The afternoon shadows stretched across the high grass as Bird and Segwyn returned to the abbey. Closing the gate behind them, the horses were freed to graze and roam around the courtyard. They found the group gathered in the mess, as usual. Given the furniture shortage, there weren’t many other options. A pall of frustration hung over the room like a cloud.

  “Judging from the look of things in here, I’m guessing you didn’t make much progress?” Segwyn asked, hoping he was wrong.

  “None, in fact,” Iskvold said curtly, barely looking up. “We found no trace of any civilization in those mountains. No settlements, no battles, no mining, nothing.”

  “I know more about the expansion of the dwarven clans across the eastern continent than I ever cared to,” Whydah muttered sleepily, her head flat against the table’s surface.

  Glynfir, alone, was energized. “We did learn a bit more about the original Red Queen. It turns out she was one of the biggest badasses of her time.” He interlaced his fingers behind his head, leaning back from the table. “She conquered half of eastern Siremeria with an army of barbarians before the gnoll hordes cut them down. According to the text, they buried her under a river.”

  Bird scrunched up his eyebrows. “How do you bury someone under a river?”

  “Magic. The answer is always magic.” Tsuta’s tone was a blend of boredom and sarcasm. “Move the river,” he swung his arm away from the table, “Bury the body, put the river back.”

  “So, she was a blade master?” Segwyn asked

  The wizard leaned into the answer, removing his hands from his head and pointing at the ranger. “Yes, and she was also one of the more powerful casters of the day. The hordes called her the ‘Warrior Witch’. They said her spells were somehow ‘more potent’.” He made air quotes with his fingers, “…whatever that means.”

  Lunish shook her head, “But none of it gave us the faintest idea what her modern-day equivalent is looking for on that mountain-”

  She froze mid-sentence, her gaze fixed blankly on the wall behind Bird.

  “Lulu?” Glynfir prompted, concerned.

  She held up a hand in his direction, while the group looked at each other in confusion.

  The druid’s focus returned to the room. “I just heard back from Snuggles.”

  “And?” the wizard asked impatiently.

  “It’s not much help either, unfortunately. Her response was: Sweetheart, well done. No knowledge of potential target, will inquire. Learned CD is a cabal, growing in wealth, power, and influence. Leader unidentified. Good luck.”

  “What’s ‘CD’ again?” Whydah asked sleepily.

  “Crimson Dominion, remember, she mentioned it last time,” Lunish reminded her.

  “A cabal would certainly fit the narrative of multiple powerful casters working together,” Glynfir speculated idly.

  Speaking over the wizard, Tsuta directed his words to Segwyn, “Did you learn anything in Eredmire?”

  The ranger shook his head. “The scholars didn’t offer anything top of mind, but they’re looking into it.”

  Iskvold slapped the table. “So, we’re nowhere! Gonddammit. We should have beaten it out of one of those demons before we killed them all!”

  “Pretty tough when none of us can speak their language, and they don’t fear death.” Segwyn reminded her. “Plus, they’ll be back.”

  The drow’s eyes began to flash dangerously. “What are you talking about? You don’t think this is over?”

  “Not a chance.” The ranger’s tone was calm and level. “If you had an endless supply of demon labor and the power to drop them wherever you wanted, would you give up just because a group of locals took out your search crew? I wouldn’t.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’d just send more.”

  Iskvold cursed under her breath, and Whydah groaned. The others were silent as they all digested the ranger’s irrefutable conclusion, until Bird spoke.

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  “I have an idea, but some of you may not like it.” The tabby glanced around the room. “Since we don’t know what we’re looking for and the demons do, why don’t we just let them find it…and then take it from them?”

  A cacophony of voices rose at once, some supportive, some opposed. The suggestion was enough to rouse Whydah from her semi-vegetative state. The din even lured Sifu Haft from the kitchen.

  His look hopeful, the old monk dusted his hands on his apron. “What’s all the commotion? Did we learn something new?”

  “Only that the cat is completely insane!” Lunish quipped. “He wants us to let an even bigger pack of demons find the treasure and then kill them to take it back!”

  The din immediately returned, Haft joining in as a willing participant. Bird calmly rose from his seat. Stepping to the head of the table, he placed both hands onto its surface, leaning forward into the group. A feline grin spread across his face.

  “Not exactly…” His head tilted, ever so slightly, while his gaze moved around the room.

  “I’m proposing we grift it from them.”

  Segwyn’s belly laugh broke the stunned silence around the table. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this!”

  Tsuta shook his head. “Whiskers, we’ve done our share of crazy shit, but this might take the cake.”

  “I am all about it!” Glynfir rose quickly from his seat and began flitting around the room. “I’ve always wanted to get into the game and build out my rogue skills! I’ve read all about these cons. What are you thinking – the Mimic Masquerade? The Scorhill Slide? Ooh, or maybe the Knock and Nab? No, no, I’ve got it! The Doppelganger’s Double-Cross!” he pointed his finger excitedly at the tabby.

  Bird’s expression was equal parts surprised and amused at the wizard’s enthusiasm. He counted off the points on his fingers.” We don’t have access to a mimic or a doppelganger, Scorhill requires at least two dwarves, and Knock and Nab will only work if the prize is locked away.”

  Lunish leaned over to Whydah and whispered, “I have no idea what they’re talking about.”

  The bard chuckled. “Thieves have a series of set plays that they run to swindle people out of their wealth. They all have names, usually based on the pieces involved, or where it was done first. He’s suggesting that we run one of those stunts on the demons. Stealing the treasure from them without a fight – like a heist.”

  Whydah watched the druid’s eyes grow wide as her jaw dropped open.

  “Exactly,” the tabby drawled. “Where force will fail, let deception prevail!”

  “Wow. Did you seriously just make that up?” Iskvold scoffed.

  Bird tilted his head towards the drow, with a half-smile of appreciation.

  “No,” Whydah quickly jumped in. “Don’t let him bullshit you. That’s rule number one in Teffel’s Guide to Modern Thievery – standard reading for anyone in his line of work.”

  The tabby shot her a look of minor disapproval for outing his source.

  The bard playfully dismissed it with a grin and an eye roll, shaking her head. “So, what are you thinking?”

  The twinkle returned to his eye, a faint purr rising from his chest as the wide, feline grin returned. “That’s just it. None of the old standards is a good fit, given our limited resources and the unreliability of the marks.”

  He spoke directly to Whydah. Everyone except Glynfir watched the practical halfling intently, anchoring their judgement on her reaction. The wizard was already hooked, hanging on the tabby’s every word.

  “So, we need something unique…” The cat connected imaginary dots in the air as he spoke. “I’m thinking we use The Gnoll’s Nuzzle as the base. From there, we roll into part of the Ettin’s Escape and the second half of the Misty Step Misdirect, finishing up on the Machnor Maneuver.” He spread his arms wide. “And we all meet back here!”

  Glynfir struggled to contain his excitement, his feet leaving the floor in erratic hops. Whydah’s brow furrowed. “Which part of Ettin are you talking about? The bit with the live eels?”

  Haft’s brow was furrowed, his jaw slack, trying to follow the exchange. “Where would we get an ettin… or live eels?”

  “No, no!” the cat waved his hand in dismissal. “We’re dealing with demons, not harpies. The other part!”

  The bard nodded slowly as she put the pieces together in her mind, “But, for Machnor to work, that means we would need a—” Her eyes grew wide. Bird answered her unspoken realization with a nodding smile. Slowly, they both turned to look at Lunish.

  “What?” The gnome’s confused look shifted from cat to halfling before moving to other targets around the room, seeking any explanation as she started to fidget in her seat. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll have the easiest part of all. We’re just going to take advantage of one of your shape-shifting peculiarities,” the tabby reassured her.

  “It could work, but it’s never been done,” Whydah reluctantly admitted.

  Now Bird began to hop in place. “I know! That’s the best part! We’ve invented a brand new grift!” He swept one arm across the room with a flourish. “I’ll call it The Tabby’s Yarn. It will be my legacy to the thieving community.” He paused, smiling around the table into a sea of unimpressed faces.

  “No, we’re not calling it that,” Tsuta announced flatly. “I didn’t follow most of what you said, but we definitely need a better name.”

  A chorus of agreement echoed off the stone walls, quickly devolving into a brainstorm of suggested and rejected titles for the yet undetailed plan. Bird’s shoulders and whiskers drooped, his smile fading along with his expectation to title the stunt after himself. Finally, Glynfir spoke up.

  “How about The Glimmerstone Gambit?”

  Enthusiasm preceded confirmation among everyone except the cat.

  “What do you think, Whiskers? The Glimmerstone Gambit?” Tsuta raised his eyebrows toward his friend.

  Bird gave a slight shrug, his earlier grin replaced with a grimace, “It’s okay, I guess,” before muttering, “I can’t believe we’re going to let the wizard name it.”

  “Aww, don’t sulk!” Iskvold teased him. “I’m sure it’s a brilliant plan; it just isn’t a very good name. Don’t worry, if there’s a master list of these somewhere in the thieves' library,” she waved her hand in a circle off to her right, “We’ll add a footnote, so everyone knows you came up with it!” The drow pushed herself up from the table. “Now let me get some paper and a quill, and you can show us how it’s all going to work.”

  The Glimmerstone Enigma?

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