Fantasy Danger and deceit (Completed)

[Cartoonicat]

She frowned at being shut out. It had happened with Seoc, though entirely justified. Had she unwittingly done something to garner Logan's mistrust? Thinking back on his dead ex-employer and the stolen ledger, Louisa felt like cursing the assassin. Had he not interfered maybe Logan would be more open with her.

When he finally caved, Louisa's brows shot to her hairline. "Are you mad? That's basic suicide, Logan!" She shook her head, "No, no. Just wait for me, alright? I'll come up with something better - safer, for the both of us."

The assassin came to mind but she'd explore that avenue once she talked Logan down from his insane idea, if she could.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Why do you... Ughh... never mind." Logan gave up on trying to get an explanation out of her. "It is not that difficult. I have calculated everything and I have made the potions necessary to boost my agility." Climbing a ten meter steep cliff could not be "not difficult", but if Logan knew what he was doing, perhaps he would be able to pull it off. Perhaps. "I can't wait any longer. I'm leaving tonight and if you don't have anything better by then, well, I'll see you in Upper Myrr, if you ever manage to get to there."

- Go talk to the assassin.
- Convince Logan to take you with him.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite his confidence Louisa still had her doubts. Plenty of them. "Fine," she said, stepping back but keeping her eyes on his with a fierce determination she hadn't felt since arriving in Myrr. "I'll find a way and meet you at The Mermaid before nightfall. Be there!"

And with that she broke off into a sprint towards the carnival tents, sorely hoping the assassin would help keep her friend - friend? - from falling to his death due to impenetrable stubbornness.

 

[ArcticFox]

If the main square and the docks had seemed busy, the festival grounds were in a league of their own. Brightly coloured tents occupied a whole district and the crowd milling about around them was so thick that Louisa had to push through elbowing and shoving. She would come out of that whole ordeal with a couple of bruises.

There were various kinds of performers on the grounds. On one side was a ring in which center stood two men. One was an orc, with incredibly large tusks, shirtless and growling. The other was a dwarf with a beard that dragged on the ground behind him and he shouted in his deep voice: "Twenty silver to any man or woman who manages to best Braga in the ring! You sir, are you interested? Come on, Braga here will not hurt you! He will just break your bones!" Needless to say that no one rose to the challenge.

To the left was a tent with such a queue of people in front of it that it just had to draw attention. Fortune Teller, was written on the sign. It must have been a very good one, since people were so eager to visit them.

Straight ahead stood a bear tied to a pole and a human man prancing around him in frilly clothes, calling people up to donate the coin to see the bear dance. To the right of him were some people actually dancing, forming a circle that seemed to envelop everyone who approached them.

Very close to the beginning of the row of tents stood a half-orc boy next to a bag of apples. Behind him, a couple of steps further, was a very small bowl. The boy was hawking: "Three silver for three tries! Get one in and you get five silver! Get two in and you get eight! Get three and you get ten!"

This seemed like a hot spot for pickpockets.

- Go fight Braga.
- Go to the fortune teller.
- Go throw the apples.
- Go dance.
- Go examine the bear.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Crowds and carnivals were fun when one wasn't on a quickly approaching deadline. Had Logan simply agreed to wait, Louisa might have found herself enjoying the atmosphere rather than staring at the sea of people with dread. How was she to find the assassin - who she didn’t even have a name for - in such a mess?

Perhaps he'll find me? Louisa could only hope. He is quite good at that.

So with patience and nerves of more or less equal measure, Louisa meandered until the apple throwing game caught her eye. She didn't really have the coins to spare, but she was accurate with a bow. How hard could throwing apples be? If she won even two silver, it'd be worth it.

If not… well, she'd know for next time.

"I’d like to throw three apples, please," she said, offering three silver to the half-orc boy.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hello!" The kid greeted her with a smile, flashing his small lower tusks at her. "Of course! Here!" His voice was very high pitched, which was unusual for someone with orkish blood, and his manner was very bubbly. He took out one of the apples from the bag and offered it to her.

As Louisa paid for the three tries and took the overly ripe apple that was as large as her fist, she noticed that the bowl stood on ten meters distance, which was about as distant as you would set a target during a bow and arrow shooting training. It was much different when you actually tried to toss something into a very small bowl from that distance.

Needles to say that her first attempt failed miserably, despite the accuracy she had with her weapons usually. The apple hit the edge of the bowl and bounced away.

- Try again.
- Quit.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa pondered the young boy's heritage for but a moment before she was handed her first apple. She'd taken great care in aiming only for her throw to fall short. With a frown, she felt herself drawn further into the game. How frustrating!

Since she'd already purchased three throws, she may as well continue. The weight and throwing maneuver was far different than what she was used to, but perhaps she'd do better on her second toss.

Winding her arm back, Louisa let fly her second apple.

 

[ArcticFox]

She prepared for another toss, adding a bit more precision to her throw. It landed straight in. Or so she thought. The apple ended up rolling on the rims of the bowl and instead of getting inside, it jumped out.

"Well, that was very unlucky!" The kid laughed, handing her the third and final apple.

- Try again.
- Give up.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"What in the-," Louisa cut herself off, pursing her lips. She was certain it had gotten in. How had she missed? Unless… she eyed the laughing boy warily. Then she sighed. As similar as she was to her mother, she would never shake the playfulness her father had instilled in her - even if it was significantly less than his own.

It was ridiculous how many coins he had wasted on carnival games just like this one.

"I don't suppose I can walk away with just two shots and my last silver coin back?" She smiled sheepishly at the boy. If he said no, she'd surely take the last throw and be done with it, but she hoped he'd take pity on her and relent.

 

[ArcticFox]

The boy just laughed. "Nope! Take a shot or don't, but you are not getting it back!"

She did not get to respond. Someone slammed against her from behind and then smoothly ran past her. That was when she noticed that her bow was gone. The thief had slipped through the crowd to the edge of the festival grounds, by the bear trainer.

- Pursue the thief.
- Don't do it.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Losing three silver was one thing, but losing her family bow was another issue entirely. Before she knew what she was doing, Louisa spun on her heel and sprinted after the glimpse off the thief with a resounding "Stop!" People had grabbed at her bow before - just like the locket she often kept hidden from prying eyes - but she'd never been so distracted as to let it be taken off her person entirely. That being said, her heart felt as though it'd leapt into her throat; what would she do if they got away?

She may or may not have knocked several people to the ground in her pursuit, but she could feel guilty about that later.

 

[ArcticFox]

She saw where the crowd parted as the thief pushed through and he managed to keep on his trail. However, when she passed the chained bear and the crowd thinned, there was no sigh of the figure in black.

As she stood in the alley looking around, a blade slid under over he throat, very gently, yet very firm. A hand wrapped around her waist and a body was pressed against her. Then, there was a familiar husky voice in her ear.

"Hello, Agent." Warm breath on her ear and a sound of a low chuckle. "You are very reckless for someone who should not let her presence be known in this city."

- Call in on the favour.
- Try to get away.
- Greet him.

 

[Cartoonicat]

At first she gasped - anyone with a blade to their neck would, though. Then she tensed, feeling him behind her. A shiver trailed up her spine, stark contrast to the heat of his breath. Louisa closed her eyes. Exhaled hard through her nostrils. Her nerves were wrecked enough without his presence, which was undeniably powerful from where she stood.

Louisa did not appreciate that one bit.

With almost a hiss she squirmed, trying to get away without slicing her own neck accidentally. As much as she needed his help - initially with Logan but now probably with her bow - she wasn't of the mind to let him treat her like a toy. Maybe she'd been more tolerant - more intimidated, actually - had the thief who'd stolen her bow not drowned her vision in red.

 

[ArcticFox]

His laugh only continued when she started to squirm. It was an unexpectedly warm sound. "Don't squirm, Agent, you'll cut yourself." He let go of her abruptly, before she caused more harm than good. When she moved away from him she noticed her bow slung over his shoulder. He followed her gaze and then shrugged it off and extended it toward her. "It was to get your attention only." But something in his voice said that this was some sort of a payback for owing her. On that subject, he did not look any worse for wear now, even though he was injured only last night.

"You have someone you want gone already? Who is it?"

- Explain what you want.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Upon being released, Louisa whirled around only to have whatever retort she had in mind die on her lips. "My bow!" She exclaimed instead, taking it. After a quick inspection that revealed nothing had been done to it, she returned it to its proper place on her back and leveled the assassin with a disapproving glare. "A tap on the shoulder would have worked just fine." Then she got a good look at him - or as good as she could with all of his armor covering the injury site from the night prior - and knit her brows together curiously. Unless he was one grand actor, the assassin seemed to heal at an alarmingly fast rate.

She couldn't dwell too much on that thought, though, for Logan was hopefully waiting at The Mermaid for her. There was work to be done.

"Yes. Well, no. I am calling in that favor, though," she said. "I need a way into Upper Myrr for myself and a friend. Tonight. He'll only wait until nightfall and if I don't have a plan by then, he's going to do something irreversibly stupid."

 

[ArcticFox]

The assassin stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows slightly creasing. It was clear by his expression that he did not like the idea of helping her in this way. But, he also did not complain.

"So your investigation is moving upward. Well, I know of two ways to go to the Upper city. One would require a guard uniform, a knowledge of passwords and a bit of intimidation. And the other would be much simpler. There is an underground passage that connect the kitchens of the guard barracks in Lower Myrr with those in Upper. I can get you to it. And your friend, if absolutely necessary."

- Go with the passwords.
- Go through the passage.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Thank goodness, Louisa thought. The stress of hunting down a plan and her bow melted into a smile.

"The passage," she said. So far her whole journey had been nothing but complications; simple was refreshing, a welcome reprieve.

 

[ArcticFox]

The assassin nodded. "You'll need to be careful and you'll need to improvise. Also, I trust that you will keep this path a secret. I do owe you my life, which is why I'm willing to share this with you. You must know that there are a lot of people in Lower Myrr that would kill to know of a way inside the Upper city." He paused briefly before continuing. "I'll get you inside the barracks and the kitchens, but you will be on your own once you come out on the other side. When do you plan on leaving?"

Louisa should notify Logan about this and leave as quickly as possible. She should also know that one person would be able to disappear easily enough, but it would be more difficult with two of them.

- Answer.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa nodded. "I'll keep it secret and so will he," she said. She couldn't think of a reason why Logan would willingly give away the path's location - it wasn't like he was money hungry, from what she'd seen - so she trusted he'd be honorable.

"Right now, if possible," she said. "He's waiting at The Mermaid."

As nerve-wrecking enough as it was - especially with the risk of two people, not one - Louisa still found herself a little excited to leave Lower Myrr. What was the upper city like, she wondered? Only time - and a lot of stealth - would tell.

 

[ArcticFox]

The assassin had disappeared from he view as soon as she turned to leave. "I'll be waiting in the square. Meet me there, during daylight or at night time, your choice, Agent."

--

When Louisa entered the Mermaid, Logan was sitting at the bar, drinking a glass of some kind of pungent smelling milk. As he heard her footsteps approach, he turned sideways on the chair, looking at her over the shoulder.

"So, have you figured out some sort of an impeccable plan?" His tone did not sound very confident.

Louisa had a choice of going with the two of them during the day, or during the night. The assassin was willing to lead them there at any time. However, she still did not have any details as to how they would be able to sneak inside. Logan had promised he would listen to her, however, she would have to be very convincing. He was a stubborn man at best.

- Go during the day.
- Go at night.
- Go with Logan's plan.

 

[Cartoonicat]

During her walk to The Mermaid Louisa dwelled on how, exactly, she'd get Logan on board. It wasn't as though assassins were trustworthy people, especially when you were their target. This one did seem different, though she was not sure Logan would see it that way.

Perhaps it best to leave that detail out, for now.

"A friend of mine knows of an underground passage," she explained, "they said they could get us inside. I suggest leaving as soon as possible; guards may be less apt to suspect trespassers during the day." Louisa eyed the milk he was drinking, curious but not curious enough to inquire about its foul smell. "Sorry to say we won't be scaling any cliffs like you wanted with this plan, but it's got a much higher chance of success."

 

[ArcticFox]

"A friend, huh?" Logan gave her a look. "If you have a friend willing to take you to Upper Myrr, then why are you trying to haul me off with you as well? I mean, you can go your way now and I can go scale the cliffs, and everyone is happy." It would have been a flat out rejection, if he did not continue speaking. "You know what, let's go meet your friend. I'll decide then." He passed by Louisa, expecting her to follow. "I still don't know why you insist on having me go with you."

- Answer and go to the square.
- Don't answer, just get to the square.

 

[Cartoonicat]

It seemed the white lie about her relationship with the assassin worked well enough, except how Logan thought they were friends. They were not friends.

Louisa began a retort but stopped. Closed her mouth. Drew her eyebrows together. As Logan passed by she stared briefly at his back before walking after him.

Why did she care so much? Logan was rude at best, aggressive at worst. But he was also kind, generous, beneath the surface. Over the course of the few days she'd been in Myrr, he'd become a familiar face. Dare she think it, a somewhat comforting presence.

Where she had believed in the possibility of a friendship with Miss Fortune, Louisa had never stopped to think of one with Logan. Until now, at least. She'd been worried about other feelings developing, completely disregarding the potential for anything platonic. But a friendship with Logan? It was... quite a nice thought.

She answered with a quiet murmur that could have been anything, but sounded an awful lot like: "If you something were to happen to you, I would be very sad." Then she stepped forward quickly, taking the lead and avoiding his face lest he actually understood the embarrassing sentiment.

 

[ArcticFox]

Logan did not look like he heard Louisa speak, though his face had gotten a bit redder when they walked outside. It might have been the early autumn heat only.

The assassin was waiting for them at the square. He was the one to approach Louisa first, as she could not have recognized him - he wore a plain grey chainmail, a red garb with a sigil of Myrr over it. He was in a guard uniform. He also carried a large woven sack and was quick to direct them to a side street.

"Here." He said without any introduction, throwing the sack on the ground. "There is one more guard uniform here. One of you will go as a guard and the other will play the role of a prisoner. You choose which role suits you the best."
"A pleasure to meet you as well." Logan answered with a frown. His arms were crossed and he did not look like he was pleased at all. "Strange friends you keep." He muttered aside to Louisa.
"I agree." The assassin answered in an equally stern tone.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Logan made a step toward him, his expression dangerously grim. The assassin did no flinch, turning to Louisa instead.
"If you want me to get you inside Upper city this way, pick your roles quickly. Otherwise, I'm leaving."

- Be a prisoner.
- Be a guard.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa stopped herself from reaching for Logan's arm, figuring at the last second that touching the mage might only put him more on edge. She balled a fist and dropped her hand. "Play nice," she murmured instead. Kneeling down to the sack, Louisa initially went to grab the guard uniform. She hesitated, her fingers brushing against the chain mail. If she were to play a guard, which she certainly could despite the discomfort, that would leave Logan as a prisoner. Things were already tense between him and the assassin for whatever reason, and the last thing she wanted was to create a power imbalance between the two.

So she grabbed the prisoner garb instead, standing with the fabric in her arms. "I doubt I'm intimidating enough to be a guard," she justified herself, her reason not being a total lie. Louisa was a charmer, not a brute.