Wanda's Assumption

Wanda's heart leapt into her throat as she realised the implications of the man's last statement. She had not actually checked in with her companions as to how they came to be in here - she had completely forgotten that scarcely a few minutes ago, they had all been standing face to face with a room full of criminals, everyone pointing crossbows at everyone else!

So what had happened outside?

Leaving Johann to keep an eye on him, Wanda stepped away from the sullen Tilean and beckoned Kirsten to join her at the doorway to the boss' office. Kirsten carefully traced her steps around the office she was searching, careful not to disturb anything.

A quick discussion in hushed tones brought both women up to speed on each other's preceding twenty minutes. Yes, Wanda had used magic. Yes, she had also hit the man with the club - just in case. No, Kirsten and the party had not killed everyone - they had negotiated a deal. Yes, the men with the crossbows left as well. 

Yesterday, when the most life threatening thing that had ever happened to Wanda was falling from the door of her parent's carriage when she was nine, she would have been furious.

Today, however, having just faced almost certain death in the lonely dark of some underground hellhole, she accepted the news with equanimity.

She nodded her thanks to Kirsten.

So if our host is telling the truth, then the man who could identify the gem has just slipped our grasp - unless sleeping beauty here saw it?

Moving to Johann's side again, she gently pushed his sword arm so that the blade pressed deeper against the man's rough neck.

"The man you've just referred to isn't able to help us anymore, unfortunately. You're the boss' right hand, so you would have seen the stone. Describe it to me."