"I guess so." Peter laughed.

It wasn't long before the two passed by the allyway they met at. Anna's mind returned to that night. The shadows gone, now, replaced by a few straggling citezens curious as to the scene of the crime. "Peter...Did anyone see anything that night?"

"You mean did someone see Lily Ripper?" He shrugged. "Who knows? We always get sightings after the new girls are found."

"Does the city guard keep track of them?"

"I don't think so, Miss. I mean, Lily is suposed to be tall and short. She's Borc, Mume, and even felven. No two descriptions alike, but nothing too helpful." Anna made a noise. "Sorry. Between you and me, Miss, I don't think we'll ever catch her."

"What do people THINK she looks like?"

"Well," Peter put some thought into it. "The people who claim to have seen her all agree she wears a blue hooded cloak and carries a bag over her shoulder. They all say she moves fast, like a cat or beast, but leaves a trail of the blood she's stolen. Can't say us guards have seen anything like that, however. I wouldn't know where you could even buy a blue cloak with all the talk of murder."

Anna had her finger-tip to her lips. She wondered if Lily Ripper had claimed to see herself and spent time fabricating what she looked like just to throw people off the trail. "I don't know if Lily is a she or not, Peter."

"Huh?"

"But I think you're best bet is to listen for a description of someone who isn't carrying a blue sack at all. Someone in disguise. Someone who's trying to look like anyone other than Lily Ripper."

Peter stopped walking and looked down at the ground away from Anna. She leaned in to see his face but he turned away more. "I don't get it." Was he angry? "Is the Red Guard helping to catch Lily or not?"

"Well, I'm not." Anna lied. "Officially, the Red Guard has no jurisdiction with Lily. There's no sign she uses Heart Magic and she doesn't appear to want to overthrow the mume race. But," Anna put a hand on his shoulder. "that doesn't mean we don't care."

Peter turned to see Anna. "How would you know what Lily looks like, then?"

"She's not stupid, Peter." He stepped away. "She wouldn't want to look like what everyone thinks she looks like and get caught in the act. Think about it."

"I have to get back to petrolling."

She ignored him. "The City Guard will have to out think Lily to catch her."

"Be safe, Miss." He turned and left her. She looked up at the building they stopped in front of and she realized it was the Library. He had escorted her off his route.

"Stupid Anna." She smack herself in the head. "Stupid Stupid."

===

The records wing of the Library of Annalow was not what any sane person could call organized. It took Anna all day to work out the last slaughterhouse to be built in the city was 400 years ago and had long since been torn down and rebuilt as housing. The next best thing might have been a tannery, but no tanners kept their workshops on city grounds either due to the smell. They had all migrated to the south west, in the shadow of the Ramp. No one wanted to work with blood or dead animals inside the city, according to registered market.

Anna felt she had wasted her time when she left the Library. Puddles had formed on the streets of Annalow again and sprinkling reclaimed the sky. Anna walked back to Brishah's trying to think where the blood could go and not be noticed. It must be dropped into the sewers, which meant it would be nigh impossible to track, but something didn't feel right about that. It would be the smartest thing to drain into, especially on a rainy night. In fact, there was no reason not to use the waste sewers, but... Something about it nagged at Anna. Something unceromonious about it felt like Lily couldn't choose that on principal.

These weren't just little girls corpses to be discarded. They were works of art to be displayed.

Brishah waved Anna to enter. "How are you, Goldeyes? Come for the pipe?"

"Not tonight. I need to focus. What ever happened to the Red Guard I brought here last night?"

"See for yourself." Brishah glided around the edge of the main room. An Effee plucked at a sitar in the center, humming calming music at its center while her audience drank and listened silently. Tonight there was a morose and dark mood on the house. Brishah motioned toward one of the privete rooms Anna often used. Inside was Madeline, smoothly drawing from a long stemed pipe, naked eccept for a silk sheet losely wraped about her. "She's made a trade agreement with me." Brishah said behind Anna. "A place to stay for access to certain other herbs."

"Come in." Madeline hadn't turned her eyes or face toward Anna, but clearly meant for her to enter. As Anna did, she wondered if Madeline had been smoking all day. "Not all day." Madeline blew out a tendril of purple ribbons that reached across the room and curled around Brishah. Anna gaped. Madeline had read her mind without touching her.

"She's good, Goldeyes. She hasn't eaten or drank all day."

"How many pipes has she had?" Anna asked.

"That is her thrid."

"What?"

Madeline reached out without looking and tugged Anna's hand, pulling her down into the pillows. "Brishah, a pipe for my friend."

"Of course." Brishah left.

Madeline had been staring the entire time at a flower pattern on the opposite wall. She never turned to Anna or Brishah and never opened her eyes more than half. "Anna Goldeyes. Take off your gloves and Jacket. You'll want to see this." Anna did as she was told, but couldn't understand why. "Did you know I used to be a Priestess?"

"I didn't."

"I'm not now, of course. Now I'm a criminal." Brishah returned with a rumor-wood box holding a pipe and petal. "This won't take long, Anna. It would be faster if you removed your clothes, but you would be unwise to do so."

"Is it safe for you to do this to yourself?"

"To live is to risk. Now smoke and come with me." Anna didn't pretend to understand, but she knew the pipe well enough. "And on your way I will explain Alchemy." The purple fog drew in behind Anna's mind. A familiar mist of tugs and turns and purple wisps. "Slowly, Anna. Slowly. My problem was I hadn't had excess to such good petal. Your problem is you do not savor it." Anna took her neft draft as slowly as she dared. "Good. Smooth and slow and the haze will give way to the true nature of the petal."

Anna sunk lower into the pillows, letting Madeline's words tumble from her lips like dice, rolling into maths, summing up the universe. "Now, Anna, tell me about alchemy."

"There are 7 flowers that hold the powers of the gods. One of them is flash blossom."

"And another," said Madeline, "is Cocoon Flowers."

Anna turned to her host. "That's not one of them."

Madeline smiled, but didn't look at her. "That's because there are 9 flowers, Anna, not 7. The ninth flower was planted two thousand years ago just before the mume invaded Annalow. It was created by the Moblin, directed by their god Mouse. All Alchemy is created by the Moblin. Do you know why?" Anna shook her head, even though Madeline couldn't see her. "Because the Moblin like to play tricks, and they created herbs and flowers and plants of all kinds so that the nine races of Mash'ta could mimic each other. The nine flowers, for example, each hold the essance of each of the nine magics."

"And Flash Blossom? They're one of them?"

"Oh yes. Flash Blossom, with their beautiful blue glow, hold the power of the Bear. And Cocoon flowers, with their lovely purple petals, hold the power of the Crynt." Anna felt pulled loose from her body. Something tugged her like the first time her fingers lead her into that ally. There was a misty form beckoning her. "Come with me, Anna." Anna's body went almost limp. Another slow draw on her pipe and she was pulled out of her body completely.

"Where are we?" She asked. A ribbon of purple lead from her heart to the heart of her body. It was her chain or Keb. She'd never seen it before. When Anna moved, she didn't turn or float or walk, she just was as far as she could tell. As new as the feeling was to her, she felt calm. Attached to her hand was Madeline.

"Locations are such silly things here, Anna. Call this the petal, if you want. Anna, what are you?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Madeline smiled. "I'm an explorer. I find new pathways into truth. I seek the rules of the universe and beyond by blindly bumping into the walls of a maze."

"I'm a huntress." Anna said. "I use your walls to track down my prey. I hunt the wolves that eat my flock."

Madeline's presence wrapped around Anna like a hug or a smothering. "The wolf you face is a Dread Wolf, evil and beautiful. It dresses in the bloody skins of another and hides its sent with the same skin's blood."

"Are you my wolf, Madeline?"

"You're not even supposed to be hunting this wolf, Anna. It isn't your flock the wolf eats from."

"Madeline, you have access to the Flash Blossom." Anna's calm had left. "You know how to get a hold of the right dyes for the shrouds. You receive daily deliveries from the church green house. You could be getting blue lilies for all I know."

"You risk your right to learn to catch this wolf, even. Such a huntress is you, Anna."

"Are you my wolf?" Anna was back in her body. Her fingers instictively drew her knife and she pounced on top of Madeline. "Are you my wolf?"

"Anna!" Brishah had been watching and drew her own knife.

Anna wasn't listening. "The possibility is there, Madeline. You could have dressed as a White Maiden to lure the child mumes away, used the flash blossom in one of your sick rituals, and hidden the body in shrouds dye with your blue dyes. Did you kill those children?"

Madeline's eyes still never left the spot on the wall. "Read me and find out."

Anna dove into Madeline's eyes.

Lily Ripper 09

---

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful. Anna spent some time at the Analow Library which, she learned with interest, was taking up the business of copying and trading books with a Felf Library to the south. Likely it was the same town Drate lives, she thought. Later she met Cherry again at a diner where they serve really good Leaf Juice by the pitcher. Cherry had nothing new to report, but did say that Mrs. Mellowond was getting better and Cherry gave the name of a heart healer that could help. The two spent the rest of the day venturing out into back allies looking for trouble, but only found a half drunk marf and a flock of Ibises that stole food from the market.

The overcast broke that evening, letting the sun paint the horizon on its way down. Cherry was sitting in the grass and flexing her almost prehensil toes while Anna brushed Ibis feathers off her uniform. "Why are we here, Goldy?" Cherry could pull apearently pull both her knees to her chest and not fall over. Anna never seen her do that before.

"I'm here to meet a friend, Cherry. You should go and climb a building or whatever it is you do."

"But Gooooldy," Cherry Wined, "I'm bored and stuff always happens when you're around."

"No, you'll spook my friend."

"Who? Madeline?"

Anna narrowed her eyes and glanced at Cherry, then toward where Cherry was looking. Madeline half hide herself behind a white tree, assessing the setup. "Cherry, Madeline Fallbringer. Miss Fallbringer, this is Cherry Wondermume." Madeline was cautious, but Anna saw she had a cylinder shaped pouch in hand. "Good. If you don't mind me asking, where do you keep it?"

"I do mind." The alchemist gave Cherry and Anna equal staring time. "As an achemist, I tell no one where my stores are. Components are hard enough to come by without threat of theft."

"Fair enough. Follow me. Cherry, you stay here."

"Aw, come on!" Cherry kicked like a brat.

"No. You're not old enough to know these things." A lie. Cherry was older than Anna by 5 seasons.

"Fine, MOM!" Her arms crossed, Cherry moped until Anna and Madeline had been gone for a good while. By the time Anna return with the pouch, the sun had fully set and Cherry was on the roof of the mess hall.

"By the Nine Gods, how did you end up there?"

"Donno. I got bored so I climbed something. I don't think it was the tree, cuz I don't remember jumping. What's that?"

Anna held up the pouch. "A secret for a secret."

Cherry pounced down to the ground and tackled Anna. "That's petal, isn't it!"

"What? No!"

"Yes it is!" Cherry pulled the pouch loose and opened it to reach inside.

"Cherry, DON'T!" Cherry yalped loudly and pulled her hand out quickly. She dropped the pouch and busied herself shaking her hand and hopping up and down in pain. "Aw, you spilled it."

On the ground as a glowing blue orchid-like flower. No stems, just the flower itself. As the grass brushed it there was a small crackle of energy. Anna tightened her gloves before handling the flower carefully and placing it back in the pouch which, in fact, had a glass container holding more of the stuff inside. "You're wearing linen gloves, Cherry. They won't protect you from this."

Tear of pain and surprise still hung at the corner of Cherry's eyes. "What is that?"

"None of your nevermind."

"Well my never mind hurts like a beast. I haven't felt that kind of sting since I threw that nest of bees in a pub of sailors." Cherry stopped to giggle at the thought. "Good times."

"This," Anna held up the pouch, "is flash blossom."

"What blossom?"

On the way to another pub, Anna explained. "In alchemy, from what I understand of it, there are only about seven or eight flowers holding very unusual properties. The least subtle of these is the flash blossom, which holds a tiny bit of lightning. Many seasons ago, it was deemed contraband by the City Council since, at the time, the only use that could be found for it was to cause pain on another. Many of the apothacaries protested its ban, claiming the uses were many and untapped, but the council held firm. So, now, all stores, except the most heavily guarded, are purged of flash blossom, making it impossible to find."

"But Madeline had some?"

"Of course. The church is its own state. City Laws do not apply, so she keeps as much as she needs for her experiments. It certainly wouldn't do for her to go telling the city she keeps a store of it, but it's not illeagal for her to own. It IS illeagal for us to have where we are, because we're off church grounds."

Cherry cocked her head to one side. "What do you need it for, Goldy? You're not gonna punish someone with it, are you?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't."

"Huh?"

"I don't need it. I'll put it aside in case I do, but I'm a Red Guard. If it came to it, I could hurt anyone I choose in the name of the church and make them like it to boot. This," she swung the pounch in front of Cherry again, "is only so I could prove a point. That the stuff can be purchased, tho not for gold this time. That brings a bigger question to mind, of course. Why didn't Madeline need gold?"

Cherry Guzzed a full glass of tea and wiped her lips. "Yeah, that's right. You researchers hardly get any allouance. You're...what do you Red Guard call it?"

"Bottom tier, Cherry. We're privets in the eyes of the High Priestess. Just soldiers."

"Yeah." Cherry put her hands on her hips. "So Maddy didn't take gold, huh? She'd need gold more than anyone just to get crazy alchemy stuff. You should ask her about it or something."

"Not yet. Don't you bring it up either, Cherry. I've no kind of leverage to confront her, but I will."

"At least your not thinking of Lily anymore."

"Oh yes I am. Lily Ripper uses flash blossom, too." Cherry spit her drink out. "Oh yes." Cherry could only stare at her friend. "The beast I'm hunting is clever, but its weakness is the exotic nature of its killings. Lily Ripper isn't just a murderer, but the most fiendish of torturers as well. If I'm right, and I hope I'm not, this pouch contains the murder weapon before the cuts are even made to the body."

Cherry swollowed hard. "Is...Madeline Lily Ripper?"

Anna looked down. "I don't know." Her eyes focused on the pouch. "I know that remains of flash blossom were left on a few of the victims, but that doesn't mean Madeline put it there."

"What's the problem. You think this flower killed the girls; She's got this flower; Let's go club her over the head with a tree branch."

Anna reached out for her friend's hand. "Stop, Cherry, and think. If you find a mume stabbed with a knife, would you arrest everyone who owned a knife? The blossom is rare in Annalow, it's true, but that doesn't mean anything. For example, a Red Guard skulking around the Stone and Gold district one morning would certainly attract attention. Madeline is also battle scared from alchemy fires. No child would go with her without a question or notice." Anna placed her face in her hands, running the variables through her head. "The only thing I know for sure about Lily is they are, without question, a Mume. One who delights in the suffering of children. Such a monster is this thing I hunt. Such a monster that is leave behind a miasma of black."

Lily Ripper 08

Miasma

Anna wiped her face clean, leaving only her gold eyes red. "It's nothing." She lied. She felt like one of Lily's victims, studdering in her head while trying to explain. "I'll be fine." After placing the book back on her desk, Anna reached under and pulled open a small draw hidden in the desk. Inside was a pipe with a long stem and a pounch and tenderstick. "I'll be fine." She said again, more to herself this time.

Cherry was unconvinced. Her friend was clearly shuttered for some reason. This would have to be remedied now. "Come with me, Goldy."

"No. report first, then what ever." Anna poked a flowery ground into the pipe and lit up. "Did you find Beatrix?"

"Yeah." Cherry frowned at the pipe, but tried to shrug it off. "It was heart breaking, Goldy! That poor womume lost her daughter. She was a mess! Good thing I was there with the Mango, too!" Anna Choked on a puff, but motioned for Cherry to go on. "So, first I had to find the poor girl, right? And that wasn't hard cuz' I know all the mentors in the church, what with me being mentor, and ran into Queensby, this Maiden that teaches calender and rhetoric, right?" Anna thanked the pipe for helping her focus. Cherry's words tumbled out faster and faster like a run away cart going down the great ramp. "Then I was like 'Hey, do you know a Beatrix or something?' and she's like 'Beatrix! I LOVE Beatrix! But, like, she's not been in class for ages and ages and that's not good 'cuz she like rhetoric, but oh well.' Right? And..." So Cherry chattered on...

The Jist of her story was this: Beatrix' teachers sent Cherry to her mother who was still distraught over the loss of her daughter. In fact, the house slaves, seeing Cherry was a White Maiden, quickly welcomed her in and brought her to the mother's bed chamber where the the womume ranted and sweat and screamed. After calming her down, Cherry was able to get something of the story from her. Beatrix had disappeared one morning while playing at the neighborhood fountain.

"Wait, Cherry." Anna interrupted. "What district was this?"

"Northwest. Um...The Stone and Gold district, I think."

"The rich district? Huh." Someone would have noticed a dark clad fellow intent on murder in the morning there. "Continue."

"Well..." Cherry told about how she consoled the poor grieving womume and how she obsessed over finding her daughter. Eventually the mother stationed herself at the morgue office and refused to be moved. The borc who ran the office, Duffworm's employer, brought food and water for the mother. The very night of the murder, when Beatrix' body was found, the Mother recognized the child and fainted. Since then her house slaves had been taking care of her. Cherry used her own training to help ease the pain of loss and gave the peeled mango to the mother. "It was the first thing she'd eaten since finding her daughter, Goldy! Imagine!"

"The very night of the murder?"

"Yeah! She was like 'Lily has her! I know it!' and on and on. I haven't entered a mind in a long time, Goldy, but that poor womume was all tangled up in her head! I was tempted in spending the night, but I wanted to tell you this stuff first, you know?"

Anna leaned back and took a long draw from the pipe to ponder this new loose end. It might had been nothing, but it was still worth investigating. "Good." Anna said, half lidded. She felt the purple haze behind her. Not quiet in a cloud, yet, but enough to think. "You did good, Cherry."

"Goldy, come with me."

"Hmm?"

"Just come with me."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Cherry yelped in agravation, tore off her veil, and pulled her red hair. "Mandra blast this miasma of black! Lily is wrong, Goldy!" Cherry's eyes were light brown and angry. She used them to pin Anna against her chair before she talked. "This Lily Ripper is black stuff. It's like the bottom of a well or the Jails of Gore below. It's black stuff, Goldy, and it's wrecking you! Look at yourself! You're on the petal again! And you've been crying! You don't DO these things anymore!"

"Don't I?" Anna looked at the end of her pipe. Anna had not told her friend about her trips to the Pleasure house.

"No." Cherry was firm. "You don't. Now put that pipe down and come with me." Anna hesitated. The pipe was still half full. "UGH!" Like a flash, Cherry was pulling Anna out of her chair and put her arms in a wrestling lock. The two womumes were back to back so that Cherry could haul her friend like a back of sand out of the office. Cherry's bare heel dented the door, as she tried to kick it open over Anna's protests.

"Cherry! stop! My door swings inwards!" Another grunt of protest and Anna was thrown on the floor. Cherry pulled open the door and draged Anna out by her boots. "Ow! Cherry! Wait. I at least have to talk to Madeline!"

"It can wait!" Anna's bed bounced off the steps of the stairs. Cherry was a full head shorter than Anna, but she had the strength of a bull Borc.

"Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow! CHERRY!"

-=-=-

In the evenings, all church womume wandered into the baths. I'm not sure of the specifics, but the waters are heated up very hot and let steam while everyone, after washing of course, gets in and soaks. Baths are nothing new to Annalow. Anna tells me, however, that the church baths are quiet large and quiet beautiful.

At one corner of the baths, on the Red Guard's side and near a statue of the hero Car'dine, Anna and Cherry sat, letting the steam unbend their brain. Anna was reclined and thinking, the purple slipping back to be repleaced by warm mist. Cherry sunk in the waters, just her eyes and bright red hair showing. "I'm hunting." she explained.

"So am I." Anna told her. "But the city hunting is different than in the wilderness, Cherry." Cherry wasn't listening. She was planing and plotting to grab one of the other Red Guard's ankles and pull her under. "The traces in the dirt are easy to discern, and it you put your imagination to work, you can see how the animal moved across the floor. What were they doing? Which direction? Why did they turn that way? And so on. You can even track the beast's thoughts if you know it well en-" Anna was interupted. Cherry had settled on her friend's ankles and puller her under.

They fought, but not for long. Eventually, even Cherry succumbed to the relaxing powers of the steam and fanned herself under Car'dine's shadow. Anna spoke on. "The traces in the city are not in the dirt, Cherry. They're in the eyes and ears of the citizens and in the actions left behind. When a real beast enters Annalow, one that can hide among its people, no average hunter can bring the beast down."

"So leave it to the city guard. That's what they're for, Goldy."

Anna laughed. "Oh fine job of that, Cherry. Fine job. Look at all the lives they've saved!" Cherry frowned. "Remember last year? When everyone was scared and went on the Lily hunt? We were all blaming each other. Everyone swore they found the REAL Lily this time, and the City Guard exiled a score of Borcs, Marf, Mumes, and even a few Effee! Dispite their efforts, Lily went on killing, and the guard looked like the pack of fools they were."

Anna felt Cherry's hand on her shoulder. A soft squeeze. "You don't have to hunt this beast, friend."

Anna covered Cherry's hand with her own. "Cherry, I was the one who discovered Beatrix." Cherry's hand puled quickly away. "Not only that, I've seen the Morgue reports about Lily. Seen what Lily has done. I..." Anna swallowed hard. "I think I understand this beast I'm hunting." Even in the hot baths, the chill shuddered through Anna. She sunk in deeper. "I understand why Lily does these horrible things. Lily will never stop and the city guard will never catch them."

--==--

Anna woke up in her own bed the next morning. The rain gave way to simple overcast, there was the distict sound of morning chatter down stairs, and someone had left a folded paperus over Anna's face. She sat up and read it. "G, I'm spending the night over at the Mellowond house to help that womume. Lighten up. -C"

Anna followed her morning routine, excersize first, then breakfast, but before meditation she stopped. There was no rain, so most would be meditating outside. Normally, Anna found a nice spot no one knew about in the window on the second floor, but today she had an idea. She hunted for and found Madeline Fallbringer, researcher in Alchemy.

Madeline had Anna's thick gold locks and pointy noise, but she was much older and chemicals had burned some of her skin. Such a mark covered her left cheek bone. Her arms had spots of red welted skin long healed. She knelt in meditation next to a peach tree beside the windows of the mess hall.

Anna knelt in front of her and waited. After ten or so minutes, Madeline spoke. "Yes, Miss Goldeyes?" Neither red guard moved.

"I had heard somewhere that I could get an herb from you. As a favor, I mean."

"Who had told you that?" Madeline's face remained neutral. Was she testing Anna?

"You know how it is, Miss Fallbringer. Someone tells someone tells someone. It doesn't matter. I have a... Shall I say, delicate need?"

Madeline finally broke into a smile. "The Petal, Miss Goldeyes?"

Anna's eyes widened. "Who told you that?" She was not as cool about her question.

"Someone told someone told someone." Madeline shrugged and returned neutral. "As it happens, we have none in stores."

"It doesn't matter much. No, what I need is..." Anna's voice dropped to a whisper. "flash blossom." Madeline's mouth slowly opened. Her expression was one of slow disbelief. "Enough to make maybe a tumbler of paint. Maybe less."

The alchemist stood up and brushed herself off. "We have none of that either, Miss Goldeyes. Besides, you should already know it's contraband in Annalow."

"But not the church." Madeline was not impressed. "I can make trade, Miss Fallbringer. Not just my services, but gold as well."

Maseline squatted in front of Anna, eye to eye, now. Her eyes were green and serious. Was that a fleck of purple in them? "If you want it, I'll wager you already know WHY it isn't allowed in Annalow. What would you use it for?"

"Research."

The two looked hard into each other's eyes. That was diffinately a fleck of purple. It meant that Madeline was also smoking the petal and it wasn't laced with something. Something not good for her. Madeline pulled away from the stare-down. "Mandra save us, you're serious. Just what kind of research are you doing?"

"I may tell you when I'm done." Anna stood up and held her hand out. "Well?"

Madeline tried to read her. Looking at Anna's gloved hand, then back to her golden eyes. She said "Someone told someone that you can also read minds without touching them. I don't need gold, but I wouldn't mind knowing how you do that."

Anna laughed. It was a full on surprise of joy, lacking all malevolence that Madeline had expected. "Oh Maddy. I needed that. No no. I can't read minds like that." She waved away the idea. "How about this." Anna moved in closer and lowered her voice. "Someone told someone about a place where you can find smooth petal and they take care of you if things go bad. Would that information be of worth?" Madeline narrowed her flawed eyes. "Petal that won't kill you like the smoke you're already inhaling."

There was a pause. Madeline took Anna's hand. "Meet me here at twilight. We'll make the trade."

Lily Ripper 07

Appendix B: Ellections

The Foundation of Annalow, what the church calls "The Devine Treaty" covered many things. Perhaps in her wisdom, the Living Goddess is told to have writen the treaty between Mume and Ixxar to stabalize the city of Annalow after it's inisial invasion 2000 years ago. You can enter the Ixxar Grand Hall and find an old old stone carving of the treaty to one side.

One of the major things covered in the treaty was the manor in which the city would be governed. It says that governing outside of the church** for the maintenance and peace of the City of Annalow shall be decided by a council which a significant populous of race shall be represented. That means each race, as long as enough of them inhabbit Annalow, will have a council Member to represent them. In the begining, there were only five chairs; One for Mume, One for Effee, One for Marf, and two for Ixxar as each set of twins act as one unit and claim only one vote.

(Margins: **The claim of the Church of the Living Goddess is all space encapsoled by any church in any location starting from the top of the sky to the bottom of the world. Now that we know the world is round, that means somewhere in the Charletine Ocean there's a bit of water the Living Goddess owns.)

Later, after the friendship between the Mume and Borc grew, perhaps 900 years ago, enough Borc had moved into the city to be counted as a significant number, and so we have the 5 races we know now.

The interesting part is that each races was aloud to decide how chairs of the city council would be filled. All five races how their own methods that are very different from one another. Every five years, the elections are held in the winter months so that on the first of First Spring, the new council may enter the City Hall in a ceremony preceding a festival. I've been privy to each race's unique method.

Borc: Most entertaining to watch. Indeed, any Annalow citezen can pay to watch the turnaments. Borcs get in free and much gold is exchanged in consesion stands for meat and ale.

Each attendant places his or her name into a couldron, and they are randomly pulled out to decide who fights who.

At the colosium, Borc will wrestle one on one in elimination until there is one winner at the end. After each battle, they're alowed 1 full days rest before they must wrestle again. The battle continues until a. The loser taps for submition, b. the losers bone breaks, c. The loser's knees or elbows bend in the wrong dirrection. In rare cases of death, both combatant lose.

After the fight, the wining attendant get's their name back to be put back in after they've rested. The entire turnament takes about three weeks and never more than the last winter month.

I've seen exactly 3 matches. They're quite fun.

Effee: Effees, though slave races, are not exempt from the treaty, but are still a slave race. They are picked, suposedly by Mandra herself, to be places on the council. Speaking as an woeffee, I can say we've never had a problem for this for two reasons. 1. We understand the Church wishes to be represented on the city council, being that they're such a large draw of business and culture of the city. 2. More importantly, even if the council-effee is a plant by the church, they have still always ruled in favor of Effee safty and lessened the abuse to all slaves over the centuries.

Council seats held by Effees are for life. They begin as aprentice of the council-effee, of which are choosen by the council effee from the stock of slaves the church holds. Then, the legend is, after 10 years of working for the council-effee, they aproach Mandra and one of the slaves is taken as successor. When the council-effee names that successor, the council recognizes that in the event of the current Effee's death, the successor will take over.

One would think there would be a year when the council Effee would die with no successor over the last 2000 years, but it has never happened. In fact, every council-effee in the written history of Annalow has worked under the council-effee before they die between 20 and 25 years.

Marf: They are mysterious to me, the Marf. Their political system is a strange mess of written word and printings. From what I understand, there are 7 guilds under the city that produce 1 Canidate each who hold 7 rallies in a great hall explaining their goals for the future of building under Annalow and how the Marf are protected by laws. Then there's one day and night as all canidates gather and debate. During this time only Marf and honored guests may join the debates.

I must say, I could not keep up with the complexities of every subject they talk about, but the bulk of it was use of rescources and something about further excavations. The rest just seemed like random bableing, but everyone except myself and other visitors apparently knew what was going on.

After that, the Marf are given 1 day to produce a list of their favorite canidates in order from first to seventh. Ballots are tallied...then...something happens...and a winner emerges. In the begining, I'm told, there were only 3 guilds, but now there are seven and all of them have had equal time on the city council.

Mume: Of all the short lived traditions the Mumes have held, thrown away, reclaimed, and altered, this is the one that has maintained it's shape religiously over the last 2000 years. It's a kind of popularity contest, I think, but it has some benifits and even my Ixxar masters have uttered some apraisal to it's simplicity.

First, one stone bead is made for every mume by the Marfs funded by the city itself. The beads aren't anything special, except that they all weigh the exact same amount and are engraved with a eye of Mandra at the top. Then they are offered at the begining of the winter months. Anyone may show up and claim 1 bead from City hall during the first week of First Winter. Five White Maidens watch over the beads to make sure no one takes more than one. Even child Mumes are allowed a bead, but must come themselves to claim it, and without the help of any others. "Old enough to walk? Old enough to vote." As the saying goes.

For the next three months, it is up to each candidate to convince the Mumes in anyway they can to donate their beads at the end of winter. Some spread the word of how awesome they are. Some go and buy drinks for whole pubs. Some go door to door. Some get their families to vote for them. It goes on and on.

One hand of days from the start of spring is voting day for the Mumes. Exactly five days. On that day, from sun rise to sun set, the canidates (that is anyone who wishes to become elected before voting day) may stand in City hall and collect beads. White Maidens, again, are stationed to make sure Mumes only drop one bead. At the end, the beads are weighed and the winner is held. If there is a tie, the remaining candidates have to drink lots and lots of wine. The last one to pass out wins***.

(Margins: I want to stipulate that this is a written rule that's 2000 years old! The founders of the city decided this!)

After that, all mumes get together and have a huge party to celebrate the new (or same) council member, usually also drinking until they pass out.

On the ties, there is a legend from long ago that speaks of a tie breaker lasting until sunset the next hand of days. At the end, the winner died of too much drink so all Mumes decided that the loser won anyway. She turned out to be one of the best council-,u,es the city had ever seen and was reelected four more times.

Ixxar: Everyone in Annalow knows the Ixxar have a semi-secret society called "The Stasis." My former masters had no problem with me revealing it's existence. Everyone also knows that the Stasis decides what pair of Ixxar twins get the seats on city council. What they don't know is I'm not sure the Ixxar even know who's going to be elected for the Council chair.

At the beginning of the year, on First Spring, The Ixxar write a carefully worded letter signed with their full name and title and submit it to the Statis for analysis. Then members chossen by the Stasis run word for word, letter for letter, through a system of algorithms that process via elaborate arythmatic fifteen scores for each letter. The scores are compared by the stasis and, without knowledge of who's score is who's, they gather and debate the meanings of the scores and decide on 1 letter.

The entire process take exactly 11 Months. 10 of that is the arithmetic processed on the letters. On Third Winter, the candidate for council prepares to take office, is given the details of the seat as well as any remarkable plots and such, and until a few yers ago, inherited myself as servant and body guard.

Lilly Rippser 06

Appendix A: Annalow Fashion

Such a strange question was asked by one of the Felf children here. The wondered what kind of cloths people wore in Annalow. With what I know of it's history and, of course, what I've seen, I've come to realize that Annalow is a salad of different styles and material grown from it's place as a trade centric city.

The primary fashion of wear seems to stem from the tropical atmosphere and radiate like sunlight from there. Elder Mumes will remember that tight linen, light and strong, was the cloth of choice, and in most cases, still is. As before, a well kept white set of trousers or dress is a sign of wealth in the city. It's so hard to keep good cloths brightly colored and white is the hardest. The wealthy, today, keep this tradition of tight white cloth. The womumes I've met had said the white helps show off their best jewlery, and oh what a love of jewels all Mume have. The poorer mumes dye their clothes and they hang looser, some like shaws, made to blow in the wind. This style has moved in from Jerrow island in the north and is cheap to maintain. There's still braclets, rings, and necklaces, but not quite as shiny. Both rich and poor womumes like dresses that split on either or both sides of the skirt and rejoin at the bottom to help the garment breath. It's hot and humid in Annalow much of the time. Fresh air is the friend of all citezens.

Mume's aside, the Ixxar tend to ware well kept robes that fold rather than ruffle or fluff. I've taken care of many a robe and they like each line in their garments straight and clean. All male Ixxar wear trousers underneith and almost no females do. Int he past, it was tradision for each set of twin Ixxar to keep identical robes when they left their homes, but one fashion bug or other had bitten them in the last few decades. They now prefer the robe styles to be exact duplicates except for the dye used, which should be off "Exactly 7 degrees off from one another, and no more." How fortunate that thier Effee slaves have good eye sight to detect the difference.

Speaking of Effee, they wear no jewelery other than their slave-rings, of course. It use to be that Effee, as slaves, had no choice in their attire, but lately they've been given some small element of choice. Effees, being the only race in Annalow to have true fur, prefer almost no cloths at all. Just a simple skirt or trousers of loose and dark color to help hide the dirt gathered from work. The woeffees do still wear dresses, but prefer just aprons and skirts.

A few people in Annalow dye their hair, and the Mume are notorious for this. Mume have thick strands of yellow blond hair that can bleach white if they spend enough time in the sun. The farmers and sports-mume that play at the beaches away from Annalow and return often come in wearing bright white sandy hair. In this state, Mumes come to realize that their hair will soak up almost every color they put into it. Any color will do, tho I've mostly seen Green and Red. I once saw a beautiful and wealthy womume taunt a meeting by walking in with dark blue hair. It was a taunt to the Ixxar people because blue is a funeral color* for Annalow, but the dye is also very expensive.

(Margins: *It's been noticed that many buildings in Annalow are made with bluestone. I think this is more a nod to the Ixxar's blue skin than the funeral angle.)

Finally the Borc, who treasure might, still like to show off their skill by wearing skins and leather made from the animals they hunt. I'm not sure if all Borc hunt, but they all seems to like leather and skins. Under that they enjoy Annalow linen trousers and shirts that reach their knees and elbows. The woborc where sleeveless dresses that split like the womume's, but they also wear a kind of short cloak which seems to be traditional to the borc up north.

Those being the three main kinds of fashion, everything then starts to blur together the longer you stay, because the Mume so love to change and express and art their way through fashion. The Mume especially alter their cloths and you see long sleeves slipt to help air in, or one wear a bikini top, but thick borc pants, or a modified robe from the ixxar, or something completely different entirely. No rules and little tradition keep Mume fashion in place given their chaotic nature.

You may have noticed that I've left out the Marf from under the city. They rarely come to the surface except on business and, tho I've seen them and met only a couple, their attire tend to mimic the borc. They like thick cloth, but everything else is a match, even their purchase of leather. One day I may visit them in the catacombs of Annalow, if the master would accompany me, and learn more of them, but I actually know very little.

The only time I've seen the Marf celebrate was during the rain storms. We from Annalow don't talk about it. Or try to remember it. And we try to forget that it happens. Ever.