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I snition of as clearly a thank-you gesture, before carefully gathering up the wet towel so it wouldn’t drip

"Anyan, why is there a brownie in ht they were extinct" Ryu was carefully controlling his voice, but I could tell he was coot tired of serving the Alfar’s endless dehest smiled down at the nowto it in that strange chittering language

"And he speaks the old tongue," Ryu said, throwing up his own hands in a gesture of surrender "Of course he does" As he stalked toward the corner of the kitchen that held the liquor, I realized he meant Anyan, not the brownie

I set the towel down on the floor next toon?" I whispered

The satyr blinked atin such stride, Jane, that I forget this is all new to you" Caleb was co fan of compliments

"The Alfar are old, but they were not the first The First Magics are a race utterly foreign to us, and very diverse in their origins and strengths They are rare now Some died naturally, but most died either by our hands or the encroachics, but they were happy to serve either Alfar or man for the price of a place to live and food to eat Eventually, they were allowed to serve only the Alfar But they disappeared, slowly, froured they’d died out Apparently, rong"

I had, of course, heard of brownies froy But I found it hard to believe that the little household sprites that one would placate with a saucer of creaic and lineage older even than the Alfar

"Does this mean they serve whoever rules the Borderlands?" I asked Caleb only shrugged, his eloquent expression illustrating the depth of thebefore our eyes

"Wow," I breathed as I watched Anyan and the brownie chitter at one another Finally, the creature gathered together its six little fists and then flung out its aric I’d felt when it had appeared

We all ducked, throwing strength into our shields, but all that happened was that a file folder appeared, floating in front of Anyan’s face

The big e for Julian’s list of new naated Anyan bowed his head at the brownie and then chittered what I iined to be his thanks The little creature reached out the hands on its left side, clutching the folded-up list with his right, in order to shake Anyan’s finger After which it gave me a little wave, the rest of the rooers, and disappeared with another audible poof

Ryu wandered back, soh-ball glass He sat down heavily in the free chair across fronature gesture of frustration, Ryu turned to the barghest

"Please, Anyan Please tell us what the fuck just happened And how the fuck I’an without the a strip out of both our hides?"

I studied the folder Anyan had passed to ht it was a really big deal that a brownie had popped in here reed No one had cared that much when the brownies had disappeared, so ould people care about their reappearance?

"You’ve always taken your position for granted, Anyan, as if you’re untouchable--"

"And you care too ator…"

I shook my head, tuned the two men out, and opened the folder

Besides ritten as part of the report, there was a sticky note to Anyan, signed "Capitola," at the beginning of the folder I kneas being nosy, but I couldn’t help it The note read, "This is all we could find There is ic involved, but other than that we’re as clueless as the human police Good luck and keep in touch We miss you"

I wondered about Capitola, and if she and the barghest were lovers Then I wondered where that thought had coh the rest of the folder

Whoever she was, Capitola and her teah job Each of our names had been checked out Some were duds; the criic on or around theical fire