New Enemies and Revenge

[MorganaLeFay]

@InKryption

 

[InKryption]

((Alright, I'm here. Anyhow, what we doin' now, boss?))

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Ashryn entered the new town, road weary and just plain tired. Her cloak and clothes were torn and stained from long days of travel, and she just needed to rest. She heard from other travelers that there was a tavern here, with cheap food and rooms, which was all she could afford. With the thought of sleeping in a bed in her head, she trekked through the town to the loud tavern, with drunken shouts and sub-par music coming out the open door. With a deep breath and a hand on the hilt of the sword on her hip to steel her nerves, she entered the tavern and looked around.

 

[InKryption]

In the darkest corner of the tavern, sat a tall, strange figure. A mask of white concealing his face, revealing only two, inexpressive, golden eyes. Covered by black cloak-like clothes, it was hard to distinguish very much about him. Few had the courage to sit near him, those few being - if a little less - of the same shady character.


This man's golden eyes found Ashryn, and followed her movements. Something about that person stood out to him. He tilted his hooded head ever so slightly when he noticed her hand grasping the hilt of her sword. She seemed to remind him of someone he had left behind some time ago, but couldn't really put his finger on it. After a bit of thinking, he let it be, and simply continued to observe, like he had always done in places like these.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Ashryn went over to the bar, ordering a drink and a meal, paying with what few copper she had left, before she found a table in the middle of the room that was mostly empty, except for a drunk man passed out on the other side. She kept her hood up, and avoided eye contact with every one.

 

[InKryption]

After a while of observing Ashryn, the man concluded that if he didn't approach this person, his unsatisfied curiosity would later distract him from good business. Therefore, he got up, and walked over to Ashryn's table, sitting just a seat away from the person he intended to greet. He made his presence quite obvious to Ashryn, watching her intently, awaiting some sort of reaction.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Her hazel eyes looked at him warily, and gripped her sword hilt tighter. "What do you want?" she asked gruffly, her voice hoarse from tiredness and not having used it in a day or so.

 

[InKryption]

Exactly what he needed. A response, an interaction, meaning he wouldn't be taking the initiative - or that's how it worked in his thought process. He reached into a pouch, concealed under his cloak-like wears, retrieving a parchment, on which had a variety of different symbols - presumably from other languages - strewn all about. He ejected a strange looking feather pen from his sleeve, like one would do with a card in a game of luck of the modern world. He swiftly began writing 'Hello. You seem to be in distress. I'm curious, what is it that you aim to do?'. He then inconspicuously passed the letter to Ashryn.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

She instantly became guarded after reading his message. "What's it to you?" she glared at him, her knuckles turning white from the grip on her sword.

 

[InKryption]

He began writing another message. 'Curiosity. I can even be of service, for a commendably small price'. He almost passed Ashryn the message, but hastily marked the number '10' and the word Copper. Once he had passed her the note, he revealed the hilt of his sword. It shined from even the dim light the far end of the tavern provided. Mesmerizing to those easily distracted.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"You're a mercenary," she said, more of a statement than a question. "Why am I so interesting?" She was relaxing slightly. 

 

[InKryption]

He tilted his head at this, pondering what she had said for a moment, before giving a simple nod, confirming her statement. He moved to the seat beside Ashryn, and began writing on the parchment once more. 'You seem like you're looking for someone. I think I'm also looking for someone. Other than that, you just happened to catch my eye'. He added the last part to not seem helpless, or feeble, and more like a man of business.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

She huffed, releasing her sword long enough to push the parchment back towards him. "So what if I am looking for someone? I couldn't give two shits about your problems."

 

[InKryption]

He sat there and observed her for a bit. He didn't move, or even blink. He was thinking of what to say - or rather, write. Eventually, he wrote. 'You're right. My problems are not yours. But would that a decline on my offer? I can lower the price to 5 Copper'.


He seemed determined to know the situation of this person, for whatever reason even he didn't understand at this point. He assumed it to be all out of his confounded curiosity.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Ashryn scowled at him. "I don't want your help. I'm doing just fine on my own. Go away." She glared at him, her hand back on her sword hilt.

 

[InKryption]

((I've got to sign out for the night. See ya' next time, if I do come back after this. -.,,,,,,.-))

 

[MorganaLeFay]

(Goodnight!)

 

[InKryption]

Sondiel tilted his head. He didn't even know why he kept on persisting at this point. He supposed it had something to do with "pride", or something along those lines. He'd never worried about it before, or had any problems with it, but it seemed it was now under attack. He crossed out "Five Copper", and wrote "One Copper" just beneath. He awaited a reaction.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

She bit her lip, glancing away from him as she thought. "Fine. But I'm going to swear you to secrecy. Meet me up in my room after the moon rises." she slid a copper piece towards him.

 

[InKryption]

A gloved hand reached out slowly for the piece, and retrieved it, only to drop it in the same pouch as his parchments - speaking of which, he retrieved the parchment as well. He nodded a slow nod, as if to say "understood". He then stood up, and sat back in his dark little corner. It only dawned on him then that he had taken up a job for just one copper piece. He felt like a bit of a fool then and there, but was too lazy to do anything about it now. And so, he gazed out the farthest window, and awaited the rise of the moon.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Ashryn quickly ate the food that was soon brought to her, then headed upstairs to the room she purchased for the night. She hoped she made the right decision, hiring the mercenary, but she knew that the odds off her completing her task alone would be slim. 

 

[InKryption]

When the moon had finally risen, Sondiel got up, and walked off to find his newest client's room. When he believed to have found the right place, he knocked once on the door, and, as he tended to do, awaited a response.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

The door opened slightly, just enough for him to come through. "Be quick about it," Ashryn hissed out of view.

 

[InKryption]

He slid through the door ever so quietly and quickly. He had written on a parchment, ahead of time: 'I am Sondiel, by the by'.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"Ashryn," she replied, closing and locking the door. She pointed to a chair in the room. "Sit."