Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Corvos Consolari *CLOSED*

"I think you know what my answer is going to be," I grumbled. "I work alone. I always have, and I work better that way. Please don't try and tempt me otherwise."

I finished tossed another stick into the fire and look at Moira, then over at Manon.

"Have a good night." And with that, I rolled out my mat behind my log.

Great, another one of those lone wolf types... I glanced at Manon and rolled my eyes.

"I'll keep first watch. Get some sleep, little cousin."

I look to my cousin with a worried expression and speak to her only after Harlan is out of earshot.

"Are you sure about this Moi? How'd you even come across this girl to begin with?"

I fiddled with my mother's necklace, a nervous habit. "She...uh...was trying to rob us. At knife point..."

My eyes go wide at the new information.

"Oh yes, so naturally your next move was to invite her to stay for dinner. Of course it was." I throw my hands slightly into the air as I whisper back harshly.

"She attempts to rob you and then you offer her a warm meal and a job? What's the plan here Moi?"

"I was serious, we do need help with this job." I ran my hands through my hair, fingers getting caught in the tangled curls. "We can't go back to the Council empty-handed, you know that. I-I just thought...nothing, nevermind. It was a moment of desperation. Sleep now."

"Okay, okay, calm down before you rupture something. You're right, we do need help and we can't go back until the job is done. But," I glance behind me to Harlan, giving her a quick once over while I think. "What about her made you ask?"

I turn back to Moira, confused desperation etched on her face, and sigh. "Look, I trust you, you know that. What I don't trust is her. So give me something, some reassurance that you don't think she'll kill us in our sleep and whatever plan you come up with I'm game."

I got maybe three hours of sleep. Fitfull, dreamless sleep where my back ached and eyes were dry.

No matter, I got up and packed my things. The embers in the fire were glowing hot and there was a sack of food laying haphazardly in the dirt. I snagged a few pieces of bread and an apple and headed off.

I arrived in Farncombe at midday where the thoroughfare was filled with the hustle and bustle of hagglers, women selling handmade goods, men selling weapon parts and some books.

I managed to swipe a few coins and a book that looked rather new. And, eventually, I found the town's blacksmith.

"Mornin', ma'am."

"Good morning. I need my daggers sharpened."

"How many have you got?"

"Three."

The man, burly and bald with a graying beard thought for a moment. "I'll cut you a deal. A hundred and eighty gold."

"For all three?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How long should that take?"

"Bout an hour. I can start right now."

I had some time, so I sat and waited in the main room while he went to work. Once he was done, he returned the daggers polished and sharp. Perfect. I thanked him and went on my way.

I arrived at the council gates and showed them my referral. A guard motioned for me to follow him. We entered into a long hallway with glorious tapestries and paintings, a few more guards on duty outside one room.

He lead me into an office where a large wooden desk sat in the center overpowering everything else in the room. And in the chair behind it was a woman with dark slicked hair with grey streaks and icy eyes and red lips. She had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and on her forehead.

She smiled up at me from her work. "Good. You've arrived. Have a seat."

"Sorry we're la-Harlan! Well, well, fancy meeting you here..." I couldn't suppress my smug smile. For all that she wanted to run, it seemed like fate had something different planned after all. I nodded towards the older woman. "Councilwoman Aela."

"Sit," she said, her voice ringing with authority. "The Council has more work for you, as I'm sure you are aware. There has been recent werewolf activity in the area, and it needs dealt with, so I hope your silver is sharp."

My eyes darted towards Harlan. "All three of us for this?"

The girls-Moira, Manon-walked into the office a few moments after me. My eyes went wide and I turned to the councilwoman the moment she stopped speaking.

"I was told that this would be a solitary mission."

"Well the epidemic is growing within the area," Aela snapped. "Going alone is not good for anyone, not even for you, Miss Devalur. If this is an issue, I can assure you that we can find someone else to fill your position."

"No!" I took a breath. I needed the money. "I'll do it."

"Then it's settled, good," the councilwoman said sternly as she pushed herself up from her desk. "You may go."

My eyes settled on Harlan as we left the councilwoman's office. "Let's start over, shall we? I'm Moira, this is my cousin Manon." I held out my hand towards Harlan, hoping that we could get through this job with as little hostility as possible.

I set my jaw and rolled my shoulders back. "Harlan," I replied, taking her hand and shaking it.

This was not what I had in mind by any means, but it needed to be done.

"Werewolves, then. We'll need some more silver."

"Thorunn Grey-spear," I said simply. I looked over at my cousin. "How about we pay a visit to our favorite smith?"

And with that, I begin to lead the way to the craftsmen district of the city.

Despite the time of day the city was still very busy. The thoroughfare I passed through earlier was much calmer now as the venders started to wind down their sales.

Eventually we found our way to the smith's shop, the exact one I was in only hours earlier.

I leaned in towards Moira. Manon still had an eye on me. A cold stare would only reflect back, my dear.

"I say we talk about our strategies after this. Head to that tavern on the corner and see if we can get a room for the night, get some food."

I could sense the glare coming from the blonde girl. "We're working together. I have to cooperate if we're to get out alive."

The way Moira responded when Harlan walked into Councilwoman Aela's office told me she knew what was coming. She'd blown me off when I asked about the girl because "She said she didn't want to join us, lets just leave it at that." and now I know why. Moira must've had a feeling that the girl would end up here. Looking back, Harlan did shift a little when Moira brought up the Council...

What a little sneak! I. am. so. proud.

I am curious about the girl, I'm curious of most people. That's kinda what happens when you're shut out away from all of society your whole life. She's got hurt in her, Moira had called it "fight" and while that may be within her as well, there's hurt too.

Whatever it is I'll figure it out. I read people well - Harlan won't be an exception. But for now I'll keep a close eye on her, which is what I was currently doing as we made our way to the blacksmiths.

She has a plan and it's a solid one. I'm not fond of being a leader or a follower but I know a solid plan from a weak one.

The last words out of Harlan's mouth make me chuckle, and I don't try to hide it. "Cooperate. That's a strong word there, skit. We were grouped together. As a team. If we work as a team then we can all get what we want and make it out alive."

I walk past her and give her side a light shove with my hip. "It's an adventure, skit. Lighten up a little bit."

I watch as Manon walks towards the counter at the front of the room.

Skit?

"I...I'm sorry. What did you call me? Skit? What is that supposed to mean?"

She looked way too amused with the...name she'd given me. I just wanted to get our things and start figuring out what we had to do with this werewolf situation. It wasn't going to fix itself.

I walked over to the counter where a polished slingshot sat. The band was firm, the pouch deep enough for something the size of my fist.

"Twenty gold, that is," the blacksmith spoke up. "If it's silver you need, I can put some ammunition together. Something with a bite. Spiked ammunition, heavy. What do you say? I'll make forty."

"Sounds perfect. How long should that take?"

"They can be done by the morning. I've just got to fix 'em up but we've got a lot of help here."

"We're leaving at sunrise. They should be ready then."

"Aye, ma'am."

I stroll up next to Harlan and lean my palms against the top of the counter. "What about arrow-heads? Forty as well."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you happen to be able to replace a steel rapier with silver one? I know we're asking a lot of you, but it's for the Grand Council. We were given a contract and a mission."

"For the council? I'll give it all to you for three hundred pieces. Forty pieces of ammunition, forty arrowheads, four daggers, the slingshot, rapier. Any repairs you need, anything else?"

"Come on Thorunn, 300 pieces? For Council work? For me...?" I shook my head with exasperation.

The tall, muscular woman gave me an uncharacteristically sheepish look. "Fine, 250, call it your special discount."

"Thank you, darling," I said in a sing-song voice.

"It'll all be ready in the morning, come back then," she said, and with that wiped her hands on her apron and turned to go back into the forge.

I turned to my companions. "So...we've got some time to kill, any ideas?"

"Tavern. Let's get a room for the evening, discuss this over a drink."

I walked out of the building. A five minute walk to the tavern was filled with somewhat awkward silence. The tavern was dark when we arrived, and a bit musty. The chairs and tables were all mismatched and sticky. The wood floors had a coating of dirt, there was a broken bottle sitting on the counter.

The main bar area was filled with drunkards; dwarves, elves, humans, gnomes and the like.

Two dwarves in the corner of the bar were having some sort of drinking contest with cheers erupting from left and right.

I walked right up to the barkeep, a larger woman with short curly hair. She leaned with one arm.

"What can a get ye'?"

"Do have any rooms available? We need two at the least."

"We do. Hundred pieces a night, food and drink excluded."

"We only need it overnight and we'll be out in the morning."

"Aye. One room has two beds. Divide amongst yourselves."

"A round for us as well, please."

She handed us two keys and served us our drinks once we found our table.

"What's our plan?"