A Unilateral Decision

[Lahgen]

Kadislan sighed, as she stared at the sky. Stars in moonless twilight winked back at her, mockingly. Kadislan warmed herself by the fire, and she pondered. She thought about her fruitless searching, the maddening incomprehensibility of the missive. The contents, a poem serving as clues to some scavenger contest, maddened her intellect, like a rope just beyond her grasp. Surely this roguess, elf though she may be, is not a match for her genius.

For days, she had searched the libraries and the histories of the Realms, seeking to find clues, but to no avail. Surely such trifles would not be beyond her. Not Kadislan the White, loyal daughter of Velsharoon. Yet here it was...a riddle that she could not conquer.

There was only one possible answer to all the contradictions. One possible explanation for how some elf could outsmart the likes of her.

The missive was all gibberish.

There was no other way to explain it. The elf is apparently gifted with a forked tongue and a twisted intellect which allowed for apparent subtlety, but ultimately led to madness. This 'contest' was nothing more than a wild goose chase, for the whims of this wily elf.

She stood up, staring into the moonless twilight. She tossed the offending missive into the flames, turning away as the parchment sparked in the inescapably destructive heat. The other two would just have to understand. She was the leader for a reason, and they would just have to respect her judgement. There was no time to make any pretense of considering their opinion on the matter.