Reign of Anarchy

" You are very mannerly, Lesnaya Tsavarena of the Iron Forest of the North. Daughter of Koroleva Volchitsa, the Queen of Wolves. If only all youth were like you. My name is Uisce, and this is Vesper. May I ask why you are in Swampveil?"

"Hmm... Wait a minute, why should I trust you with that?!" Lesnaya asks, suddenly remembering her mother telling her to be careful around strangers as they might be spies of the Overlord

"No reason, just making conversation"

This, Lesnaya, intrigued Uisce. She had said her mother was the Queen of Wolves. Swampveil was turning out to be a very interesting trip after all.

Vesper inhaled sharply, eyes widening before blinking that away to be replaced with intrigue.

The Iron Forest? From what Vesper understood of Milvallen geography, the Iron Woods were just west of the series of mountains that she herself considered her land.

(Not "home," though. Never "home"—she hadn't called any place "home" for a long time, and she didn't know if she could ever do that again.)

That woman—Lesnaya, she now knew—from what she said to them as a greeting, and based on her mannerisms, definitely grew up secluded in those woods. She really never did have the chance to know how to interact with the world of humans. All she knew was her forests and her apparent family, so she was utterly lost—probably even more than herself—in this new, chaotic world she just entered.

When she actually thought about it, Vesper could sympathize with her.

"You can stay with us."

The minute Vesper said that, though, her mouth stayed open in slight shock.

Wait, what?

Hammer and Tongs

The man glanced at Widia's stretched hand with a curious look, before giving off a slightly interested look. "The name's Jeremiah. Jeremiah Dru'ando, or just Jerry for short," murmured the tall man as he extended his hand and shook Widia's. Retracting his hand, he folded his arms and looked over the girl a bit more, his mechanized left arm steaming a bit from the exhaust pipes on his shoulder. "Sorry for the suspicious looks, but I haven't seen another Master smith in these parts in ages. You see mostly inexperienced lads and lasses wanting to 'make a name' for themselves, or boasting how great their crafts are when they can't tell the difference between a ratchet and a torque wrench. Luckily, those in here actually know what they're doing."

Laughing a bit to himself, Jerry pointed his mechanical thumb towards one of the corners of the area next to a intricate dwarven forge. "Feel free to take up shop next to my own forge, I'm sure having two Master smiths side by side at work will lighten up the mood around here, don't you think lass?"

Raising an eyebrow, the old innkeeper simply glanced at the two newcomers. "Well, if you're looking for a room, we're mostly full with all the new travelers stopping by today. Though, we do have a room upstairs if you're interested."

"So... Do you both want it?" asked the old man as he adjusted his glasses, and looked at the pair.

"Well, as long as you're okay!" A'lene said, with a absentminded wave of her hand, she had picked up on the girl's irritation. It was best to drop it, she supposed. She didn't seem to be lying about travelling with someone, at least.

Her ears perked up when the innkeeper spoke up, she'd almost forgotten why she'd come in here in the first place. The room, yes. A'lene glanced at the little girl. Splitting the room with her and her mysterious companion could be... uncomfortable. But were there any other inns in the town? She wasn't sure, and if there were, they were likely just as full as this one.

"Hmm, well, the young lady was here first, and I'd hate to impose. But if she were agreeable to it, I'd be willing to share." She couldn't shake that Faerie politeness of her, even if she wanted to, and she could possibly, NO, definitely find another place to stay the night, if the odd little girl refused.

As she had always told herself, a bard who can't play well enough to earn a room for night was hardly a bard at all.

Yes, that was absolutely a thing A'lene has always said.

edited 14th Feb '13 9:57:27 PM by sparkledogs

"Do you not have space in your basement? I'm unsure if my companion would be able to fit in a standard room. I'm perfectly fine to rest with this woman though. A crowded room is better than no room, right," Katerina said.

"Excellent! Well ladies we had better check to see if there is room for you two"

There was another reason that Uisce wanted to hurry. He had to speak to his spies. He hated to admit it but he was uneasy. It was time to get some answers as to why Keva had placed the bounty.

edited 15th Feb '13 3:02:45 AM by ShadowKaiser

"It will for sure," Widia grinned. "I'll get my tools and anvil out of my wagon. Is there space for it and the horses out the back?" She was referring to the little area normally used for shoeing horses.

She walked back outside to the wagon. "We're in." She said, "Let me just open the back up and start getting things inside and you can get down."

She moved around to the back, where there were double doors, locked shut, with some sort of device. She twisted and turned the dial, then pushed it in. There was a <THUNK> and the doors were unlocked. She opened them wide and lowered the steps.

Down them from the interior came a dog, easily two to three feet at the shoulder. He appeared to be a mix of an Alsatian and a Wolf, only obviously a bit larger. He was also made out metal, with eyes than burned an orange red. He moved smoothly, as a normal dog would. He finally stepped down onto the ground and looked around. He looked up at Widia. "Growf?"

"Yes, this is us." Widia nodded at the Hammer & Tongs. She "In there. Hang on a second while I get the anvil."

The dog huffed. Widia rolled her eyes and stepped up the steps into the wagon. He was the first thing she had made when she gained her Master Smith status, which was also when the High Smith and the Titanforge Council had told her she was a Vápnir. She had focused all her skill, the knowledge that had filled her mind when they'd told her, as well as the strange feeling that came when she was working on something; a power she could infuse into the things she made should she choose. The result was Fenris, as she called him. Unlike the other items she made that she infused, he did not run down although he needed to feed, mostly on rocks or coal.

She unhooked the anvil from its moorings and lifted it out, swinging round to come down the stairs easily. She could carry it without effort, but to do might reveal her true nature. She wasn't really bothered, but it might bring attention from Keva or his agents. And that was not a good thing.

So she made it look like an effort to carry it in, Fenris at her side. The first sight of him caused a few astonished stares from the other smiths, including Jeremiah, although he recovered quicker. No doubt he was used to such things on account of his arm.

She placed the anvil and stood, dusting her hands. "There that's the hard part. The rest will be easier." She smiled. "This is my friend Fenris. Fenris, this is Jeremiah."

Fenris barked once and wagged his tail.

edited 15th Feb '13 1:49:17 PM by JasonC

Gray hummed so slightly as she wandered towards the inn, after thanking the ones responsible for a ride. She looked left and right around the place. For a last bastion of hope it sure looked rather... lively. Waddling so slightly towards the counter, she leaned on it.

"My bones be achin'. Can this old lady get a room and some mead?" She said.

Vesper quickly clamped her mouth shut and gave a stiff nod to Uisce—she did not need to have herself saying another crazy thing again. If fate really did exist, then it seemed especially eager to mess with her now. Best to not take her chances.

edited 17th Feb '13 7:32:20 PM by NaomiHansen

"Hmm? Why so silent?" Lesnaya asked Vesper as she noticed her companion shut your mouth. She adjusted the position of her spear resting on her shoulder "And what does he mean by getting a room?"

A relatively safe question—no harm in answering it. Vesper held in a sigh, but she did allow her shoulders to relax.

"We're in an inn," explained Vesper, "a place for travelers to rest in the town. 'Getting a room' just means to borrow one of the rooms in the building as a temporary residence. If you have the money to pay for one, that is."

It was good that she remembered all of that, after all that time. Out of the few villages that resided anywhere near her own mountains, Vesper had only seen an inn in one of them (and it had been just as run-down as nearly every other building in that village), and everything that she knew about them was learned from her couple-hours worth of observation of it.

Vesper had to have only been seven or so when she learned that. Who knew that it'd finally be put to good use now?

Uisce could not help but laugh at the women.

"Nicely put Vesper."

Uisce walked up to the owner, one of his spies, and demanded rooms.

edited 15th Feb '13 2:09:25 PM by ShadowKaiser

Vesper's eyes narrowed perplexedly at Uisce's back. It took a good moment before the words actually sunk in, but when they did, her left hand tightened over her right, and for some reason, her throat and chest felt a little tighter.

Was that a compliment? A bit of praise? Uisce laughed, but it didn't appear to be one of ill-intentions, so maybe it was.

Last time she had a compliment of any kind thrown her way was fifteen years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Brownfeather weren't the type to show much affection to her too often, but it was probably the reason why it always felt so invigorating to hear a bit of praise from them when she quickly learned what they would teach her.

If it turned out that it was teasing, though…

Vesper blinked (it was probably remaining rainwater getting into her eyes), throat feeling even tighter.

Well, Vesper had dealt with death threats much worse. It was more important to learn what magic she could while there, and it wouldn't do to mess with those plans in any way, now, so she dropped the subject in her mind.

(So why did this newfound warmth in her chest refuse to go away?)

Uisce turned around, his back to his spy. He was shocked to see Vesper with a tear in her eye.

"Child? Is everything ok?"

Oh no. Vesper didn't know what was being given away this time, so she went with the best approach—the honest one, with a blink and an innocent, confused expression.

"Yes, of course. Why?"

Even though Vesper gave a look of sheer innocence, Uisce was worried for her. Still, he thought, if she wants to keep herself to herself, it was her own business. She said she wanted to learn, and that had to be enough...for now. We all have our secrets, he chided himself. Some more than others.

"Oh. Never mind Vesper, don't fret about the rooms. I'm sure the innkeep will find one"

"Yes, I am the one that goes by the name of Virgilius. Virgilius Crawford." Virgilius looked left and right. Afterward she looked into Tarkus' eyes. "Yes, the murder of a certain faery. The name has escaped me but it will come back in due time."

Virgilius' speech even became something of a faery's. It disturbed Virgilius. Deep inside he was losing what made him him. A terrible torture even now. "I suppose you want my backstory?"

He sat in one of the tables nearest to the corner, inside the tavern. That way, he had a clear vision of the entrance and everyone else in the place. He watched the group that had just entered and drank from his cup. Funnily enough, one of the things he liked the most in humans is that they made good quality beer. "Hm? So many people comming here...", he mumbled to no one in particular, "I don't understand. Keva is trying to raze this city to the ground, and all I see is more people comming. Are they crazy? Do they wish to die?".

Ragnos did not mind the fate of this city and the death of its inhabitants, they would try to kill him on the spot if they discovered about his true nature, after all. But he had a reason to still cling to that city. They were the only thing separating this world from Keva's control, and if there was something he despised the most, that was Keva. He would destroy the things he liked in this world by his own foolishness if left alone.

His interest on the incomming battle was something he could not deny. "Well then, I think I'll end up participating in this anyways. Might as well see it all through the end". He took another gulp from the cup, emptying it.

Tarkus frowned. Backstory? Christ, these faeries really were out of it. "No, I don't really think I'd need to know." He replied. "Why, would that make my job easier or something? I mean, you could tell me about the faery that you need dead, maybe that could jog the name back in there, but I don't need your life story or anything. I really just need to know who I'm killing in order to do my job. No offense or anything, it's just for convenience's sake."

"Um, alright," responded Vesper a little uncertainly, turning away.

Straight into Lesnaya's face.

"Oh!" Vesper gasped, taking a step back. "I apologize—I forgot you were there for a moment."

"I'm not a faery, I'm a human male. How's that for a curve ball?" Virgilius said that outright. Honestly, he was kind of curious at the kind of reaction he'd receive.

edited 15th Feb '13 6:34:12 PM by RagnaTheSaviour

Tarkus frowned harder. Bit his lip. Tried to maintain a professional attitude. "Understood. So, I surmise that the faery you want dead made you that way? That—that explains everything."

This was wrong. It was sick and wrong that someone would dare think it acceptable to simply make someone that way. Twisted and horrible and unforgivable. And Tarkus was being paid to murder the perpetrator.

"...Half what you saw on the notice board for this job. Personal reasons. Now, what do we know about these faeries? Where are they, for instance?"

Uisce looked at the two women. He nearly lauged again, they were so alike.

Yet both reminded him of things. Vesper of when he was The Flowing, and Lesnaya, well he had no idea yet. It was time to get a grip on things.

edited 16th Feb '13 4:05:01 PM by ShadowKaiser