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Post by Silver on Oct 7, 2020 11:16:14 GMT
After testing numerous locations, it became clear that avoiding the evil wind would be an impossible task. I pressed harder against the side of the stables as another icy blast sneaked under my bedroll. What I wouldn't give to be lying in a warm bed. Inevitably, my thoughts turned to Mr Grumpy. His offer to rent me a room had been surprising. It said much about him that he was willing to do such a thing for someone he disliked. Had there been a glimmer of concern in his pale grey eyes? I pictured him but that only made me horny. I shifted a bit and debated whether to have some fun, but then the wind sliced through my clothing and killed any desire. 'Bloody cockblocker,' I mumbled as I tried to burrow deeper under my thin blanket. This was going to be a long night.
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Post by Silver on Oct 7, 2020 11:23:39 GMT
The first thing I did upon entering the room was open a window, just a few inches, enough to let in some fresh air. Seeing a bowl of water, soap, and towel atop a heavy chest of drawers, I stripped down and had a quick wash before climbing into bed. Reaching over to the side, I grabbed my jerkin and retrieved a small brown leather case from an inside pocket. The ties were so worn they were in danger of snapping; in fact, I realised upon closer inspection that the rest of the case could only be described as tattered. Time to buy a new one. I gently unfastened the ties and slipped out a smooth piece of wood upon which had been painted a miniature of my family. The artist had captured the joy in my wife's blue eyes as she held our 3-month-old daughter in one arm, while her other hand lovingly ruffled the soft hair of our son. I traced their faces with one trembling finger, knowing I would never hold them again, nor hear their laughter. My eyes stung but no tears fell; there were none left to give. An indentation marked the top of the painting, and I pressed a kiss to the familiar section as I had done every night since they'd been taken from me. I placed the painting on the nightstand and laid down, wondering why I continually tormented myself in this way. The answer remained elusive as sleep came. A loud bang woke me, and I reached for my dagger. However, I quickly realised the sound had come from the window slamming shut. Seeing that it had swung open again and was preparing to launch another attack on the window frame, I jumped out of bed. 'Shit! That's cold.' I bounced from one foot to the other as I fastened the window in place. The tapping of rain against the glass accompanied my dash back to the warm bed. As I slipped under the heavy blankets, my thoughts turned to the mage. Screw it. He'd be fine. The wind howled as it pressed against the building, finding thin cracks to whistle through. I turned over, resolute in my decision. The rain drummed against the panes. 'Fuck!' I climbed out of bed, pulled on my trousers, boots, and coat then went downstairs, thankful for the feeble light from a candle in a sconce on the wall. However, I hit an obstacle when I tried the front door and found it locked. I reached into my back pocket and retrieved a lockpick, chuckling to myself at the unusual situation. Generally, when picking locks, I'm trying to get in somewhere. With a few deft twists, there was a click and I stepped outside. The wind took my breath away and I wrapped my coat closer around me as the rain lashed my face. Maker's breath, I hoped the weather would be more clement for our journey tomorrow. I groaned at the thought we'd likely be setting off early and here I was breaking out of the inn, rather than sleeping. While these thoughts had been going through my head, I'd made my way around to the stables. A small lean-to had been added to the building, where crates and such were kept. It was here that I found the mage. His skin was almost blue with the cold and he shivered uncontrollably. 'Hey, you can't sleep out here. Come on, you can share my room.' The mage stared stupidly at me for a moment, then my words must have sunk in, and with an effort, he stood up, gathered his things and we rushed back to the inn. I made sure to lock the door, poured a large glass of brandy, and then ushered the shaking mage up the stairs. My idea had been for him to sleep on the floor, but clearly, that wouldn't do now. I lit the kindling that had been laid out in the small fireplace and placed a chair in front of it. Grabbing a blanket from the bed, I handed it to the mage. 'Get undressed and wrap that around you.' He gave a nod and I turned away, only to turn back a moment later when he swore. 'Fuck! My fingers are so numb I can't undo the buttons on my shirt.' I would have thought he was trying it on except that the whole sentence had been punctuated with the chattering of teeth. I rolled my eyes and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. 'You can pull it over your head now.' I took his coat that he'd shrugged off and hung it over the back of the chair, then added the remainder of his clothing as they became available. Hopefully, by morning, they would be dry. I turned around and the mage stood there looking forlorn, holding the blanket around his body, his hair scruffy from being towel dried. 'Get into bed, drink the brandy, and try and get some sleep.' Again, he nodded and did as I'd instructed. I looked at the double bed, then back to the second chair. Nope, I wasn't going to sleep in a damn chair, especially not when we were setting off for a job the next morning. Keeping my trousers on, I turned down the lantern, climbed in bed and tried to recapture my sleep. 'I don't suppose you have a comb, do you?' 'What?' 'Well, if I go to sleep with my hair like this, it's going to be horrible to deal with tomorrow.' 'Maker's breath, man, you just nearly froze and you're worried about your hair?' 'Admittedly, I'm only worried about my hair, now that I'm no longer in danger of freezing to death.' I growled, turned up the lantern, found the comb on my nightstand and handed it over. 'Thank you… what is your name? It feels foolish not to know it when we're sharing a bed.' I decided the quickest way to shut him up would be to answer. 'Shade.' 'A nice name. I'm Talon.' 'Great, now please shut up. I'm starting a job tomorrow and I need some rest.' Silence ensued. I relaxed back into the deep pillow, feeling the pull of sleep. 'What type of job?' I sighed. 'I don't know. Illegal, by the sounds of it. Or to use the elf's words, 'Less than honourable.' 'The elf in the bar?' 'Mhm.' I was barely following the conversation. 'Hmmm. I wonder if he needs another mage?' As his words sunk in, I blinked and sat up. 'What do you mean, another mage?' 'Well, he's a mage. I walked past him while I was in the bar and I felt the magical energy coming from him.' 'Bollocks!' Talon chuckled. 'Goodnight, Shade.'
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Post by BronzTrooper on Oct 8, 2020 12:07:55 GMT
I woke to pale sunlight shining through the window of my room (I'd been lucky to have gotten it when I did, as it was the last one available). Getting out of bed, I went to look out the window, seeing a fog blanketing the city. It was rather light, so it wouldn't be much of an issue, but it did indicate a lingering chill in the air. I looked away from the window and gathered my belongings, pulling on my armor before checking over my supplies. I still had some charms for removing lesser wards and weakening stronger ones, but hopefully they wouldn't prove necessary. I probably would need them, though, but they weren't easy to come by nowadays. I made sure that I still had the amulet in my pack, as I would have hated to go to all this trouble only to realize I'd lost the thing, noticing the flask of red lyrium I had picked up in the Free Marches among the rest of my potions. I picked it up and looked over it, as I had a dozen or so times since I had found it. I knew I should have disposed of it long before now, but there was just so many questions surrounding it. Who would have gone to the trouble of refining red lyrium? And why would they have given it to a Templar? There was also the question of how it would affect a mage. Normal lyrium had differing effects between mages and non-mages, being highly addictive to non-mages and allowing them access to the ability to disrupt magic, while having no addictive quality for mages and increasing their connection to the Fade. Who was to say that refined red lyrium would be any different? In all honesty, I had been tempted to try it once or twice. Red lyrium was much more potent than the blue variant, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that it would be a substantial boost in power... But no, the risk was too high to chance it. There were too many unknowns with red lyrium, and what was known wasn't exactly pleasant. Shaking the thought from my mind yet again, I placed it back in my pack and slung the pack over my shoulder before leaving the room and heading downstairs. I made my way to the counter, ordering my breakfast, and sat at one of the few empty tables, ignoring the stares I got from some of the other patrons, and waited for the people I'd 'recruited' last night to show.
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Post by Eliana Ashcroft on Oct 8, 2020 18:41:11 GMT
Public sign language – Private sign language (going to have this every post -more for me, so I don’t forget which is which XD)
I knocked on Kit’s door, and tried to open it. It was early, but we needed to pack and get to the market before our boss – I need to find out what his name is – wants to leave Jader. The door was locked – good girl Kit, at least you remembered this time – and it took a few moments for her to answer. She cussed me out after she let me in the room; she had wanted to sleep in longer. “I know, Kit, I know! But you know as well as I do that we need supplies, I don’t want to run short like we did last time. Therefore, you have to get up…and no, I am not going without you! Last time I did, you bitched about the ‘man soap’ for a week! So get your ass moving, get dressed, get packed and get downstairs while I pay our bill and get breakfast!” The door slammed behind me; she was probably cussing me some more. I had paid our bill and eaten most of my breakfast before Kit finally showed, wet hair and with our packs. Yep, it was as I figured. She made use of the bath house while I waited, knowing we had to go to the market. Well, I’ll cut her some slack this time, we didn’t know when we would have a chance again. I pointed to the bread and cheese I ordered for her, and told her she had five minutes, otherwise she would bring it with her. A sunny smile greeted this statement. She still surprised me sometimes, pissed at me one minute, the next smiling because she saw a kitten playing in the street. But I loved her, and that was all that mattered. We made our way to the market, picking up necessary supplies, including her flowery soap. Rations, oats for the horses, her flowery soap, lockpicks and a new thieves tool kit (luckily the ‘seller’ knew Alvin), and we were done. We got back just in time to see our new boss at a table with his breakfast. I told Kit to put all our purchases inside our packs, and went to the table. “Sorry, didn’t get a chance to introduce myself last night. I’m Rory McCallum, and this,” I pointed to her as she sat next to me, “is Kit.” Kit nodded her head in greeting, and told me “ Rory, I’m going to grab some fruit to take with us. I saw fresh apples when we came in.” “Okay kid, just don’t go overboard.” I turned to our boss. “I didn’t catch your name last night. Sleep well?”
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Post by Silver on Oct 9, 2020 9:58:59 GMT
At some point during the night, I'd rolled out of the blanket and up against Shade. I can only assume I was seeking the warmth of his body. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. However, as sleep dispersed, I realised that if Shade woke while my hand was draped over his waist, I would likely lose that hand, or at least a finger or two. I moved away and climbed out of bed, deeming the temptation to peek under the covers too hard to resist, pun intended. I wandered over to the now cold fire and tested my clothes. Dry, thankfully. A look out the window confirmed the stormy weather had moved on to harass some other poor sods, while we now enjoyed a sunlit, albeit still a chilly morning, although that might be due to my nakedness. I dressed, then borrowed Shade's comb again to pull my hair back. Maker, it was lucky I'd combed it last night, otherwise, there would have been bits standing up all over the place. With everything in place, I grabbed my pack intent on waking Shade and then heading downstairs to give him some privacy. However, when I reached his nightstand, I saw a miniature painting. I threw a glance at Shade to make sure he still slept, then picked up the slim piece of wood. A woman of no small beauty held a cherub-faced babe in her arms, while a mischievous looking toddler clutched at her dress. A heart-warming painting and judging by the worn edges, one that had been looked upon often. His family, then? I could only assume so. Certainly, I was in no position to ask. A gut feeling told me he wouldn't have wanted anyone else to see the painting, so I placed his comb on the mantle over the fire and left the room. Downstairs, I saw the elf at a table, along with the grizzled man and the pretty young woman. Seeing as they were in a conversation, I went to the bar and ordered a full breakfast along with a large coffee, and waited for an opening to introduce myself.
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Post by Silver on Oct 9, 2020 10:01:10 GMT
The click of a door woke me, and as sleep slowly lifted I realised I'd slept soundly for the first time in years. A befuddled memory of someone's body pressed against mine briefly surfaced. For a moment I felt confused, then remembered the mage. I jerked upright and looked around. No, must have been a dream. Then I saw the chair in front of the fire, with my own coat thrown over the second chair and I recalled the events of the night. I buried the slightly vague recollection of a warm body next to mine and quickly got out of bed. After dressing, I went to his nightstand for my comb and saw the painting. I paused, wondering if Talon had seen it. No, the comb wasn't there, so the mage must have walked past the nightstand, and… wait, the painting had been moved. Not by much, but enough for my keen eyes to notice. Another trademark of a good rogue. I ran a hand across the back of my neck, unsure of how I felt about the mage seeing this part of my personal life. I blew out a breath. Nothing I could do about it now, and hopefully, Talon would have the sense not to ask any questions. With extreme care, I put the miniature back into the leather pouch and slipped it inside my inner pocket, then grabbing my saddlebags, I went downstairs. Talon was at the counter, a coffee in front of him. Rory and Kit were talking to our employer. I took a seat at the bar. 'Toast, eggs, and coffee.' The innkeeper nodded and went off to fill the order. I turned to Talon. 'Have you spoken to him yet?' I jerked my head towards the elf. Damn, I really needed to get his name. 'Not yet,' Talon said. 'I thought I'd have breakfast first.' The innkeeper returned, and the bitter but warming aroma of coffee made my nostrils flare. I pulled out my pouch and retrieved the necessary coins, then remembering the drink I'd poured for Talon, I added a few more coins. The innkeeper raised a brow. 'This is too much, m'sieur.' 'I was having trouble sleeping so I got a glass of brandy during the night.' The innkeeper chuckled. 'Merci. Not so many people are that honest.' I flushed but was saved from answering as he returned to the kitchen. 'While you're blushing over there, I'll add my thanks for last night,' Talon said. 'I'm not blushing!' I took a hasty sip of coffee then swore as I scalded my tongue. I didn't look at the mage, but I could hear the amusement in his voice. 'Of course not. It's the heat of the coffee, yes? Regardless, I am in your debt.' His trick of switching from amused to serious threw me again and I looked at him 'You're not. You saved my life, and I helped you out. We're even.' His lips turned up in a small smile. 'Indeed.' The breakfasts turned up, and grabbing the plate, I gestured to the table. 'Let's join the others.'
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Post by BronzTrooper on Apr 25, 2021 20:54:33 GMT
The older man and the young woman were the first to approach, surprisingly coming from outside with several bags worth of what was likely supplies. I could respect their initiative- good of them to make sure they were prepared before we headed out. After they reached the table, the older man introduced himself and the young woman as Rory and Kit, respectively. Oddly enough, he responded to some unspoken sentence or thought on Kit's part (much like he had done last night) before. I raised an eyebrow at it, but figured that any questioning of it could wait until we were underway. I decided to answer his question, "I can't complain. And my name is Saris." I looked over the items Kit had been putting into their packs. "I see you've been busy- I suppose that means you're prepared for whatever we may encounter?" That's when I noticed that the other man from last night was approaching, breakfast in hand- flanked by another man I didn't recognize. "Seems we might have another pair of hands joining us.
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Post by Silver on May 5, 2021 9:16:27 GMT
Apologies for the late reply.Plate and cup in hand, I reached the table in time to hear the elf say, "Seems we might have another pair of hands joining us." I offered my most charming smile as I placed my food and drink on the table. 'You are quite right, good sir. I am indeed hoping you need another pair of hands.' I pulled out the seat and sat down, turning my smile to the other occupants of the table – a dark-haired woman whom I would judge to be in her mid to late twenties, and an older man with salt and pepper hair and a beard. Quite a striking fellow, truth be told. I turned my attention back to the elf. 'I'm not too fussed about what the job entails, I'm good in a fight and loyal to my employer… so long as there's pay.' I took a sip of coffee while I let him digest the information, then asked, 'So, is there room for me in your merry little band?'
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Post by BronzTrooper on May 5, 2021 18:48:23 GMT
It seemed that the newcomer had heard my comment and confirmed he was interested in joining up. I looked him over for a moment, unsure what to make of the man, but I ultimately decided that I had about as much an idea of his skills as I had of the other three before me, so I may as well allow him to join as well. "Very well- as I told the others, pay will be determined when the job is completed. But rest assured, you will have much to choose from should we be successful." I took a bite out of my breakfast before continuing, "Do you have any problems with that?"
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Post by Silver on May 5, 2021 19:13:24 GMT
I chewed on the eggs and toast while deliberating about his choice of words – 'much to choose from…' That seemed a little vague for my peace of mind. I preferred to be paid, preferably in gold, though silver is occasionally acceptable. I swallowed the food and washed it down with a few mouthfuls of coffee before replying to the elf. 'Your words suggest that payment will be in the form of items, which raises a few issues: firstly, I have an eye for fine things, but I wouldn't have a clue which items would be worth a lot; secondly, even if I did manage to pick up something worthwhile, I don't know any fences to whom I could sell the goods. So, I wonder if you might be open to a suggestion? This type of business seems to be more your forte, so you pick the good stuff, you sell it, then you split the money.' I looked around at the others. 'Does that idea find favour with the rest of you?'
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Post by BronzTrooper on May 5, 2021 20:00:20 GMT
Hmm.... perhaps should have realized that this was a possibility with the wide net I cast, but there's not much I can do about it now. I took another bite of my breakfast before responding, "I will be honest; I'm only interested in some very specific items and I cannot acquire them on my own, hence why I am looking for help. The objects I'm looking for I have no intent on making a profit from, but I have it on good authority that there will be more than enough for the rest of you to split among yourselves- perhaps far more than could be carried unassisted. If one of the others wishes to agree with your arrangement then that is their choice, but I have little interest in whatever else we may find." I looked over the group again, wondering what they thought of this. I took yet another bite of my breakfast as I waited for their responses.
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Post by Silver on May 5, 2021 20:40:02 GMT
I could see Talon was none too pleased with Saris' reply, and judging from the look on his face, it seemed like he was contemplating withdrawing from the caper. To get rid of the troublesome mage, all I had to do was keep my mouth shut. So, I don't know why the hell I said, 'I have a reliable fence, and I'm generally known to be a good judge of what sells well.' I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. Maker's balls! What did I just do? I picked up my coffee cup and drained the bitter dregs. I should have done that a minute ago; it would have stopped those damned words from being said. With the cup empty, I had nowhere left to hide and looked up to see an amused gleam in Talon's eyes. Damn him! He inclined his head. 'Thank you, Shade. That does clear up my concerns.' The gratitude in his tone surprised me as I'd been expecting something in the smug range. I managed a tight smile in return, then turned my attention to Rory and Kit. 'I'd be happy to offer the same service for both of you, unless, of course, you already have suitable arrangements in place?'
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Post by Eliana Ashcroft on May 8, 2021 2:09:13 GMT
Public sign language – Private sign language(Rory)
The boss answered my greeting. "I can't complain. And my name is Saris. I see you've been busy - I suppose that means you're prepared for whatever we may encounter?"
“Yes, we learned a long time ago we needed to prepare for any eventuality.” At this point, two other men made their way to us. "Seems we might have another pair of hands joining us.”
The man who set his food down first had black hair, eye colour that matched Kit’s, and was a couple of inches shorter than me. I could not tell what type of man he was – warrior, mage, rogue. We’ll learn once we hit the road. He seemingly wanted to join us, and said he was good in a fight. Another fighter would help. Loyal as long as there was pay? Man after my own heart.
The second man, Shade, was slender, and seemed small to me. His brown hair, surprisingly, was streaked with white. It was unusual to see that colour of hair in someone as young as he seemed; it was usually a sign that some type of trauma had happened to the individual. Well, no matter to me, it was his private business, and I would not pry. Like the first man, I wondered where his talents lay.
I continued to follow the discussion between Saris, Shade, and other man, who had not introduced himself yet. Saris indicated there would be more than enough loot for the rest of us. More than we could carry unassisted? I knew I could carry quite a bit! Shade then offered his knowledge of a fence and ability to “judge what sells well”. He evidently worked on the, well, shady side of the law if he knew of a fence and could appraise items offered. I just wondered where his talents lay. A rogue, like my Kit? Well, we’ll find out eventually. He offered the same service to Kit and me.
“What do you think Kit? I’m inclined to accept.” I signed to Kit. She looked at me and sighed. “Sounds good to me Rory. And I can always tell if he tries to cheat us. Better than trying to find a fence on such short notice, since Roderigo was picked up last month.”
I turned to Shade. “We gladly accept your offer Shade. Better than trying to find one on short notice.”
(Kit)
I sat back, chewing on my apple, just listening to the men discuss pay, fences and the like. I sat back, saying nothing…well, couldn’t say anything. Rory had tried, everyone had tried, to make me talk, but I just…couldn’t. Sometime in the dark of night, when I was alone, I would try and would make a croaking noise, but that was it. Maybe someday, with help…
Rory had just accepted Shade’s offer, after asking me about it. At times I think he included me just to make me feel part of the conversation, but he also knew I preferred staying in the background a lot of the time.
The black-haired man was very good looking (hey, I can look at handsome men! I knew my heart belonged to Rory, even if he did not); I was surprised to gaze into eyes the same colour as my own. From what Rory said, it was unusual to have those colour of eyes. He was tall, just a bit shorter than Rory, but I could not tell what type of job he had held. Well, no matter, we will find out soon enough.
Shade was just a few inches taller than me, with white streaked brown hair. The same question crossed my mind regarding him. What were his talents? I’ll talk to them later, but knowing a fence and the value of items would indicate a thief of some kind. Well, I’m sure we’ll find out eventually.
I turned to the two men, greeting them in turn. “My name is Kit; it is nice to meet both of you. I look forward to working with you.” Rory rolled his eyes at me. “Next time Kit, just tell me, okay? I can make the introductions.” I looked at him. “Rory, I swear, sometimes you get so involved in talking to someone, you forget I am here!” He shook his head at me and translated. (Rory)I translated for Kit internally shaking my head; I was always aware of her. Wound so tightly around my heart…and she would never know. Spoiler: I fully realize that Rory, nor anyone, knows of Shade’s past, and he will not ask about it. He thinks this because of an old tale he heard sometime in his life, a young woman's hair turning white because she was to be hanged. Background: I read a story of Marie Antoinette where it said her hair turned white overnight when she was in prison preparing for her death. This is what I am basing his information on.
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Post by Silver on May 8, 2021 11:49:37 GMT
I watched, fascinated at the quick precise hand movements being exchanged between Rory and Kit. So, that's why I hadn't heard her speak. After Rory accepted my offer, I saw that Kit had turned her gaze upon myself and Talon. Her hands moved and I felt a flicker of dismay. Had I given the impression that I understood the unusual hand movements? I turned to Rory, my expression one of confusion and embarrassment. However, before I could speak, Rory translated for his daughter. “She said, 'My name is Kit; it is nice to meet both of you. I look forward to working with you.” I smiled at Kit and held out a hand. 'Shade, and it's a pleasure to meet you.'
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Post by Silver on May 8, 2021 12:30:11 GMT
Her hands moved and I almost swore. Don't think of her. Don't… too late. The woman's slim hands became those of a child – pudgy, struggling to form the necessary shapes. Thick red hair frames a small, elegant brow wrinkled with concentration while her pale blue eyes gleamed with determination. She looks up, smiles, the freckles across her short nose stand out in contrast to her pale skin. She holds up her hand and with slow, deliberate movements says hello. “We gladly accept your offer Shade. Better than trying to find one on short notice.” The older man's deep voice pulled me from my memories, for which I was immensely grateful. The woman looked at me and Shade, and it was then I noticed she used two hands while signing whereas Amelia had used only one. This method was different from what I was used to, but I guessed at her intent. However, my speculations were unnecessary as the older man translated for her. I smiled and inclined my head as Shade held out a hand. 'Talon,' I said as a way of introduction, turning towards her so she could read my lips. I looked at the older man. 'I didn't get your name.' As he was closer, I followed Shade's example and held out a hand to him.
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