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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 13, 2013 15:12:03 GMT -5
The town of Shaloan was a thriving crossroads of business and travel, a growing boom town right on one of the main roads heading south towards Seyruun. It almost seemed more like a city in miniature than a town, bustling with travelers and merchants coming, going, and doing business in the massive open-air market in the center of town.
It was into this stew of commerce that a young man in a dark gray traveling cloak had wandered several hours back, and in which he still found himself mired. His bright green eyes gazed around at everything with a strange mix of curiosity and suspicion as though he had never been in a market before. Vendors hawked their wares and he turned away, as if trying to conceal himself in the throng, yet he still watched them even as he moved away. He seemed not to be looking at the produce and goods for sale so much as the people selling, scouring faces with a keen gaze and then turning away. What was his business here? Not much could be seen of him below his neck, wrapped as he was in the heavy robe. But clearly he had some purpose.
He stopped to buy a few apples from a farm stall, biting into one and pocketing the rest. The sweet, watery fruit tantalized his tongue and he ate rapidly, devouring it like a man half starved... yet when finished he didn't start another. He simply resumed looking around.
And almost immediately found what he was looking for.
It wasn't any of the merchandise on display that caught his attention; in truth, the first thing that he'd noticed was the sound of music rising over the hustle and bustle of the marketplace several minutes beforehand. Winding its way through the human tumult of voices chattering were melodious strings; at first he'd assumed it was just some local entertainment, but the more he wandered the marketplace the more distinct it seemed from the rest of the sounds around him. It was hard to ignore... and he'd noticed the merchants looking around and whispering to each other as well. But, with apple in hand, he'd turned and suddenly found the source... quite unexpectedly.
She was a girl around his age, clad in red with a shoulder slung cape... no, she was wearing two capes, he realized, a light brown worn shoulder-slung and a sky blue clasped around her neck. She was seated at a merchant stall with an assortment of items on display, playing a lute while watching the market crowds. A musical merchant... and then he realized something else. Her stall wasn't just some simple tent or wooden display table -- it was a wagon. The young man began to approach, taking in the full scene. A shaggy white dog was laying lazily out the back of the wagon-stall, and nearby a tied-up horse had its face down in a feedbag, chomping away idly at oats. The young man's eyes took in every detail, weighing it, carefully considering.
Yes, he realized. This would do just fine.
There were a few customers mulling about, looking at various trinkets and goods that had been set up for display. The brown-haired traveler moved into the group casually, feigning interest in a few pieces, eyes lingering on the merchandise as the young woman played her luring song. He wasn't sure if she was performing for someone or just providing background at first and waited for a bit; when it was clear she was going to keep playing he considered his next move for a moment, then tried to catch her gaze before speaking up.
"Pardon me, but do you have anything more than what's on display here?" It wasn't the question he really wanted to ask, but it would do for a start. Never, Theron d'Metreon thought to himself, play your hand openly from the outset.
Hopefully she'd be... amicable to his real business.
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Post by November Black on Feb 13, 2013 19:18:03 GMT -5
It was always a good thing when the market place was busy like this. It was a nice atmosphere, the 'togetherness' of it all. The bustle and commotion, the voices and noised made her strangely happy. Men and women, children and teens. It was just people, and Nova was incredibly fond of them.
The sun shone down on the busy market and it's stalls warming all it touched. The sky was a pastel blue, nearly completely empty of clouds, aside from a few that drifted idly in the breeze, the same breeze that brushed the town that day, a light, gentle breeze of summer. It was the perfect weather to be out, selling things to the good people of the land she knew. And an even better day to play music for all to enjoy! Music added that atmosphere of relaxation and joy, especially when played on one such an instrument as the Lute.
With Paint happily munching her lunch, and Archibald lazily laying in the wagon, paws and head poking out just so, examining an all to familiar scene with the same kind of zeal as his Master, playing a selection of songs in the sun. It was one way to draw attention to her stall, and everyone liked a friendly merchant, one with a smile on their face, who enjoys more than the money they'd make. To Nova, it was a gathering, a festival, something to be cherished, whether or not money was made. So far, she had in fact made some money. She'd eat pretty well tonight, and had enough spare to get a room in an Inn, and even put Paint in a nice stable for the weekend, with a good deal left over.
People milled about her stall still, the Market-Wagon stuck out in a good way between the tables set up around her. Nova didn't haggle or pester her prospective customers, and a wooden sign said as much. Archie was the guard dog. Steal something? Your funeral. Otherwise, she kept playing.
And carried on doing so until a voice reached her ears; someone wanted her attention. "Pardon me, but do you have anything more than what's on display here?" The raven-haired merchant got up from her seat and walked a few steps towards him. "Depends, sir. What do you have in mind? Anything I have in the back is more suited to people who know exactly what they are looking for." Then she just smiled, a friendly smile, but a business smile. She couldn't help but wonder what a man like this could possibly be looking for, even if he sounded like he knew exactly what he was after.
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 14, 2013 14:28:32 GMT -5
The response he'd expected, more or less. Now he just needed an excuse, a chance to speak with her alone... but if she didn't have what he was looking for then all this clever maneuvering would be for naught. His mind raced -- what did he have to go on? A horse, a dog, a lute... he glanced behind her quickly and got the answer he needed.
"I see you've got a bow and some arrows; I've been meaning to learn archery myself, but all the merchants in this area charge rather high prices for arrows. I don't suppose you have any for sale, or that you might be willing to give me a lesson or two?" Reaching into the folds of his cloak, Theron pulled open a small bag and held out a handful of gold for the musical merchant to inspect. "I'd be willing to pay up front, especially for any lessons."
The truth was, he had a completely different kind of business proposal for the young woman with the merchant-wagon, but not one he wanted to be heard in public. He still wasn't as far from the Barony as he'd like and, paranoid or not, Theron didn't care for the possibility of being overheard. What he needed was to disappear... and hopefully this young woman could help him do just that.
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Post by November Black on Feb 15, 2013 18:18:50 GMT -5
"I see you've got a bow and some arrows; I've been meaning to learn archery myself, but all the merchants in this area charge rather high prices for arrows. I don't suppose you have any for sale, or that you might be willing to give me a lesson or two?"
For a brief moment Nova had altogether stopped playing her Lute out of surprise as the young man told her what he requested, and pulled out what seemed to be a bag of gold. Her eyes were stuck wide open for a second or two, before she composed herself quickly, and went back to playing as normal, gathering back that smile. It wasn't like she was asked unusual things from time to time, and even this wasn't really unusual...just different. Someone who carried that kind of gold and wasn't after an item of some kind, a rare one, at that, was always unexpected. But he'd seemed a bit rushed in the very moment before she asked, and it made her curious...
"I'd be willing to pay up front, especially for any lessons."
...And the same went for Archibald, who had suddenly taken an interest in the cloaked man; ears forward, head up, looking straight at him from the wagon behind Nova. For a moment, she just thought, looking at the bag of coins, playing still, not once glancing back to the fret-board. Though the fact he'd picked up on the bow was interesting, and part of her already had questions about her customer. "Well, I've never thought about teaching archery but, whether you deduced or guessed, the fact you sussed I even did it at all and were right is...a merit worthy of a small discount." She looked up at the cloaked figure, and seemed to smile brighter. It was certainly amusing.
After a few moments, the beam went back to normal, and she looked at him, into the eyes behind the shadow. "But of course, I'd need to figure out prices. I think it's best, until that point, that I not ask the amount in the bag, just so you know I'm not trying to rip you off..." November winked playfully. "However, there are some details that would also need to be worked out...if you wouldn't mind?"
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 19, 2013 15:49:03 GMT -5
The way the musical girl -- and now her dog -- were looking at him Theron briefly wondered whether she'd seen straight through him. His poker face and gentle smile never wavered, but inside he was second-guessing himself, right up until she said mentioned a discount. At that, he relaxed some -- whether she guessed his true intentions or not, she at least seemed willing to humor the young green-eyed boy for the time being.
"Details? Ah, of course! Was there somewhere in particular you'd want to meet at to discuss things? The town has quite a few nice pubs or restaurants. Whatever you have in mind is fine by--"
Just as he was about to finish, the young swordsman noticed something out of the corner of his eye. While he and the young woman had been discussing business someone else had decided to make a transaction of their own -- one with a five-finger discount applied. Theron only just barely spotted the young man, clad in rough-looking street clothes, sneak his hand past a few of the other browsing customers and take hold of a jeweled gold necklace. The motion was fast and subtle; the thief had nimble fingers and almost completely escaped notice. If the sunlight hadn't gleamed just so off the gold necklace chain, Theron might never have known a theft was occurring.
Reflexes honed over many years were triggered; Theron's head whipped around towards the thief while he wove through the bystanders with two swift steps, hand darting towards the necklace as it was taken. "Hey!"
It was a good thing he was alert. The moment Theron's hand closed around the startled-looking thief's wrist, an altogether different glint of metal caught his eye. The dagger had been concealed in the scumbag's other hand the whole time, hidden under baggy sleeves; it left a slice in the boy's traveling cloak and a razor-thin line of blood on his face, but reflex won out over surprise. Maybe that was all the thief had intended, though, because he was able in that moment to yank his hand free of Theron's grip before turning to dash away from the merchant wagon as fast as his legs could carry him. Teeth clenched and irritated now, it only took Theron a heartbeat to decide to give chase.
"Stop, thief!!"
Not the most original line ever, but it made it easier to spot the culprit as he ran through the crowd. The young prince wasn't going to let him get far... and a bit of exercise right then sounded like exactly what he needed after so many dull days of straight walking.
That thief was not getting away!
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Post by November Black on Feb 19, 2013 19:55:42 GMT -5
Maybe if Nova had been paying attention to what was going on around her, she might have noticed the thief trying to make off with her jewelry. But, playing the lute and dealing with a customer with a rather peculiar request wasn't something she faced every day, and required more attention than pretty much every other customer. Even Archie was too interested in the young cloaked man to notice, so he failed to help up to the point his attention was drawn to the problem. Of course, even the dog noticed faster than she did. Which, in reality, wasn't that unusual, or uncommon.
By the time "Hey!" had left the emerald-eyed mans mouth, Archie had already leaped from his place in the back of the wagon, barking loudly, drawing attention to both the wagon and the thief, now being followed closely by both the canine and the man. After a flurry of movement, the crowd had made a corridor, when moving away from the furry animal and the man, and heading in a bee-line for a clearing...and a tree in the center of the market place. "Stop, thief!!"
In Nova's mine, the scene seemed to slow, with the barking of Archie fading away as background noise. She had the same idea as Theron; that thief and his damn hands weren't getting the better of this Merchant lady!
The lute was dropped to the floor, making an awful racket of sound, drawing attention to her more, and November instantly went towards the chair. Leaning against the wagon just behind the seat, was a bow, and a quiver full of arrows. Anyone who watched would think her insane. Calmly, she picked up the bow, and pulled a single arrow from it's leather holder. It was all she needed and she knew it. Grasping the bow firmly, she turned on her heels. The arrow was already caught in the guide, and she was drawing back the string as she went, two fingers supporting the arrow as she looked down the wooden shaft.
"Mind your heads!"
Nova quickly shouted, hoping that Theron would hear and get out of the way. She had a shot at the thief, but there was always a chance of hitting him...then she'd never get paid! Nova breathed in to steady her shot and closed her lesser-eye, and within seconds there was a deep thunk of string, and zip through the air as she released the tension in the bow, and set the arrow slicing through the air, narrowly avoiding the young man currently chasing her target. She wouldn't be surprised if he could feel the rush of air past him...
...before hitting the thief square in the shoulder. He fell to the ground in a shriek of agony. Archie kept his distance, barking and growling loudly as he knelt by the large tree. THUNK. Within seconds another arrow pierced the air, catching the thieves clothes, and pinning him to the tree. She'd only needed one to hit, but one for luck was always good, too. Then she looked around herself; after that, she wasn't leaving her stock unattended. She brought two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly. "Archie, here boy!" The fluffy mass looked over to her from his target, ears forward, tail wagging slightly. "Watch!" Archie barked once in response, and plodded back up to the wagon and she came down in his place to face the thief for herself.
"I don't suppose I could have my stuff back, eh?" Nova smiled and winked. "Or you'll have more to worry about than the town guards."
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 19, 2013 22:15:02 GMT -5
"Mind your heads!"
He was in hot pursuit, just beginning to catch up to the scoundrel, when he heard the merchant's voice over the crowd. At first, what she'd said didn't connect in his mind. They were outdoors, in a wide open marketplace -- wasn't that the kind of thing people said in rooms with low-hanging rafters or low ceilings? -- so what on earth did she...
Heads. Head shot. Target. Archery. The connections flashed suddenly through Theron's mind -- of course that's how she'd respond! The realization didn't come one moment too early; the young prince veered off to one side to give her a clearer shot and mere moments later he felt just the faintest kiss of wind against his cheek as a blur of metal and color darted past him, silent as a ghost, not far from where he'd been seconds earlier. There was a cry of pain and the thief hit the ground, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Theron skidded to a stop nearby right as the second arrow pinned the con's clothing to a nearby tree, effectively immobilizing him. Though it couldn't be seen beneath his cloak, Theron had had one hand on the grip of his sword since the pursuit started; now, though, that wouldn't be necessary, and let the hand rest at his side as he walked up to the trapped and wounded thief.
"Not your lucky day. Now, don't make this harder than it has to be." Just to drive the point home Theron pinned the man's dagger-wielding hand to the ground with his foot, ensuring there couldn't be any more sneak attacks. He glanced over to see the (incredibly fluffy) dog returning at it's owner's call, then waited as she quickly made her way over.
"I don't suppose I could have my stuff back, eh? Or you'll have more to worry about than the town guards."
"AAAAHH!!... S-seriously?! You had to ****ing shoot me?!" Feebly, and grimacing with pain, the thief let his grip on the necklace go. "Fine -- AAHH!! -- just take the stupid thing, you crazy *****!"
A scowl creased Theron's brow. "Feh. Pathetic. Scum like you have no class." He put a bit more weight on the man's pinned arm. "Now, don't do anything stupid and maybe she and I will consider letting you walk away from this."
Still keeping the wounded thief's arm pinned down, Theron leaned over and retrieved the necklace, holding it out for Nova to take. There was a sizable crowd gathered around at this point, a lot of people muttering and murmuring. Theron let himself think back on his plan briefly, wondering if he'd blown it going after a thief so rashly. The entire point, after all, had been to not draw attention to himself... and now he'd done quite the opposite.
There was no helping it. At this point he'd simply have to move forward and see how things played out.
"Nice shooting." He complimented Nova. "It seems I'll have a good teacher indeed."
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Post by November Black on Feb 20, 2013 13:58:47 GMT -5
"AAAAHH!!... S-seriously?! You had to ****ing shoot me?! Fine -- AAHH!! -- just take the stupid thing, you crazy *****!"
Nova raised an eye brow at the thief on the floor, her bow still in one hand. If he had been some orphan homeless wreck begging for mercy she might have regretted shooting him, but, as it stood, that wasn't the case. He was simply crooked. "To be honest, I probably had to shoot you more..." She shrugged, dismissing his comments. Her customer seemed to be making himself useful, too. Well, it occurred to her now that he might be worth teaching, if at all she was any good at the whole teaching business to start with.
Unlike him, Nova was largely uncaring about the size of the crowds that had been drawn to them now; at least it would alert the guards to the activity, and they could be done with this thief all the sooner. "Feh. Pathetic. Scum like you have no class. Now, don't do anything stupid and maybe she and I will consider letting you walk away from this." She chuckled "Heh, I might let him walk away, but only with the guards as escorts." The jeweled necklace was held out to her by the emerald eyed man, and she took it with a nod of thanks. She examine it and sniffed a little, closing one eye to get a better look at it.
"Would have been your loss, kid. There's a couple of jems missing, wouldn't have got you much...but I guess that means a good repair and stock check is in order, can't be offering faulty goods now, can I?" She placed the item in one of her belt-bags. "Nice shooting. It seems I'll have a good teacher indeed." Nova chuckled and looked at him with a smile/. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, there's still a bit to be worked out..." Nova was cut of suddenly by a voice from behind the crowds.
"What on Earth is going on here?" Looking over her shoulder, Nova turned and waved; a group of guards came from out of the crowd. "Nothing I, I mean, we, couldn't handle! And Hello, by the way, nice to see you to." The man frowned and walked forward to take a look at the pinned thief "Not right now, November, no time for chit-chat with a Thief in the town." Nova tossed her cape aside, a put a had of her hip. "Alrighty then, Gurran, just don't be so anti-social next time...or so slow"
By now a few of the guards were getting people to disperse and move on, while two more tended to the thief on the floor. Gurran, an apparent friend of Novas, looked towards the man with his foot on the thief's arm. From under his helmet he peered down at him. "I assume you're a friend of hers? Not many people out side of Seyruun decide to run after a thief when it's not their business."
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 20, 2013 15:48:46 GMT -5
"I assume you're a friend of hers? Not many people out side of Seyruun decide to run after a thief when it's not their business."
"Well... in a way it was." Theron explained to the guard, lifting his foot so that the soldiers could drag the wounded thief to his feet, making sure to pick up the scoundrel's dagger and hand it to Gurran. "True, it wasn't like he tried to steal what I wanted to buy," He turned to look over at Nova, rubbing the back of his head in a slightly embarrassed gesture. "But I was hoping to make a... well, a sort of long-term business arrangement with miss November here. It wouldn't exactly look good for me if I just let her get robbed like that, especially when I had the chance to do something about it. I did distract her a bit while we were talking; I didn't want her to think I was the thief's decoy or anything."
It was a fairly flimsy excuse, even if it was based on the facts. The truth of it was, Theron had simply reacted in the heat of the moment. It wasn't some noble impulse that had motivated him; he'd simply spotted a threat and reacted as he'd been trained -- by the time he realized that the movement out of the corner of his eye was a thief and not an assassin his body had already been in motion, and everything else simply followed that.
"In any case, thanks for your help." He said it more as a courtesy than anything; as Nova had observed, he and she had handled the situation almost completely before the guards arrived. Still, they were hauling the criminal away now, so that was something at least.
"Just try to stay out of trouble. Even if you were helping, I'd prefer no one in my town go taking the law into their own hands." Gurran chided them, looking first at Theron, then casting a softer but telling glance Nova's way. At a nod from Theron he began to turn away. "Alright then, I'll let you two get back to whatever business --"
The sound of a struggle and armor clattering against stone came suddenly from the direction of the thief; Theron and Gurran's gazes shot over to see that the captured thief had shaken loose of his escorts, having pushed one guard to the ground and rapidly running away from the other one. Apparently he'd had more strength left than he let on, cleverly having waited for just the right moment to slip loose and make a break for it. There was distressed shouting as the criminal ran straight into a nearby crowd of people; the pursuing guard kept chasing him, though the thief was just a bit faster for not wearing armor. They both disappeared into an alleyway and were out of sight.
"Don't worry, we'll catch him." November's guard friend reassured them before running off to join the pursuit. So much for a nice peaceful day at the market, Theron silently thought to himself.
"I'm surprised he could run that fast with an arrow in his shoulder..." The brown-haired young man half-muttered. Then, feeling a slight tinge of pain, he reached one hand up to the thin cut on his cheek. "A bit tougher than your average thief."
"Anyways..." He turned back towards Nova. "That was exciting, but I was hoping we could talk about training." He began to walk back to her merchant-wagon, assuming she'd want to get back to her dog and her wares now that the incident was over. "Did you want to meet anywhere later to discuss payment and details?"
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Post by November Black on Feb 20, 2013 19:56:30 GMT -5
The merchant girl chuckled to herself as Gurran ran after the thief, who'd managed to get away. It didn't matter much more now, really. She had her item back, the crowds were gone, and he had a wounded shoulder. Punishment enough for a failed-thieving attempt, really. It wasn't very often than Nova had to deal with thieves, but when she did, they never got away with their prize, that was for sure. Either stopped by an arrow, or Archies teeth. She ran a hand through her hair, sighing, and began to walk back to the wagon, the fluffy dog sat wagging his tail at the pair and whining a little as they got closer. As the two began to walk back to wagon stall, the previous event was all but pushed aside for the conversation that has previously been.
"Anyways...That was exciting, but I was hoping we could talk about training. Did you want to meet anywhere later to discuss payment and details?" Nova looked back at him and smiled a little, just before she picked up the Lute from where it has been dropped, and placed the bow back against the wagon, stroking her fluffy companion as she pulled her hand back up. She played on the strings one by one, tuning up any that has been knocked out of pitch by the fall. This time she didn't begin playing straight away; she just held it by her side, and turned to face the man as he finished talking. "Yes please, if that's not too much trouble. I'll think over a few rough prices for you..."
She strummed the Lute once, it's enchanted sound traveled through the market place. "Like I said, I'm not one to rip you off, or charge too little. I'd rather not know you're budget. If the price is over what you have, we'll see if we can't work something out, hm?" She briefly paused to smile at a few browsers at her stall. "But yes, I usually stay at an Inn not too fair out from the Market Square; Travelers Rest, when I have the spare gold, anyway. I'll probably be there around, say, half 5? Meet me there and we'll discuss any questions you have?"
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 21, 2013 10:37:48 GMT -5
"Traveler's Rest at half 5? Sounds good." Theron nodded, smiling appreciatively. All the while, though, he couldn't help but think that she would be the one with questions once he made his real business proposition. "I'll be there promptly, miss November. and thank you for hearing me out."---------------------------------------------------
Traveler's Rest, 4:25 PM The inn was moderately busy when Theron walked through the door; a few patrons seated at the bar sharing work or travel stories, a small family eating dinner at a table near the windows, a scattering of adventurers and travelers at tables all throughout eating and drinking and chatting. Just lively enough that no one would notice someone like him, but not so crowded that he'd have to worry about people overhearing. Just like he'd hoped. The only problem was he didn't see the merchant girl; either she hadn't arrived yet or she was in one of the side rooms or booths. "Excuse me." He approached the bartender. "I'm meeting a young merchant woman here -- black hair, blue eyes, red outfit with a tan and sky-blue cape. I don't suppose youv'e noticed anyone like that come in, have you?"
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Post by November Black on Feb 21, 2013 20:10:54 GMT -5
[/font][/size] Ambiance ~[/right] Travelers Rest was place Nova often frequented when she was in the town, and, as is obvious by the name, most of it's regulars and users were travelers by trade, including the Merchant herself. That also meant that the Inn and Tavern had a large sense of community for the most part, but also welcomed friends of all. It was the kind of place that was still making noise well into the night, lights flicking on into the street long after all others had dimmed. Music forever echoing into the streets, along with the laughter of all kinds of people. Generally, it was a warm, welcoming place. "I'm meeting a young merchant woman here -- black hair, blue eyes, red outfit with a tan and sky-blue cape. I don't suppose youv'e noticed anyone like that come in, have you?" The man from the market approached the barman, assuming that Nova wasn't in the room at all. The large, friendly looking, man smiled and chuckled a little bit, wiping the inside of a glass mug with a cloth, wearing a white apron to make sure he didn't get too messy. "Haha, you're lookin' for the young travelin' lass are ya? Lovely girl, might I say. See, the young Miss November be a little... occupied at the moment." He pointed his thumb towards the fireplace at the other end of the Inn. There, sat a group of musicians. A flutist, a drummer, a couple of violinists, a tambourine player...and a familiar Lute player, with bright blue eyes, raven hair, and a smile on her face, sat on a low wooden stall, happily playing music in what appeared to be a well-rehearsed group. Her outfit was mostly the same, but her belt was gone, as were both her capes and gloves. A less official look; she was at home here. And sat by her feet...a large, white, fluffy canine. "She won't be too long, she knows your comin'. Just don't think of interuptin' the lass. She'll bite yur' head off." He laughed a bellowing laugh, and continued to watch the performers as they played. As there final song drew to a close, a small applause rose from the Inn, and all the players gave a small bow. November had seen the cloaked man, and busied herself with parting ways, for now, from the rest of the group, shaking hands and laughing. Thanking them for a good performance. Archibald barked, panting at them all, as they also said their goodbyes, and Nova left them to continue, and a new Lute player, a younger, fresh-faced man, of around 18. Archie quickly made his was towards the green-eyed customer, rubbing his face into his side, leaning on him, wagging his large fluffy tail happily, barking once. With Lute in tow, Nova soon joined them. "This the man you've been watin' to see, Novie?" "Yup! Good to know you listen to what I tell you at least." They both laughed a little. "Right, if you be needing anythin', don't be afraid to give us a holler, aye?" And he went back to his work as a few people came to the bar to order. Nova stretched a little and held out her hand to her customer. "Glad you showed up; always get worried that people won't, I'm sure you know." Afterwards, she called Archie away, as to stop him running rings around her client. "Do you mind coming this way? There's a table a bit out of the noise over in the corner there. Also, feel free to have some food or whatever takes your fancy; I'll pay, as thanks for earlier." Nova led him and Archie to a small two-seat table by a window, slightly better shielded from the sound of the music. The fluffy animal had already found his place under the small square table, and was panting happily with intermittent barks. Nova offered a chair to the man, before seating herself, and placing her Lute to rest behind her seat. "First off, before we start anything, would it be too much of a problem to ask you're name? I mean, I'm sure you already know mine. Everyone else around here does!" [/blockquote][/size] |
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 21, 2013 21:58:31 GMT -5
(OOC: I gotta say love... that was one stellar post! Expertly done, and with excellent music and ambiance to back it up!) He had noticed her music distinctively in the market... but perhaps it could be said that here, amongst fellow musicians, her talent shown through even clearer. He listened attentively as she played, finding himself rather soothed by the melodies and harmonies of the group. This definitely wasn't her first time, both in the sense of playing in a group and with these musicians specifically. It wasn't hard to take the barkeep's advice; Theron was early anyway, and the music was relaxing. He found not before long that he was leaning his back against the bar, simply drinking in the tapestry of sounds. When the performance was handed off and the young woman's dog raced up to him a moment of awkwardness overtook the young traveling man. He hadn't had much experience with dogs back in the Barony, even less with friendly dogs. After a moment he tentatively reached down and ruffled the canine's fur while Nova and the barkeep exchanged playful jabs. "Glad you showed up; always get worried that people won't, I'm sure you know.""Do you mind coming this way? There's a table a bit out of the noise over in the corner there. Also, feel free to have some food or whatever takes your fancy; I'll pay, as thanks for earlier."He followed with a compliant nod. "Thanks, but I'm not very hungry right now. Maybe just a bit of bread and some cold water."As they sat, Theron's mind became troubled again. This was where his plan would either work... or fall apart and force him to reconsider everything. Part of him hoped very much that it would work; true, he'd only just met this young woman, but she seemed amicable enough -- much nicer to him than even the servants back home, more... genuine, somehow. Genuine... and here he was, about to hopefully broker an arrangement with her under a contrived pretense. The contrast wasn't lost on him. "First off, before we start anything, would it be too much of a problem to ask you're name? I mean, I'm sure you already know mine. Everyone else around here does!""Miss November, wasn't it? Yes, I remember."There was a long moment of hesitation; Theron's eyes swept the room nervously. "...Thank you for agreeing to meet with me... though, to be completely fair, I haven't been entirely honest with you regarding my intentions."That would have probably been enough to put her on edge; what he did next didn't help, either. He reached up with one black-gloved hand and began undoing the simple clasp at the top of his traveling cloak. For the first time she got a glimpse at what he wore underneath it, white sleeves trimmed with a thin line of gold, and as he partially opened his cloak... "My name is Theron d'Metreon." His voice was just barely above a whisper as he directed her attention to the noble crest hung just below his neck. "Please, don't overreact to what I'm about to say. I'm a prince, from a very small kingdom to the east of here, near the border of Zefielia." He sighed slightly, looking to the side. "I'm sorry I wasn't up front with you earlier, but I need to act with subtlety right now."
"Archery lessons from you would be nice -- it's clear that you're quite good and I could learn a lot from you -- but that isn't the real reason I approached you in the market. The truth is that I'm looking for someone to travel with; if you're going south, west, or anywhere in-between from here I would like to come along with you as a passenger on your wagon." He closed up his cloak once more and reached for the bag of coins he'd pulled out back at the market, placing it on the table in-between them. It wasn't exactly a small bag. "There's one hundred gold coins in that bag; I have an additional six hundred being held for me in a safe deposit box." He produced a receipt from one of the smaller banks in town showing that the claim was real. "I don't know how far you're willing to take me for that amount, and I'm not above working off any additional expenses incurred along the way. I just..."He turned and glanced out the window, watching the people walking by. So carefree... just going about their daily lives, happy and free. And here he was, so many miles from that horrible place... and still feeling trapped and afraid. He just couldn't live the rest of his life under a shadow like that... no... he refused to! "I just... I have to get as far away from that kingdom as possible." 'That kingdom' -- not 'my kingdom', not 'home'. The choice of words and the coldness with which he said them was rather telling. His eyes turned up to meet Nova's, just a touch of genuine desperation cutting through the forced reserve of his expression. "Miss November, I know we only just met, but... I need your help. And I'm willing to pay whatever I can, whatever I have to."
". . . Please." |
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Post by November Black on Feb 22, 2013 12:16:03 GMT -5
It struck her quite quickly that this man wasn't very comfortable, and she suddenly wondered if it was her. It made her slightly curious, but she was already curious enough about her client as it stood. Normally it wasn't like that, but what he'd asked for at the Market stall had definitively captured her attention. "...Thank you for agreeing to meet with me... though, to be completely fair, I haven't been entirely honest with you regarding my intentions." Nova lifted a curious eye-brow at him as he reached up and began to undo the cloak he was still wearing. She was just about ready to smack him on the head with her Lute if he tried to pull anything funny.
However, the outfit underneath was unusual. Expensive, too. She'd not seen anything like that, she was sure. A puzzled yet inquisitive expression adorned her face rather quickly, leaning over to get a better look at the crest he wore. ""My name is Theron d'Metreon. Please, don't overreact to what I'm about to say. I'm a prince, from a very small kingdom to the east of here, near the border of Zefielia." She knew where he meant. Dispite how small a Kingdom may be, it was still on the maps. It still needed supplies. Nova didn't often go there, and she now had to weigh up the cost of keeping him...and not going there again. Seeing as the place was off the beaten track, it was tricky to get to...but...
"The truth is that I'm looking for someone to travel with; if you're going south, west, or anywhere in-between from here I would like to come along with you as a passenger on your wagon. There's one hundred gold coins in that bag; I have an additional six hundred being held for me in a safe deposit box." So...that was his swing. He'd obviously had a plan about this, while not all the details, like her, and where, given the amount of money. He'd come to Shaloan knowing why he was here, what he wanted. And she had caught his attention. Well, she couldn't deny that; it was what the Lute was for. Her face went stern, she lent on her arm, hand over her mouth, listening.
For a while, her answer wasn't what he'd want to hear...
"I just... I have to get as far away from that kingdom as possible. Miss November, I know we only just met, but... I need your help. And I'm willing to pay whatever I can, whatever I have to."
". . . Please."
And then it changed. She lent back and thought for a few seconds, closing her eyes, Archie whining under the table, almost encouraging Nova, somehow. Her arms folded, and her azure eyes opened and she sighed sympathetically. "I know how it feels to want to escape a place so badly that you'd do anything in order to; save money, proposition a traveler. I absolutely know. I did it, once." Her arms unfolded and she lent forward again, resting her arms on the table. "I don't deal with Princes very often, obviously, I may have done before, but that's my business. I also don't make exceptions in my trade unless I have to. You're not getting any discounts for being a Prince, but you will have one for earlier. I like to keep my promises." She looked him dead in the eyes.
"I know the place you come from, you know it's a little...tricky to get to. You know the towns don't get outside goods very often. You know, by extension, how much more people are willing to pay for the simple things over there. I hope you realize, if I take you on, I'm probably going to slow my profits considerably?"
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Post by Theron Bradford d'Metreon on Feb 22, 2013 21:48:41 GMT -5
Even with the festive noise and music of the inn, the silence after Theron had finished speaking was stifling, heavy laden with fear and possibility. He'd placed his cards on the table now and was gambling at high stakes -- he still had no idea if all this would pan out, whether November would accept or reject his offer. It wasn't the first time in his life he'd been completely at someone else's mercy, but... it was the first time such a person could offer him any real measure of freedom.
"I know how it feels to want to escape a place so badly that you'd do anything in order to; save money, proposition a traveler. I absolutely know. I did it, once."
That statement caught him off guard; the young d'Metreon betrayed his surprise plainly as Nova continued. "I don't deal with Princes very often, obviously, I may have done before, but that's my business. I also don't make exceptions in my trade unless I have to. You're not getting any discounts for being a Prince, but you will have one for earlier. I like to keep my promises."
"I know the place you come from, you know it's a little...tricky to get to. You know the towns don't get outside goods very often. You know, by extension, how much more people are willing to pay for the simple things over there. I hope you realize, if I take you on, I'm probably going to slow my profits considerably?"
He chewed over all of that for a while, trying not to get his hopes up even as he realized that she hadn't said 'no'... not yet, at least. After a few moments he spoke up again. "I don't expect any special treatment; if you understand what I'm doing then you also know I'm willing to leave everything behind, all of it. And... I admit, I hadn't considered the... the opportunity cost, if you will, of taking me on. I realize that a mere seven hundred gold probably pales in the long run when considered from that perspective. Other than working for you, I don't know how else I can reimburse you -- that gold is all the money I have to my name right now. It was all I could take with me."
What she said about the Sovereign Barony was true; not only was the terrain a hindrance to those seeking to travel but the kingdom's border guards were known to "tax" any merchants or travelers they found... and quite excessively, at that. The fear of being caught leaving without the means to pay the bribe was part of what kept the people of the land from leaving the d'Metreon tyranny behind -- that, and whatever slim hope they had of earning the royal family's favor and being elevated to some post of at least minor importance and comfort. If Nova had done business in the Barony before she must have somehow worked out a safe route, maybe even one that was lightly patrolled or not at all. Such routes did exist -- Theron's own escape was proof of that -- though anyone who knew one was likely to keep it a close-guarded secret.
He wanted to trust her... but it also occurred to him that if she had been to the d'Metreon lands before and made a profit there she might be inclined to go back that way... and information on a runaway prince would likely earn her a tidy sum from any one of his siblings, maybe even his father. One simply did not escape from the Sovereign Barony.
This was business. And since she had brought up the profits she'd lose by not selling in the Barony Theron suddenly found himself in the awkward position of "bidding" against the kingdom... a clear disadvantage.
"... How much to secure your services, miss November? I may only have a handful of gold right now but I'm willing to earn the rest as we travel." He had to "sell himself", somehow make her see taking him on as a worthwhile investment... "Do you travel in that wagon alone? I could lift heavy merchandise for you, act as a bodyguard, whatever it takes. Just name your terms and I'll try to make us traveling together worthwhile, I promise."
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