Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 2, 2019 19:27:05 GMT
The Feywild, as Solstice remembered it, was a plane of eternal twilight, gently illuminated by glittering faerie lights bobbing around and a sun forever on the horizon, leaving a splash of color across the sky. Most of her memories took place among its groves and fields, a backdrop for her madcap adventures or days of training or verbal sparring with a generally supportive but concerned foster mother. The baying of a blink dog, the laughter of faerie dragons, the deep thuds of a passing treant were all familiar sounds to her ears, and even the gentler areas ruled by the Summer Court carried a touch of the wild, a glimpse of the stunning beauty and understated danger deeper within the land. It was truly a place of wonder, a quality shared by her present surroundings, though otherwise they were nothing alike.
Solstice had thought herself prepared, having attended the Summer Court and passing through a village here and there on the way to Waterdeep. She was utterly wrong, of course. Crossing the threshold of the River Gate in the guise of a human (as alike to her usual appearance as possible), the young paladin was immediately bombarded with the sights and sounds of the Trade Ward, which to her is an endless sea of buildings and people. She hardly knew where to begin, and followed the foot traffic along the street to one marked as The High Road, an even wider and more crowded thoroughfare. All the while, she peered around at everyone and everything with deep interest; as much as the sylvan entities of the Feywild would be exotic to the ordinary people of this land, the humans, dwarves, halflings and others were to herself. The elves...not so much, and she fought the initial urge to seek them out when there's so much that was new and interesting to explore. Maybe later, when homesickness hit and she started craving the familiar.
And the sky! Dear gods, it was so bright, the sun almost directly overhead and lack of clouds affording her a clear sight of the blue that nearly matched her own eyes. The loud flapping of wings overhead caught her attention and she braced herself, only to witness the soaring griffons above, urged on by figures in polished armor astride them. The griffons' shrieks delighted her and she paused to observe them, not caring that all the gawking would instantly brand her an outsider. She was one anyway, why hide it? Besides, the griffons and their riders seemed to enjoy showing off to the general public. She gasped in wonder when a griffon spirals upward and its rider suddenly leaped off, floating downward until the griffon made a sharp dive, and rider was once again on its back. Thrilled by the sight, she whistled and clapped with other spectators.
If Solstice hadn't been prepared for the sights and sounds of the city, then the variety and strength of various aromas overwhelmed her as well. Spring had definitely come to Waterdeep, and the sweet scents of blooming flowers attracted her attention as merchants bundled them together from stalls or residents tended their windowsill gardens. They weren't enough to mask the much-less pleasant aroma of horse droppings, but it wasn't too difficult to avoid stepping too close to all that...most of the time. The scent of baked bread reawakened her appetite and she decided right then and there the she couldn't handle one more meal of dried rations. After a couple of weeks on the road, she deserved to treat herself. So she did, grabbing a bagful of goods to stash away in her backpack...with the exception of a sweet roll, which was promptly consumed on the spot.
By the time she reached the Market area, the illusion of her human disguise began to fade away. Pinkish tones gave way to bluish ones, her ears became soft and floppy, her nose slightly bovine in shape...and suddenly she was seen at her full height, two feet taller. Still peering around -now approaching the Walking Statue known as the Great Drunkard, a tavern located in its lap- Solstice just began to notice murmurs and startled glances sent her way. Not from all -many of these city folk seem strangely unflappable- but enough to make her realize that tables had turned. The newcomer, gawking at everything and anything around, had suddenly become an exhibit herself. Uncomfortable with this revelation but unable to re-disguise herself for now, she attempted to pretend it didn't bother her, smiling and waving at the gawkers. The fact that she was fully armored and armed probably saved her from being surrounded, at least for now, but that didn't stop Solstice from looking for an exit of sorts.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 3, 2019 5:47:35 GMT
There wasn’t exactly a crowd around Solstice; that would have been a bit of an exaggeration. It was more that in the plaza where she stood, looking around for an exit, there had been something of a slowdown in the usual steady, self-interested movement of the Waterdhavians, enough to create a little bit of a blockage in the street, a sense of stillness (or at least less of a sense of bustle).
Abruptly, something burst through the edges of that stillness – a rapidly moving figure who seemed to be paying very little attention to their surroundings, plowing through the traffic without hesitation. Shrieks and a few yells followed in their wake, pulling the attention back off of Solstice. With the unerring luck of someone not very good at running while looking back over their shoulder, the figure plunged straight into the center of the mass of slowed people and slammed with considerable force directly into Solstice’s armor, with a loud, ringing thunk.
Solstice would be able to see immediately that it was a young, half-orc boy; the grayish-green skin and inhumanly strong jaw were evidence enough. He had a thatch of messy black hair on his head, and scrawny limbs that stuck out of ripped and dirty clothing, with a number of alarming fading yellow-green bruises on his arms, and a larger one on his face – even before he’d run headfirst into Solstice. He looked utterly terrified, and was clutching an oilskin large enough to contain papers in one hand as if his life depended on it.
He looked up at Solstice, then back over his shoulder, then up at Solstice again, panting for breath. “Help me!” He begged, scrabbling at her armor and putting her between him and the side of the plaza he’d come from, crouching to fit behind her.
At the edge of the crowd there was another burst of movement, a second runner. This one was a young woman, with long dark hair shaved nearly to the scalp on one side of her head and braided on the other. She looked every inch a warrior (even if her inches were not very many), dressed in an overlarge copper tunic with a Waterdhavian family crest on the front, with baggy black leggings and what looked like a black shirt beneath. A large glaive was strapped to her back in a makeshift halter, the blade covered by a leather thong secured to the hilt with ties.
Kara followed unerringly through the gaps the half-orc boy had left through the passer-byers, closing the distance to Solstice very quickly; it looked like there would be just moments before she would reach them.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 3, 2019 23:50:03 GMT
Rather alert to her surroundings thanks to the sheer novelty of it all and then the sudden attention directed her way, Solstice was quick to notice the sudden burst of movement that prompted the shouts of market visitors. As the startled or angry yells were close and getting closer, she tried to see what the commotion was about before it had a chance to reach her. Unfortunately, it was difficult to pick out specifics in time when everyone else around was so much smaller than herself. She remained rooted in place, though, both wanting to see what all the commotion was about, and acting on her instinct to protect. Just because she was ignorant as to local laws and such (not that she ever placed much stock in those, anyway) didn't mean that she couldn't attempt to help where help was needed. A paladin could do no less.
The sudden figure slamming into her armor didn't knock her over, or even cause her to sway, though Solstice reached up to steady the boy with firm (but not harsh) grip, a frown of concern on her lips. She had never seen a half-orc so close, though now was not the time for her usual intense curiosity. His terror didn't go unnoticed and she frowned further upon seeing those bruises. "What--" She cuts herself off, deciding that she can't look at those bruises further without doing something about them. As he scrambled behind her, she reached down and quickly let some of her divine energy flow into him. Just a little, hopefully enough to begin healing the bruise on his face and alleviate some of its pain. She didn't give him all that she had, though, as his urgent plea was enough to make her realize that this wasn't over yet.
So she stood firm, a seven-foot-six bulwark against what was coming, with her shield unslung from her back though her longsword remained in its sheath for now. The need for lethal force in a market seemed a bit unlikely, and rather extreme. If that was over-optimistic of her to assume...well, she would soon discover that for herself. And she did, as the second runner came into view. For a moment, Solstice was baffled at his fear of what seemed a very small woman, well below what seemed to be the norm for an adult human. (Was she an adult?) But the scars and calluses -not to mention that glaive- were soon noted, and the way she moved informed the firbolg that this woman knew how to fight, and fight well.
Intriguing, but yet again she had to put aside her curiosity and do what was right...well, get some answers first. (The gentle chiding of her foster mother echoes in her mind, to rein in impulse and try to understand a situation before jumping to conclusions.) She leveled her gaze downward at the approaching woman, hoping her size will be an effective shield for the boy as well as force the woman to pay attention to her first. When she spoke, it was in fluent Common with a notable Sylvan accent, her tone even but firm. She wanted answers, from someone. If the boy was too frightened to speak further, than maybe this woman could give her some insight...if she can hold back from hostilities.
"Wait, what's happened here? Why are you after him?"
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 4, 2019 6:49:25 GMT
Kara pushed her way through the throng, eyes fixed on the far edges of it. If the boy had run through he had left no sign of his passage - unlikely, with how many were crowded into the square. She scanned the group again, and her eyes caught on the enormous - humanoid - in the middle of it all and staring directly at her.
Kara had thought her time in Sundabar and Everund had prepared her for all manner of things. Dwarves she had grown up with, elves as well. Many of the rarer humanoids - genasi, yuan-ti, tabaxi, even goliath - she had seen. This one was new, enormous, armor clad, and holding a sheathed longsword.
Without any conscious thought Kara swung her glaive off her back, gripping the polished wood in one callused brown hand and resting the butt of the weapon against the ground. The leather tie stayed on, hiding the wicked blade beneath. Only now did she see a hint of grayish-green skin behind the armor - the boy.
The half-orc was, despite his young age, already taller than Kara. That didn't seem to be a relief to him; he was practically trembling against Solstice's back.
Kara looked at the - giant? she didn't quite look like a giant - as she spoke. She was silent for a long moment, gaze flicking from the half-orc back to the non-giant. Her grip on the glaive tightened.
The square was still busy and choked with people, but they were going on their own way again, movement picking back up. As if on some invisible signal everyone gave the three of them a wide berth, creating a little island of space for the three of them.
Kara's voice was hoarse and dry when she spoke, scratchy from the dust. "He," she gestured at the boy with her chin, "is a thief!"
"I am not!" The boy clutched the oilskin of papers against his chest, fiercely and desperately. He didn't step out from behind Solstice.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 5, 2019 4:11:42 GMT
"Let's just talk, eh? I'm sure we can settle this without weapons."
Making her best attempt to not escalate tensions between them all, Solstice returned her shield to her back in one swift motion and gestured for the woman to lower the glaive. It was obvious to anyone observing that she was upset and perhaps she had every reason to be, but encouraging bloodshed without knowing the facts wasn't the way of the firbolg paladin. The fact that this woman was currently speaking rather than just lunging for the boy encouraged Solstice to give her the benefit of the doubt on that end. She could only hope that decision wasn't premature.
The accusation of theft brought a light frown to Solstice's face, and her gaze shifted over to the half-orc boy practically attached to her back. His age was difficult for her to assess, not knowing his kind, but even small children could make capable pickpockets, something she had been warned about before setting foot in the City of Splendors. She didn't step away, not about to take back her protective instinct without good reason, but that didn't mean this accusation will go unquestioned. Her tone grew firmer as she tried to focus on her more than the woman with the glaive, her gaze shifting to the oilskin of papers.
"What do you have there, then? How'd you come by them?"
Her piercing blue eyes settle on the boy, trying to discern what she can from him beyond his obvious fear. Someone was either lying or mistaken, and as she didn't personally know either before now, she would have to trust her own intuition on the matter. The words of her foster mother echoed in her mind: 'Listen to what is said and how it is said. Don't believe everything you hear, but believe that there is a reason for everything people say. Find the reason behind the statement and you can judge its veracity, and the person saying it, more accurately.' Solstice doubted she could ever match her foster mother's way of knowing one's true essence with a mere glance, but it was still advice she would attempt to follow, all the same.
(Insight check on both? Or not, those aren't great rolls.) Kara: XWqh_s_y1d20+2 | Half-orc kid: 1d20+21d20+2·1d20+2
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 5, 2019 7:18:12 GMT
Kara eyed the not-giant, looking thoroughly skeptical about her claims of settling things peacefully. The not-giant replaced her sword on her back, but she was still - large. Large enough that Kara wasn’t sure she would need the sword. A glaive was an equalizer against large humans, yes, even some of the creatures a little bigger than that; she had fought orcs with it, and she hadn’t lost every time. But…
Kara took a half-step back, more comfortable with a little distance between them. As far as she could tell, the not-giant didn’t seem to know the half-orc boy well, and the extra distance wouldn’t matter much; it might even help her if she needed to try and dodge around the not-giant. Fine. With a motion as easy and fluid as the one she’d used to draw it, she returned the glaive to her back. Her eyes shifted from the not-giant to the sliver of visible half-orc boy.
The boy was still shaking. He looked down at the oilskin against his chest, his gaze tracking Solstice’s. His grip on it tightened, until the edges were creasing. “They’re mine. I didn’t steal them because – you can’t steal something that’s already yours.” He looked more than half a mess, even with the healing Solstice had given the bruises on his face; the tears in his clothing and the dirt ground into them were worse than one would expect from boyhood messiness. He smelled too, faintly, like sour sweat and garbage. He spoke well though; not of the accent or shortening of words typical of those who grew up without formal schooling. Kara noted it, whether Solstice did or not.
“They’re Lord Lannholder’s papers,” Kara said, voice hoarse and tight. She hated speaking; she was even more tense than before. She didn’t fully turn away, but she visibly checked back over her shoulder once. Had she been the only guard to follow the boy this far? Her hands gripped for the belt securing her tunic, thumbs hooking into it for a moment before releasing; she wanted them free, not constrained by the belt. She clenched them, once, then released. Instead, she touched one brown, scarred hand to the noble crest on her tunic, tugging at it before releasing it. “I’m one of his guards.”
“They’re not his! They’re mine,” The half-orc boy looked up at Solstice, focusing all his attention and pleading on his potential protector. “Please – I’m not lying!”
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 6, 2019 0:04:18 GMT
That skepticism doesn't go unnoticed, though it was nothing Solstice hadn't seen already. Maybe not quite in this flavor of circumstance, but she had noticed passerby on the road to Waterdeep observing her in a very similar manner. Travelers already tended to be wary folk, probably due to bandits or whatnot, and her relatively great size -not to mention said sword and armor- didn't do anything to alleviate concerns. She squashed down the urge to insist that she's not aggressive, especially when the boy's fear and the woman's anger were less revealing than she'd hoped so far. Just because she still wanted to end matters peacefully doesn't mean it was a given.
The half-orc boy has the bulk of her sympathy, and her gaze is soft as she takes in that trembling and bruising that she still plans to alleviate further...if he didn't run off before then. Given his demeanor, she wouldn't be too surprised if he was spooked sooner than later. His scent didn't go unnoticed either, though she would probably have to dwell in Waterdeep a bit longer before noting what Kara did about his manner of speech. She'd barely had a chance to speak to anyone yet, so the differences in speech didn't stand out to her yet. It was all foreign and marvelous. Her tone remained calm, but firm as she held out a hand for the oilskin. It was time to get to the heart of the matter.
"You need to give me better answers if I'm to help, lad. Are you sure they were yours to take? How are they already yours if they belong to this lord, too? What sort of papers are they, exactly?" She nods over to the woman, her glance appreciative. Her tension is noted, but she returned the glaive to her back, and combined with them exchanging words now, that's not nothing. Every bit counts. And yes, she was well-aware of being sized up but when she was doing the exact same thing, it was to be expected. This woman seemed faster, more nimble than herself and that was a potential issue she didn't really want to see answered.
"My name is Solstice. I don't know this boy or your lord, so I'm as impartial as it gets. Maybe that can serve you both. Will you allow me a look-over, just to see what he's talking about? It could go a long way toward settling all this ruckus." The boy isn't upset without some kind of reason, whether or not he's being entirely truthful, and it seemed the content of the papers was at the heart of the contention. If she was to help at all, if they'd let her, then she could see no other course but to inspect. Thank the gods that her foster mother insisted on Solstice learning her letters.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 6, 2019 15:08:31 GMT
Kara looked at the not-giant - Solstice - carefully. The boy was quivering like a scared rabbit. Kara thought like as not he was a thief and a liar to boot; half-orcs often were. At the same time it was clear he was terrified, and Kara couldn't help but notice the bruising on him. Children shouldn't be hit like that - not even half-orcs.
Kara nodded her agreement to Solstice's plan. If Solstice had the papers then the boy couldn't run off with them. Again.
"No!" The boy shook his head, and suddenly the dam of his silence burst and the words came spilling out. "They are mine. They were my mother's - see?" he shifted his hands on the oilskin to reveal a monogrammed SR. "Sorya Riverson. Not Lord Lannholder!" He stopped, panting hard for breath, looking from Kara to Solstice, both of whom seemed against him.
His nerve shattered. The boy turned to flee, fighting his way through the crowd towards the other edge of the square.
Kara didn't hesitate; she took off at an angle, skirting Solstice, and charged after the boy.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 6, 2019 21:16:21 GMT
For a brief moment before that 'no', Solstice was relieved. A moment to investigate was all she really needed, and then she could tend to the rest of the boy's wounds. His heritage didn't matter to her, only the circumstances and how to best help them if she could. So, naturally it all had to fall apart. She had just seen the monogrammed initials and was about to ask his mother, when the boy's nerves gave way. When he darted away, she let out a frustrated sigh. It hadn't been entirely unexpected, but she'd hoped for different.
"Blast it, stop! I'm trying to help you!"
Solstice wasn't as swift in her movements as the woman with the glaive, but her long legs had to count for something. She didn't necessarily have to beat them in a test of speed, if she could use her size to her advantage. Less interested in cutting her off than reaching the boy anyway, she tried to keep him in her sights while charging ahead. Between the two of them, he was the one who stood out easier in a mostly-human crowd, anyway. Whatever murmurs and stares happened this time, she was completely oblivious to them this time.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 7, 2019 2:23:29 GMT
Kara was quicker off the block, yes, but Solstice had nearly three feet of height on her, and that gave her a significant advantage. As Kara had already learned, it wasn’t that hard to track one scared half-orc boy through the streets of Waterdeep if you didn’t let him get too far ahead; yes, there were a lot of people, and yes, the ease of getting through them depended on how much you were willing to dodge (for Kara) or refuse to yield (for Solstice; she was really too big to weave around the mostly-humans), but there just weren’t that many of them sprinting flat out. There would be plenty of murmurs and stares, naturally.
Kara kept an eye on the boy; at the other end of the square she saw a flash of familiar color. Two other of Lord Lannholder’s guards had reached them, finally, and were looking around. Whether rightly or wrongly, Kara didn’t signal them - just kept after the half-orc and Solstice.
The boy burst through the edges of traffic on the square and into a nearby alley - which ended abruptly in a wall. He glanced back over his shoulder, yelped to see Solstice so close and Kara not far behind, shoved the oilskin beneath his arm and started to try and climb. He had barely reached Solstice’s height by the time she caught him, a few feet ahead of Kara - but he wouldn’t stop trying to escape either, and if she didn’t do something he would be over the wall in a few moments.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 7, 2019 23:17:45 GMT
Solstice was used to people giving her the right of way, so she didn't think twice about just charging ahead in a crowded place. While she didn't try to knock anyone over, her attention was elsewhere and she wasn't going to avert it being overly gentle with those who handle a little jostling. Fortunately, nearly everyone catching sight of the large, heavily-armored giant-kin blazing a trail was quick to take themselves anywhere but in her direct path. "Excuse me, sorry! Mostly...." She didn't sound too apologetic, though, dead-set on not losing her target.
And there he was, bursting into the nearby alley. Not wasting time, she dashed over toward the boy and clamped a hand down upon his shoulder to prevent him from scaling that wall. Her touch wasn't too rough, though, and divine energy flowed through it to help heal the rest of the half-orc boy's bruises. If it took all she had, that was fine. Hopefully that would help convince him that she meant no harm. There were ways to command and restrain, or even just plain intimidate, but he had done nothing to earn such treatment as far as she can tell, and she's not about to destroy any chance at trust by falling back on them now.
"Hold up! Look, I'm sorry if I sounded ungentle. I just wanted the guardswoman to listen to me, too. I've not taken their side yet, I promise! I just want to understand and maybe help settle this. You'll not be harmed while I'm here." Her tone was gentle as she could make it, only a bit rushed due to the urgency. She could hear Kara's footsteps and without looking back held up a finger, requesting her to stop her approach for just a moment. That the boy could scale the wall hadn't escaped her mind, and this would be a lot harder if he suddenly decided to do just that.
(She can throw in up to 15 hp total.)
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 8, 2019 17:03:15 GMT
The boy tensed beneath Solstice’s hand, shaking – but the warmth of the healing energy flowing through him seemed to make him think better of shrugging her off. Solstice would feel that healing him entirely didn’t take all of her energy. There was more than just the bruises that needed attention – cracked ribs that would knit back together beneath her fingers and intestinal parasites chief among them – but he wasn’t too badly damaged overall.
“I won’t give you the papers,” the boy’s voice cracked, abruptly higher than it had been, almost childlike. He cleared his throat, slowly dropping off the wall and looking up at Solstice. Even healed he still had a scrawny, skinny look too him, and dark circles beneath his eyes; even Solstice’s energy couldn’t do much for too little food or lack of sleep. He clutched the oilskin to his chest again.
Kara stopped at the entrance to the alley in response to Solstice’s raised finger, keeping her distance from the two of them. She could still hear the conversation, though, and she was tensed and ready, planning to follow if the boy turned to flee again.
“I won’t,” He shook his head. “I – I lost them once and I – I won’t give them up again.” The boy looked up at Solstice, clearly afraid, but unyielding. “I mean to take them to a scribe and have copies made and then – then – “ He trailed off, slowly, as if his planning hadn’t gotten that far.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 9, 2019 3:35:25 GMT
"And then...?" Solstice gently prompted, not taking her eyes off the boy this time. The guardswoman listening in was fine, but she wasn't going to make the mistake of trying to balance her attention between them again, if possible. As long as the boy was relatively calm and talking, not fleeing, she thought the guardswoman -whose name she'll want to ask at some point- could be trusted enough to at least wait and see what came of this attempt at diplomacy. She suspected that if the boy bolted yet again, the woman in question would be much less forgiving and patient. And for all her sympathy toward the boy, Solstice couldn't entirely blame her for that.
The fey giant-kin woman crouched down on one knee, trying not to continue towering over him and unintentionally intimidate him further. There's been enough of that, after all. "If you won't hand them over, how about you tell us what's in them? What's this have to do with your mother, lad? Sorya Riverson." A small smile curved her lips. "A lovely name, that. Was she good to you?" And what was responsible for his lack of care now? She wanted to ask, but one thing at a time. Hopefully pulling on one thread would lead to this tangle of questions unraveling.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 9, 2019 4:38:05 GMT
The boy’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t – I don’t know,” he swallowed, hard. “But once I have the copies made I – I’ll figure it out,” determination burned in his eyes.
He relaxed a little, noticeably, when Solstice kneeled down to get closer to his height. He hesitated, looking down at the oilskin, then back at her. At the question about his mother, the boy scowled at Solstice, suddenly fierce. “She was! She didn’t have to be – everybody said she shouldn’t be – but she was. She loved me, even though I – I’m –” He looked down at himself, falling silent.
“She used to work for the Lord,” The boy explained, slowly. “Before she had me. For Lord Lannholder,” he swallowed, hard. “She was a scribe for him. And – she was traveling, when – orcs, and – then I – and she could have not had me, or given me away, and I know people told her she should but she said she loved me the moment she met me and she’d never give me up,” he was shaking, and now his voice cracked again, and tears spilled from his eyes, flowing freely down his face. There was a sort of tension and misery in his voice, like a wire finally pulled too thin that’s snapped, and it was clear this was something he needed to speak on, desperately.
“But,” he was fighting off sobs now, visibly, trying to control himself – trying to be a man about it. He swallowed, hard, trying to regain control. “But – Lord Lannholder, he gave her the house because he felt bad, but he didn’t want her to work for him with… with me around.” He jutted his chin out. “And he gave it to her! The deed – it’s in here, it was in her papers, only they’d taken it when I came back from making the funeral arrangements, and they told me it wasn’t her house, only a lease, that I must’ve read it wrong, but I didn’t – I didn’t! I know what it said.” The boy was shaking now, tears drying up as he focused more on the injustice of it.
“That’s why I took the papers,” the boy admitted, voice small. “To prove that – that she could leave the house to me, since it was hers, and not – not Lord Lannholder’s.”
Kara had taken a few steps closer. She looked down at herself, let out a quiet sigh, and stripped off the fancy new tunic and the job with it, folding it over her arm. It left her in a tight black shirt, short-sleeved, and long black leggings, revealing the muscular lines of her body, and a few scars on her upper arms that had been covered before. Despite herself – despite a considerable inherent distrust of orcs and half-orcs – she believed the boy. She couldn’t not believe him.
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Jarovbees
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Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
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Post by Jarovbees on Apr 9, 2019 18:39:26 GMT
Solstice believed him, too. If he allowed it, she would draw him closer for a comforting embrace. Gods knew he seemed to need it, and she can't see tears and misery without offering as much. Her bright blue eyes were all sympathy, and her voice grew quiet as she spoke, though still audible for the guardswoman to hear. "I believe you, lad. No wonder you wanted to hold onto it so fiercely. Your mother would be proud, I think. And so am I, for what it's worth."
She glanced back to the guardswoman, about defend the boy if it came to that, only to see her remove the tunic. There's a spark of surprise and gratitude in her eyes; she didn't know the woman personally, so see that show of compassion instantly endeared her. People who cared more about doing what was right, rather than just doing their jobs, would always have a place in her heart.
Speaking to the boy again...well, them both. "I've given you my name. Will you give me yours? It would be good to have friends in this city. You seem smart and capable, lad; you nearly gave us the slip, after all. But if you find yourself needing help -or just wanting someone to talk to- I'm planning to stick around. I can be found at--shite, what's a local inn?" She glanced over to the woman first, hoping she would know. What a time to be a newcomer and not have any clue about accommodations nearby.
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