Fantasy Danger and deceit (Completed)

[ArcticFox]

Louisa's equipment:

16 silver coins
a shortbow with a quiver on her back
a chipped dagger in her boot
boots and 2 sets of clothes
a pouch with: flask of water, a sharpening tool, a locket
Alden's letters and a drawing of the Book
a half-eaten book
a torn cloak
a ledger
a silver ring
a guard uniform
The Holy Book​

The city of Myrr was much like Louisa expected it to be and more. An unwelcoming and eerie environment, not very healthy for travelers. Well, it must have been for a special kid of adventurers, those looking for easy profit made through gambling, swindling, pickpocketing or assassination. Thugs and assassins were a profession always sought after in Myrr. Since that was needed of her, Louisa could blend in quite well, though this was not the sort of people she usually associated with. Granted, her travels had taken her through many strange situations.

Ever since she joined the Blue Light Order, she had never stayed long in one place. Alden, their terribly wise leader, took a liking to her instantly, training her to be one of a kind Agent of the Order. The Order was known throughout the continents as a group of heroic knights who aided those in need. They never asked for any compensation, but if offered, they would always accept strange relics that people gifted them with. This was on the outside. Louisa belonged to a more secret side of the Order. The Agents walked in shadows and had access to the confidential scrolls held in the Order's libraries throughout their outposts. They used this information to find out more information, all of which would then be stored in another scroll. This allowed Alden to keep many politicians, nobles and kings in his invisible net.

Louisa had never seen The Holy Book of the Order, though she knew what it looked like from the drawing that Alden had sent her with that last letter she got from him. Though it looked to be flourished, it was simple enough, like all his letters. Underneath all the fret and worry that he always expressed in all the letters he sent to her, Louisa knew there was an order. An order she could not go back on.

As she stepped through the gates of the City, having paid the toll that the guards demanded for the privilege, she found herself on a muddy street that led toward the main square. It had rained last night and the flow of people and carts from the morning had made the streets a muddy mess. Her leather boots were already caked with the filth and the tails of her coat did not fare any better. Myrr was an open map to her now, she only needed to decide on which way to go first. She did get two leads from Alden, one was to find his contact in the city, though he did not specify where exactly, and the other was to visit the Trinity. She guessed that the residence of the mentioned rulers of the city could be found easily, anyone probably knew about them, but she also doubted that anyone could approach it freely.

Whichever path she chose for now, she needed to get off that awful street. The road to the left would lead her to the docks, a good source of information as any, there must be all sorts of suspicious people prowling about that area, just eavesdropping on them could prove as productive. The road to the right led somewhere into the distance. There were colorful tents of sorts propped up at the edge of her sight and shapes of people scurried about. What exactly was happening there, she did not know. And if she wanted to stay on the main path, which was less muddy after some distance, she could go forward. That path led right into the heart of the Lower Myrr, the main square. It was bustling with people.


- Go left.
- Go right.
- Go straight.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa considered her options, pulling tighter her cloak as she did so. The city of Myrr was one of the last places she'd have liked to visit, what with the riffraff hanging about at every corner, but Louisa had a job to do. Dedicated to Alden, she vowed now to fail, even if conversing with undesirables put her greatly out of her comfort zone. When it came to assassins and thieves, they could be quite... unpredictable. Curious, she looked towards the direction of the docks; what kind of people would she find at that side of Myrr, she wondered. Most likely those whom she wished to avoid. No, she would not go left. And the right? Well, though Louisa couldn't be sure, she assumed those were entertainment tents. On a regular day she'd love to attend a circus - the woman loved bright lights and fun shows - but when it came to getting information, carnies seemed more difficult to deal with than shady dock workers.

Her mind made up, Louisa went straight. If she could find an amicable towns person or two to speak with, that would be wonderful. She always did excel at small-talk. Gathering information was just a sly, subtle extension of that. As she walked towards the main square, the amount of people that came into view made her feel less antsy - safe. Surely nothing bad could happen in a public crowd such as that.

 

[ArcticFox]

She strolled forward, in the direction of the square, under the stone arch, its walls spattered with mud and filthy water. A carriage passed her by, the two horses sending the specks of mud flying about, some of them reaching Louisa's face. The driver did not pay her any attention and simply continued his own way without giving her a chance to react.

As she walked through the arch and into the open space, though, things seemed to brighten up. The early morning sun had showered the square with its light, making the droplets of rain on the stone walls glisten. The ground was much cleaner here. There was a small well in the middle of the square, and quite a few people were gathered around it. Some women were washing their linens in there, it seemed. A strange place to do that, but no one seemed to pay them any attention. Right next to them two older men looked to be in the middle of an argument, red faced and spitting while they discussed something very passionately. A few steps left of the well, Louisa could see three rickety wooden stands just being set up. One held vegetables and fruits, the other some sort of meat and the farthest one something stored in bottles. This could not have been all of Myrr's market, though, perhaps the stalls only for those that did not intend to venture further in. Lucky bastards.

There were all sorts of people all over the square. Families, washer women, little kids playing with a cloth ball, beggars asking for alms around every corner. Before Louisa could decide what else to do, a body suddenly slammed against her. It was small and scrawny and when she looked down she saw a boy that could not be older than ten, looking up at her with big blue eyes.

"Sorry!" He called out, quickly disengaging from her and continuing to run past back the way she came from. What a cute kid, one would think, but when in the very next moment Louisa absentmindedly reached for her coin pouch at her belt, she found it to be missing. It was not the only pouch she had on her, knowing full well of such risks, but it held about a dozen silver coins, which would pay for at least five days in an inn. It was not really a small sum. It was not her lucky day.


- Run after the kid, yelling and cursing.
- Slowly tail the kid.
- Leave the kid alone and go into the square.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa perused the square, curious eyes hovering over each person of interest. She wondered absently why the women chose to wash their linens in the well ("Don't drink from the well. Noted.") but paid them little mind after the first mental inquiry. Next, Louisa looked to the passionate men who were disputing something seemingly of great importance to them ("I wonder what's gotten them so riled up?"). And then, finally, she turned to the boy who'd crashed into her and was currently running away at a neck-breaking speed. She smiled, calling after him a "It's alright!" until she'd reached for her heaviest coin pouch.

Startled, Louisa realized it was not on her person any longer.

"How dare-..." Louisa turned towards the direction she came, sharp eyes catching the boy amongst the crowd, and kicked off into a sprint. While Louisa wasn't against giving a beggar some money for food or drink by any means, she wasn't ready to part with her silver coins - especially through thievery. That was money she desperately needed for work. "Wait, that's my money!" She called after the child, hot in pursuit. "I see you!"

 

[ArcticFox]

A couple of heads turned toward Louisa, their attention drawn by her loud outburst. Some looked at her baffled and some laughed as if amuse by the sight. She did not have time to think about any one else now, sprinting in pursuit after the kid. The kid zig-zagged through crowd, splattering mud all around, evading people and carts with masterful precision. This was not his first time being pursued. He pushed between two women with baskets, making on of them drop the basked down, fresh apples scattering through the filth. A series of curses joined Louisa's own after, but the kid did not even turn around. She kept following him, always a couple steps behind as manoeuvring the crowds was proving to be a quite a feat. Her coat and pant legs were very dirty by now and her boots slipped on the ground, causing her to stumble a couple of times.

The kid turned north-east from the muddy street, leading her through the alleys in between the area with tents and the town square that was now hidden from sight by the tall stone walls. The streets here were narrow with sharp turns and it would have served to the kid's advantage had he been pursued by a less competent person. The red tarps were hanging from above, stretched between the houses, possibly used to provide some sort of shade in the summer months. It was not so hot now at the beginning of fall and the shade served only to lessen the visibility. Someone emptied a chamber pot right in front of Louisa, causing her to stop in her tracks abruptly and skirt around it. Chatter could be heard in the upper floors of the houses and here and there a naked woman paraded her attributes through a window. The kid was ahead of Louisa and still running, as if on instinct, going somewhere specific. A safe place. A hideout maybe?

After turning a corner on the right, around a house with bright red doors, the kid stopped in his tracks. The alley was barricaded by a tall wooden fence. It was climbable, but he did not approach it, instead just standing there, taking deep ragged breaths. He was clutching her pouch in his left hand as he turned around to look at Louisa, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Stop chasing me!" He yelled, stomping the ground as if to prove his point. He was pretty cheeky for a thief.


- Approach the kid.
- Speak to the kid from a distance.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa skidded to a stop, careful not to let the momentum of running carry her past the barricaded alleyway. With a heavy breath Louisa brushed the newly frizzed locks from her face; she was flushed from overexertion and the fear of losing so much money. Her skin tingled, itched to make her leap forward and snatch it from the boy's hands. But Louisa didn't listen to the adrenaline clouding her judgement. No, she stayed at a distance, if only to not scare him.

"I will stop chasing you once you return my coin pouch to me," she said, willing her voice into sounding more composed than she felt, "and if you do, I won't call the guards on you. This will be our little secret."

 

[ArcticFox]

The kid was about to return the insult, but he was interrupted, looking over her shoulder, falling silent.

A tap of footsteps on the almost dry gravel behind her. She was focused on the child for far too long to notice red doors opening behind her. She was not so far away as not to notice the footsteps though.

"Do you need that coin so badly?" The voice was deep and hoarse and when she glanced at the intruder from over her shoulder she saw a tall, dark skinned man with strange blue eys, standing with his arms crossed behind her.

"Uncle Ka'ron." The kid spoke up, his voice was slightly trembling, though there was a forced look of smugness on his face. "Kill her!" He exclaimed, suddenly finding the courage now that he was not alone. "She's a witch, look at her!"
"Jace." The man named Ka'ron shook his head in disapproval. "Apologise. Now." His voice was calm and even, but there was a certain commanding sharpness in it, that made the boy wince as if hit.
"S-sorry!" He said clumsily, though giving Louisa a very bitter glare.

- Reply.
- Grab for the kid.
- Attack Ka'ron.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa turned her head to the sound of footsteps. Her eyes trailed from the boots of the newcomer up towards his face. The hairs on the back of her neck raised as Louisa realized he was quite tall and that he, whether intentionally or not, stood between her and the alley exit. And then he spoke, making Louisa's face warm with a semblance of shame - did she really need the money that badly? Not as much as Jace seemed to need it, but it'd help her keep from having to do odd jobs around town if her stay in Myrr was anything longer than half of what she'd planned for. She considered the consequences of leaving her coin pouch behind, but the words "kill her" and "she's a witch, look at her!" caught her attention. Louisa's eyes widened. She stepped back but didn't get very far before Ka'ron expressed a disapproval in Jace's words.

"Apology accepted." She bit the inside of her bottom lip, wearing it between her teeth, as she contemplated what to say or do next. Truth be told, Louisa was disappointed in herself. Hadn't her parents always taught her to do what was right, to help those in need? How selfish she was to chase down a poor boy over a pouch of coin. She could find some way to earn the money back, but Jace was just a child. With a sigh, Louisa shook her head. "And, to answer your question, I-..." She paused. While she didn't desperately need this pouch, she would need every single coin of the other ones if this one were to disappear. She'd not been in Myrr long at all before Jace swept in and stole from her. Assuming her stay was to be as long as she'd thought, she'd probably be in this situation a thousand times before leaving the city.

"Yes," Louisa said with finality, "I do need it. I cannot part with the entirety... but I am able to spare a few coins if - Jace, was it? - would kindly return the pouch to me." She looked to Jace for that last part. "Please."

 

[ArcticFox]

"No-" Jace started, but was immediately cut off by a stern look from the older man. His voice died down and his gaze fell to ground, as he fidgeted nervously in the spot he stood, still not letting go of his prize.
"Thank you." Ka'ron answered instead, his eyes scanning Louisa with that piercing gaze that one could feel transparent under. "Jace was wrong to take it, but you are surprisingly generous for a stranger." For a moment the corner of his lips pulled upwards into a slight smile. He raised one hand to gesture Jace to approach her.

The boy was quick to move, stepping close to Louisa and looking up at her, his big eyes slightly narrowed. He handed the purse to her, but he followed her every move with suspicion. He resembled a stray cat, ready to jump back at every sudden movement.

Ka'ron watched the exchange intently, though it was not clear if he watched Jace's actions or Louisa's. There was a feeling though, that if either of them did not honour their agreement, Ka'ron would be the one to set things straight.

- Take the pouch.
- Take the pouch, but leave something for Jace.
- Leave the pouch.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa watched the brief exchange between the two. When Ka'ron's eyes fell on her, it felt as though he was seeing through her, down to her very core. She often considered herself a people-reader but, right then, Louisa felt as though she were the book instead. It was unsettling to say the least; Louisa did not appreciate how her skin flushed, a subtle shade of crimson creeping up her neck to light her cheeks. She wondered what her book had to say.

"Generous?" She'd never really stopped to thing about it, but perhaps Ka'ron was right. Louisa looked to Jace and the coin pouch he held. "I've never thought of myself in that way," she confessed, "but... generous seems a good way to be." Louisa reached down and took the coin pouch, leaving several small coins in Jace's hand as she did so. Then she smiled. "Spend them wisely," she told Jace, "so that you don't have to steal next time."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Sure!" Jace nodded with a grin, though it was doubtful if he paid any attention to what she had told him. As soon as he grasped the coins in his hand he was off running again, over the fence, which he scaled easily, and then somewhere on the other side.

Louisa ha parted with a small sum of her much needed money. In whole she now had 45 silver pieces that were most commonly used in Myrr. She had some foreign coins, bronze and gold, which she could use if needed.

"He is going to spend it on food for his little sister." Ka'ron said in a tone that would make anyone feel bad. There was now a faint smile on his face again, as he looked after the kid, but that smile was bittersweet. "Many children in Myrr suffer the same fate, sadly." When Jace was gone, he focused on Louise. "Why are you here, stranger? It is very apparent that you don't belong here."

- Answer truthfully.
- Make something up.
- Change the subject.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Her eyes followed Jace as he climbed over the fence, disappearing as he dropped down on the other side. Louisa couldn't help but frown, hearing of Jace's little sister and the many other hungry children of Myrr. "That's awful," she said quietly. She wished she had more to give Jace after hearing that, but knew that she was on an even tighter budget now than before. The coin pouch seemed heavy in her hand despite actually being lighter. At least she'd helped them procure some food. They'd have to make it one day at a time, she supposed.

Thinking on her feet, Louisa turned to Ka'ron and offered him a smile. As kind as Ka'ron seemed to be, he was still a stranger. "I'm looking for someone," she explained, not entirely a lie. It was more of a something that Louisa sought. "A distant family member that I've never met, but they're supposed to be here in the city. My uncle told me the Trinity could point me in the right direction." Louisa paused, smile turning sheepish. "Ah, pardon my lack of introduction. My name is Louisa."

 

[ArcticFox]

Ka'ron burst out laughing. It was a hearty laugh and a very unexpected reaction and seemed that even he was surprised by it. He laughed for a couple of seconds before finally stopping to catch a breath.

"Oh, you really don't belong here." He shook his head, a smile still on his lips. As he saw that Louisa did not quite comprehend, he offered an explanation. "Only a select few of the city had actually seen the Trinity, and non of them were from the Lower Myrr. They certainly do not entertain strangers and they never point anyone in the right direction." He chuckled again. "Unless you plan to break into the palace, I hope you have a very good connection if you wish to have an audience with them." Well, she did not.

Ka'ron inclined his head slightly, as if in a bow, though much constrained, before stepping back. Soon he was at the red doors again, one hand on the handle, when he paid her one last look.

"Be careful here, stranger." It was not the first time she heard this warning, especially in the last couple of weeks. Even during her travels toward Myrr, people would shake their heads and make warding signs at the mention of the city. It might have been too much though. The city was unwelcoming at the first sight, but there were many like it throughout the continents.

Left alone on the street and with most of her money intact, Louisa had a choice again. Where to now?

- Go back to the main square.
- Go to the tents.
- Go to the docks.
- Explore the residential district.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa's eyebrows raised curiously at his laughter. For as long as it lasted, Louisa began to wonder if it was not her he was actually laughing at. Stealing a glance over her shoulder and seeing nothing of interest there, Louisa pursed her lips. He was definitely laughing at her. But why?

Her question was answered when Ka'ron spoke of the Trinity's exclusivity. She resisted the urge to curse; Louisa must look so silly, having assumed the Trinity would help. Again, her cheeks burned but, this time, from fierce embarrassment. At least she could blame it on poor advice from her fabricated uncle. After Ka'ron made his way to the door and bid her farewell with a warning she'd heard too many times already, Louisa openly frowned.

Now, alone, she did curse. How was she to speak with the Trinity if she had no contacts? Louisa groaned into the palm of her hand. Technically, Louisa did have Alden's contact - but she hadn't a clue where they would be or what they looked like. Finding them in the city felt as hopeless as gaining an audience with the Trinity. Begrudgingly, Louisa began walking towards the direction of the docks.

If she had to get her hands dirty, so be it.

 

[ArcticFox]

Ah, the docks. The place filled with drunken sailors, arguing merchants and topless ladies. The place where everyone without deeper pockets came to drink and look for cheap companionship. Where you had to pay ridiculously big fees to catch a boat ride or have your goods transported. These were the docs of Lower Myrr, though. Apparently, Upper city had a separate port just for them, on the other side of the unapproachable cliffs.

Right at the entrance to the docks, Louise was faced with a situation. There was a curious crowd right in front of her, gathered around some sort of a shape. Upon closer inspection, she could see something that resembled a very large sea-snake lying motionlessly on the dirty ground. Sea-snakes were underwater creatures, that grew a couple of meters in length and were known to attack small fishing boats.

"Five coins to a man who carries this to my house!" A short, fat man in silky clothing spoke over the voices of the crowd. No matter his generous offer, the people were not inclined to take it up. Sea-snakes were believed to be bringers of bad luck in many countries and no one liked having to touch one. There was a rumor that their skin was poisonous, though this was never proven. The dead creature in front of Louisa must have weighed over 50 kilograms and carrying it would be a huge exercise.

- Ask the man who killed the snake.
- Offer to carry it.
- Try to find a cart to load the snake onto.
- Leave the crowd and go further in.

 

[Cartoonicat]

As Louisa stepped into the docks of Lower Myrr she tightened her cloak around her, hopefully to prevent any other thieves from trying their hand at pick pocketing. The ground was slippery with a few puddles here and there. Despite her leather boots already being caked with mud, Louisa made a point not to tarnish them further. She would avoid the dirtier parts of the docks, if she could. Louisa people watched as she walked, eyes landing on the crowd that had formed. Curious, she went closer to see what was going on.

Louisa raised both eyebrows at the sea-snake. It looked quite heavy, but the man who was willing to pay for its transportation looked more well-dressed than the others meandering the area. Silk was a sign of wealth, was it not? Unfortunately, Louisa doubted she'd be able to carry such a thing. Not only did she fear the rumors of sea-snake poison, she was sorely aware she lacked the physical strength necessary to even make it budge. Still, Louisa was curious about the dead creature.

"Good sir!" She raised her hand with a small wave, hoping to catch his attention, "Who killed this sea-snake?"

 

[ArcticFox]

Heads turned toward Louisa when she spoke up. The fat man went silent, his tiny eyes looking at her as if trying to decide what was her interest in all of this.

"It was killed by my employee, what does it matter to you?" He gave a distrustful look, nose wrinkled.

A hand was suddenly placed on Louisa's shoulder and an older woman leaned in to whisper to her. The fat man had turned to someone else in the meantime, his attention dragged off.

"This lump of fat here is a spice merchant. Filthy rich and filthy susipicous which is why he's always ferrying his good through lower docks. I know him pretty well." She hawked and spat on the floor in disgust. "What's the deal with the snake, I don't know, but out of all of his employees, Logan is the only one that could have killed it. They had a falling out this morning which is why the creature is still here." She gave her a knowing wink. It seemed that people here were fond of gossip.

- Thank her and continue exploring.
- Stick around to see what happens.
- Leave the docks.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa grimaced at the man's reaction. How foul, she thought, eyes raking up and down his stumpy person. She startled a bit when a hand was placed on her shoulder, fingers instinctively reaching towards her boot until she realized it was just an old woman. Quickly, Louisa did a mental check of her several coin pouches to see if she could feel their weight still. Louisa wasn't about to be pick-pocketed again.

When all seemed well enough, Louisa turned her attention to the woman speaking to her. Logan, hm? If the spice merchant was as wealthy as he seemed, she figured he might well come from Upper Myrr. Until she found Alden's contact - if she ever did - Louisa had to forge her own. Perhaps finding this Logan, the one who'd fallen out with the spice merchant, was her best bet. He might be willing to bargain for information, either on the merchant he'd worked for or what he knew of Upper Myrr and the Trinity. Even if it was only the former, blackmail worked in wondrous ways... Louisa doubted she'd have trouble figuratively cornering the spice merchant if she needed to.

"Thank you, ma'am," she said kindly, appreciative. If the people were fond of gossip, Louisa hoped they'd taken an interest in where Logan had gone after the spat. Even a general direction would help. Instead of leave right away, she stuck around for a moment longer, hoping to have her next question answered:

"Do you know where I might find this Logan?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"Aye." The old woman nodded, bringing up her pinkie finger to scratch her right ear. This ritual lasted for a moment. Then, finally, the woman continued. "He's bound to be in The Mermaid. Why, you know 'im?" She asked, her grey eyes scanning Louise in wonder. She did not wait for her to respond. "No matter, not my business. Follow the road straight, then turn left. You'll know you're there by the smell." She gave her another wink, which was not at least appealing on her, and then turned to the commotion again.

The crowd of people continue talking over each other, making the merchant raise his price time and time again. The sea-snake seemed to be of a great value of his, otherwise it was unclear why he would have bothered so much with such an ugly creature. They had no use, people did not eat their meat as their stomachs were unable to digest it. Orcs sometimes ate them, but they ate anything really. Sea-snake's skin could not be used for anything too, but their teeth were sometimes used in shamanistic rituals in southern parts of the continent. A merchant should have no use for the creature.

"I'll do it!" A hand was raised and the merchant perked up at this. The price had gotten to 10 silver coins already. A burly, tall man, with broad shoulders and wildly unkempt dark hair strode up and hoisted the carcass on his shoulder. The crowd dispersed to let him pass, the merchant leaping forward to lead the man to where he wanted it transported to. As they disappeared from sight, so did the crowd of people, each of them going their separate ways.

- Go find Logan.
- Explore further.
- Go after the merchant.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa waited patiently for the woman to finish her ear-scratching ritual, doing her best to not look disgusted. A spy she might be, but a heathen she was not; unkempt things often made Louisa's skin crawl. She could only imagine how much earwax the woman accumulated under her fingernail. Ugh. Thankfully, her mother had schooled her into mastering the art of language and over time Louisa had developed a skill in adapting to most social settings. Instead of show her distaste, Louisa smiled. "The Mermaid, understood. Thank you. I appreciate your help," she told the woman.

With one last curious glance towards the burly man and the spice merchant, Louisa left the crowd. Hopefully, if she found him, Logan would be inclined to help her out of spite towards his former employer. If not, well, she did have a few coins to spare. Perhaps he'd know why the spice merchant wanted the sea-snake so badly.

And with that thought, Louisa headed towards The Mermaid.

 

[ArcticFox]

The smell was the first thing she noticed, as the woman had warned her. A tavern on the docks in never pretty, but this one looked like its owner had competed to make it the ugliest, filthiest and smelliest place in the district. One would think that this would keep people out of the tavern. But, no, residents of Myrr, and especially the dockworkers frequented this place more than any other in the port or in the whole Lower city. It was the busiest tavern Louisa had ever seen.

The rickety doors swung open right in front of her and a drunken man in guard uniform fell out, missing the two steps in front of the entrance and hitting the ground face first. He did not move. Skirting around him, Louisa could peak inside the tavern. The sight inside was not at all better than the outside. It was not even noon and all of the patrons of the tavern were drunk. Some were singing, swaying in motion a song with some very dirty language, and some were gathered at the tables, chugging out of their mugs and playing cards. Arguing, like drunk people always seemed to do.

She did not know what Logan looked like, so she could not separate him out of the crowd, but she figured she could be able to ask the innkeeper about him. That is, if she wanted to brave that stinky, rowdy place, with hardly any women in sight.

- Enter.
- Don't.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa turned away from the door and leaned close to the wall as she gathered her bearings. Everyone was drunk - that much was obvious - and that did not exclude the guards. If she went in, she'd be vulnerable. Louisa did not like being vulnerable, nor did she particularly like drunk people.

No, if anything, she hated drunks most of all. They were easy to read - drunkards were honest, not prone to lying (and if they were, they were usually too inebriated to be good at it) - but very unpredictable. Some could hold their booze better than others, granted, but even the best drinkers had impaired judgement. Louisa could not guarantee that these men would refrain from doing something they normally wouldn't sober. The thought worried her.

She could hear the voice of her mother warning her away from the establishment ("It's filthy. You're a woman - a piece of steak, in their eyes. What can words do against someone who is unwilling, unable, to hear them?"). Mother was right, of course - she always was - but Louisa needed to find Logan. She closed her eyes, thinking of her father. He was her best friend, truly. What would Father say? He'd tell her to go in. Tell her that even if she wasn't in her element, she was capable. Strong in her own way.

He would remind her she had a job to do.

Louisa took a deep breath, regretting it almost immediately as she could practically taste the stink on her tongue. She grimaced. Then she pulled the hood of her cloak up, concealing her face best she could, and stepped inside.

 

[ArcticFox]

The eyes of most of the patrons set out to follow her as she stepped through the doors and into the common room of the tavern. She could see the whole ruckus even clearer now - the bar was crowded with broad-shouldered men all strangely topless and glistening. Dock workers, heavy labor of some sort, they seemed the type. A group of them occupied what little chairs there were left next to the bar, clinking their half filled glasses and toasting loudly. The people playing cards at a table looked strangely pirate-like, what with all the knives lying about, their golden teeth and the feathers in their hats. A strange crowd nevertheless. The only two women in the room were a serving girl and one of the guardsmen, who did not drink any lesser than the men.

A whistle directed to Louisa sounded across the room, coming from the direction of one the drunken patrons.

"Come 'ere, lassie." The other man called. "I'll buy you a drink." This continued for a while, as the men competed who could think of a fouler nickname for her - 'sweettits' was leading for now. The serving girl slipped between tables, competently evading grabbing hands and giving a good smack in return for every distasteful comment. She was a veteran of this tavern it looked like.

- Try to get to the bar and ask the innkeeper about Logan.
- Ask the serving girl about Logan.
- Ask the pirates.
- Ask the guards.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa's ears pounded from such blaring volume, though she did her best to ignore it. She'd never been in such a filthy place before, much less one so loud. Her skin crawled (it'd been doing that a lot as of late) at the feel of eyes upon her. A furious blush lit her face at the catcalls. How dare they? Despite wanting to curl into herself or, better yet, flee, Louisa stood tall. Would not let them see how much their words struck her. She refused to make eye contact with any of the men, lest they think it an invitation to approach. Instead, Louisa scanned the crowded room in search of the bar. When she spotted it, her heart dropped.

There were so many men sitting by, standing, and stumbling around the counter that she had no hope of reaching the innkeeper without putting herself in an even more undesirable situation. The patrons in the bar appeared to be quite grabby. No thank you, she thought, looking elsewhere.

Her eyes landed on a serving girl. The girl seemed to be handling herself rather well despite the ruckus. Perhaps she could be of some assistance? She certainly didn't look inebriated, if her reflexes in avoiding touchy customers was anything to go by. Focused but staying aware of her surroundings, Louisa made her way towards the serving girl.

"Excuse me," she tried catching her attention, 'do you know where Logan is?" If Logan was as frequent a patron as the woman from the docks had made him out to be, Louisa figured he was on a first-name basis with the staff. Though, now that she thought about it, if these were the kind of men who visited The Mermaid... did Louisa really want to find him?

 

[ArcticFox]

The girl turned her head toward Louisa when she heard her call. She was a little shorter than her, with dark brown hair and light brown skin. On closer inspection, her jawline was strangely pronounced and the pupils of her eyes strangely slanted. When she opened her mouth to respond, the difference in her appearance and the way she was handling those grubby customers was obvious - she had two sharp canines on the lower jaw - she was a half-orc.

"Hello honey!" She greeted in a voice that was a bit too deep. "Wonderful to see a female in here." Her eyes went up and down Louisa's body, before she leaned in to whisper. "If someone tries to touch you, let me know, I'll cut off a finger or two." The she moved back again giving an amused laughter. It was unclear if she was being serious or not. She finally acknowledged her question after a couple of breaths, and gestured with her chin to the far end of the tavern, to a secluded corner and a table with only patron. He did not look particularly friendly. "You his darling or sister or something?" The half-orc woman asked. "He's not been in a good mood the whole day." As if on cue the man in the corner slammed his fist against the table, sending the mug rolling down to the floor. The serving girl shook her head. "Better go get him out before he does something stupid."

- Go over to Logan.
- Don't go over.