Fantasy Uncertainty and Unease (Paused)

[ArcticFox]

Louisa Marie De Rosa
(Agent on the run)

Romance partner: Logan (missing)

Special skills: Stealth

Inventory:

100 silver coins
a shortbow with a quiver
a pair of daggers
a cloak, boots and 2 sets of clothes
a pouch with: flask of water, a sharpening tool, a locket
Alden's letters
map of the continents
a journal with dossiers​

It was the eve of the fourth anniversary of her flight from Myrr. Of the night that broke her ties with the Order, separated her from the newfound friends and drove her to drastic actions. She was alone now, much like she was the day she entered the slums of Myrr, but older and wiser. Life had had too many hard lessons for her it seemed. And after Myrr they did not stop.

The waves crashed at the side of the ship, sending salty water into her eyes. The night was chilly, but she was still on the prow, recalling everything that went wrong on that assignment. Her actions haunted her still and what was worse, there were too many loose ends, nothing made sense yet.

Alden’s Agents were now on her trail, following her like too well trained hounds. Each time she stopped in a town to have a decent meal or a comfortable bed, she would feel them breathing down her neck. They had caught up with her two times in four years and both experiences were very close. Close to the point that she barely escaped with her own life. To be hunted by her former comrades was a difficult predicament, for they knew how she thought and anticipated her moves.

But still she managed to evade them. And still she had the Holy Book. The very reason they were after her now.

“Ma’am.” The sailor handed her a mug filled with some sort of non-alcoholic liquid they drank to warm them up and keep them going through the night. The Black Crow was a good ship, its captain was a decent man, a merchant, though by his demeanor it was obvious that he had military background. He held his men under close rein and her journey so far was pleasant enough. As it should be, after all, she paid them well.

She had enough money to be on the run for at least a month more. Perhaps that would be enough, if the person she was bound to meet proved to be a man of his word.

She was travelling to meet with another rogue Agent. His letter found her in a backwater town two months ago. He claimed that he would help her with her current situation, though he did not tell how exactly. It could be a completely useless idea. Or it could be a trap. But she had no other lead. She couldn’t stay on the run forever. And she doubted that Alden would just let her go after some time, he was not the man to give up.

He certainly proved that to her time and again. The first encounter she had with the Order’s Agents was in her parents’ home. It took her three months to go back to her home, but Alden got there first. Or at least, his Agents did. And even with Logan beside her, she was helpless against a whole squad of Knights and three experienced Agents. Perhaps she wanted to be foolish, to run inside and throw her life away trying to do the impossible, but Logan would not let her. He restrained her and led her to the outskirts of the town, letting her move freely only when he was sure that she would not run straight back. But, word of her parents’ fate reached her soon. In a letter handed to her by a grubby looking boy in a port city Logan had led her to. A letter from Alden that served either to taunt her or frighten her.

• He wrote about the death of her parents.
• He wrote about keeping her parents as his personal hostages until she gave the Book back.
• He wrote that her parents were set free as a sign of good will and no harm will come to her if she sought him out.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Taking the mug, Louisa offered the man little more than a nod of appreciation. When he turned away she gave it a tentative sniff, swiped a finger around the rim. Even on a ship at sea with a respectable captain at the helm, she didn't feel quite so safe as to drink something she hadn't watched the preparation of. Bringing the mug to her lips, she took a small sip and let it warm her. Would wait several more minutes before taking another sip; just in case something unpleasant had found its way inside, she wanted to give herself time to notice the side effects before they became dire.

Four years. Nearly five, at least, since she'd spoken directly to her parents. Seen their faces. Louisa dragged a tired hand down her face, the habitual motion most likely the cause for the fine lines appearing on her face. That and stress; Louisa couldn't recall a time in her life where she was more on edge. Even her time in Myrr couldn't compare, for each day she expected the final hat to drop. Expected Alden to quit playing around and write to her about the death of her parents. Say something along the lines of 'I had tried being reasonable, yet you continued to try my patience,' insinuating their capture was her fault.

It is, though, she thought. When Alden sent her letter of their kidnapping and asked for the Holy Book in exchange, she'd stayed away. Gone on the run. A large part of her couldn't be sure he wouldn't have just killed the three of them then and there - he had no problem putting out contracts on her head - but another part was sour. Bitter. She wanted answers, wanted revenge.

She wanted her parents, too, but she needed to make sure Alden would hold up his end of the bargain and she didn't trust him to do that unless his own life were at stake.

Louisa wondered how aged her mother looked nowadays - would be willing to bet, after Alden's agents invaded their home, the silver hairs came in abundance. She leaned against the rail, gazing out at the water. Did her father still smile with his eyes, or had that spark been snuffed out with worry for the fate of his family?

Were they treated well, or poorly? Did they despise her for abandoning them or did they understand?

Did they even know she was alive?

 

[ArcticFox]

But no answers came to her. Not that night, just like they did not so many nights that already passed. She would have to wait to learn them, or perhaps she would never have a chance to. Whatever was bound to happen, the ship was headed toward Torhen and the first lead she had in years. If the Agent was still waiting for her. If it wasn't one of Alden's many traps. How did he know where do deliver the letter anyway? She did not spend more than two days in any settlement.

At least the sailors' drink proved to be harmless. In fact she felt warmth course through her body and her thoughts clearing, focusing. The night was still young and she was not alone on The Black Crow. She had no information about Torhen besides the name of the town and the name of the person she was supposed to find, which was obviously fake - Raven.

If she wanted to, she could try to learn something else from the captain of the ship, or from other passengers that rented cabins on it, much like she did. Among them was an elven man, always carrying a huge ornate book around, so focused on it that he tripped on the boards and slammed his head against the doorway countless times. Louisa had seen him in the common dining room an hour ago when dinner was served. The other passenger she took note of was a young human woman, often found on the deck practicing some sort of martial arts that Louisa did not recognize. Both of the passengers kept to themselves, rarely speaking to anyone else. Even if the captain and the crew did their best to keep them accommodated, it seemed that all of his paying passengers on this trip were intent on being difficult.

• Speak with the captain.
• Speak with the elf.
• Speak with the woman.
• Go to bed.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Warmed by the drink, Louisa looked out at the sea for a few short moments more. Contemplated if she should be social or not. It wasn't something she particularly wanted to do, but she did not like being in the dark about things. The more she learned about the people around her, if even only by eavesdropping, the better chance she'd have at not letting a potential agent get the drop on her. But who would she bother that night? Only three people stood out to her.

The elf was out of the question. Louisa had actually done her best to blatantly avoid him since embarking on the journey, if only because his book-wormish demeanor reminded her of a certain mage she sorely missed. It wouldn't do to let her mind get clouded with more longing than it always was.

That left the woman and the captain. While Louisa doubted the captain was an agent of Alden's, she figured he was worth getting to know. It was his ship, after all, and captains tended to know what was going on aboard their vessels. Then again, would he tell her anything about the other passengers? Did he even know them enough to divulge information? He certainly didn't know Louisa, so her assumption of his knowledge was moot at best.

Out of sheer curiosity, she decided to seek out the young woman. The martial arts she practiced was unfamiliar and the more Louisa could learn, the better. Plus, the young woman might know more about the other passengers, since she herself was one, though Louisa couldn't recall really seeing her speak with anyone during the voyage.

Better than nothing, she thought and took another sip of her drink.

 

[ArcticFox]

The woman was on the deck as she was in the early morning and when the night fell and the air turned chilly. She was usually in a corner, a little way off from the stairs that led to the cabins and common rooms below. The sailors were giving her a wide berth at all times, mostly because she always looked like she was about to break someone's nose.

When Louisa approached her, she was doing a handstand, her eyes closed and her breathing evened out. It seemed like she did not pay any attention to her surroundings, and she certainly did not move a muscle when Louisa approached her.

• Introduce yourself.
• Ask about her technique.
• Ask where is she heading.
• Wait for her to notice you.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa considered waiting for her to notice her, but after about thirty seconds she decided against it; doing so would likely just be a waste of time. Not to mention an invitation for awkward if the woman made her wait too long.

"I have never seen that technique before," she said. "Where does it originate?" Relative, because she was definitely curious, and to the point, because she had little time or patience to play games.

 

[ArcticFox]

The moment Louisa responded, her eyes shot open. They were bright blue and quite scowling. The woman did not look too glad about the disturbance. It took a good long moment for her to flip her legs back, only to end up in a split, stretching her hands over her head. A good two minutes passed before she finally responded.

"I'm just stretching currently." She said. Her voice was clear and strong, perhaps a bit in contrast with her size - she was very slim and a little bit shorter than Louisa. "Nihaya." She continued after letting out a deep breath. "Hikari no Ji. The Temple of Light. That's where I learned how to fight." Louisa had heard of Nihaya, it was a large city-state to the far east of Torhen, but she had never visited it, nor heard of the mentioned Temple.

• Ask about the Temple.
• Ask about her business in Torhen.
• Ask something else.
• Leave.

 

[Cartoonicat]

At first Louisa had found her petite statue and cropped hair charming, but the scowling gaze shot in her direction abolished that immediately. Granted, Louisa herself didn't like being disturbed when she was in the middle of something, but she liked to think of herself at least a little more polite when spoken to. Old habits died hard. Waiting around for the woman to respond festered impatience, though. It took everything for Louisa not to respond with snark.

"Fascinating," she said, trying to sound chipper but not doing much of a decent job. Despite her intrigue about her fighting style, Louisa had only bothered talking to anyone so she could get information on the here and now. "So what brings you to Torhen?"

She wanted to mentally slap herself; Fantastic transition, that one. Hopefully she does not think me forward. Or, worse, nosy.

 

[ArcticFox]

"A job." The woman responded briefly. She stood up from the split, her stance wide, her bright blue eyes scanning Louisa up and down. "You wear daggers." She said after a moment. "Must mean you know how to fight." Her eyes trailed up from Louisa's holster to her eyes. "I could use a sparring partner. But no weapons. Just hands." She raised her own hands, palms up, then flipped them over. Her eyebrows were not so knitted as before and she almost seemed eager for Louisa to accept it. Perhaps she was only eager to beat someone up.

Louisa did not know this woman's technique, but she could do a bit of hand to hand combat. And it was only sparring. How bad could it be?

• Accept.
• Don't.

 

[Cartoonicat]

A job, Louisa frowned, but schooled her face into neutrality almost just as quick. A job could mean anything, and it could most definitely be linked to her; this woman might be an agent. Louisa did not recognize her, but that wasn't to say Alden would not employ newcomers just to lower her guard. Did Alden really think she would let her guard down for a pretty face? If so, he was very stupid and did not know her at all. No, there had to be some sort of trick. Some angle he was playing, here.

When the woman invited her to spar, Louisa finally figured it out.

He is trying to gauge my skill level, she thought, so that he knows who to send after me. That had to be it. It was the only thing that made sense. But, then again, she didn't know for sure if the woman was an agent. I am getting ahead of myself... or am I? Oh, he is messing with my head! Louisa wanted to scream - but, of course, she wouldn't. Instead, she could use this agent against Alden. Feed him false information while learning her tricks and techniques, if only to use them on her later when she inevitably attacked.

"Alright," she said after a time, "and I will not use them, but my weapons stay on my person." She wasn't about to fight a potential agent unarmed; what if there were more lurking about and they stole her weapons while she was distracted? Such a happening was unlikely, but not impossible.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I didn't ask you to remove them." The woman responded in a flat tone.

As soon as Louisa agreed, she moved a step back and nodded. She took a wide fighting stance, half-crouch with one hand extended forward, palm up. She motioned with Louisa to attack her.

When the two women took their spots, a small crowd started gathering around them. The sailors were aware that something was happening and, considering their life was as dull as it was, they were eager to observe any sort of entertainment. However, as they still were not completely sure what was happening and most of them were reluctant to come near Louisa's opponent, they lingered a couple of meters in a loose half-circle around them, silent and observing.

• Attack.
• Defend.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Good, Louisa thought almost sardonically, because I would not have. The woman's attitude got under her skin but, for the sake of the duel, she brushed it aside. She had to focus. Taking note of the woman's fighting stance, Louisa considered whether or not she should attack first. Her father always said to wait for the first punch, and so her skills had come to lay in defense. Falling into her own stance, which was no more intricate than a pub brawler's squaring of shoulders and raised fists, she decided to play it safe.

Alden already knows I am careful, she excused her predictable behavior. It's just what he would have expected. Probably. I have always been careful.

Tried to, at least.

She offered the woman a nervous grin as the crowd formed. Louisa did not appreciate everyone's eyes on them, but at the same time figured it best; should the agent try to truly harm her at any point during their match, there would be witnesses.

 

[ArcticFox]

The woman nodded to Louisa, as if acknowledging her decision to stay on the defense. She did not hesitate with her attack. She moved graceful and fast and she reached Louisa before she could register her movements. Evading Louisa's defensive stance, she snuck underneath her guard and planted her palm on her chest. It looked like a light touch to anyone observing, but it was anything but. The impact sent Louisa reeling backwards two steps, all of the air pushed out of her lungs.

"Maybe you should use your daggers after all." The woman offered her a taunting smirk. The sailors observing the duel were now murmuring amongst each other. But the woman did not stop, she closed in for another attack, though Louisa could see her movement now. She was aiming to strike her with her right hand, keeping the left one just slightly back.

• Block her right hand.
• Dodge the attack.
• Duck under and try to sweep her feet.

 

[Cartoonicat]

She is quick- Louisa's eyes widened as she went backwards, breath stolen. It panicked her. The only thing she could think to do was dodge - Dodge, dodge, just keep out of the way! - so she tried to step out of range. The woman was fast, however; Louisa found herself trying to pay more attention to regaining her breath and not getting struck again than actually observing her opponent's fighting style.

Perhaps the duel hadn't been such a grand idea after all; she couldn't even come up with a sassy retort to save face!

 

[ArcticFox]

Choosing to dodge was actually a good move, as the woman feinted with her right hand and struck with her left one, but Louisa was out of reach and her palm sliced through thin air. The woman offered her a grin that was too wild to belong on her young face. If anything she was enjoying the duel much more than Louisa did.

Their audience let out a collective gasp, much like they were watching a show play out in front of their eyes. More hushed whispers as the woman rushed after Louisa, intent on keeping the sparring going. This time she was fast enough, catching Louisa despite her dodging and tapping her a couple of times with her open palm, blows so light that they would leave dark bruises behind. Louisa now had her back against the railing and had no space to dodge her attacks. She needed to change her strategy.

• Try fighting back.
• Try to block her attacks.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Growing more panicked - and weary - as the duel wore on, Louisa racked her brain for an idea. Anything. The majority of her hand-to-hand combat knowledge stemmed from self defense, so she decided to stick with what she knew. As another blow came in, she tried to deflect it by pushing the woman's wrist away with the palm of her hand. A move her father had taught her and, probably, the only one she actually remembered proper form for.

Though, with everything moving so fast as it were, Louisa didn't exactly have the time to criticize any of her movements for quality.

 

[ArcticFox]

Louisa managed to deflect a blow headed in her direction. This made the woman pause and offer another wolfish grin. Before she simply disappeared from view and Louisa's feet were swept from underneath her. She was about to hit the the hard ground, when a hand grasped her wrist, keeping her upright.

"I think I win." The woman said, pulling her up so close that their noses almost touched. That grin did not leave her face.

The sailors were silent. For the most part. One of them offered a halfhearted cheer, another tried to clap, but gave up halfway through. Either they were left unamused, or more likely still uneasy around the woman that they did not know what reaction would not offend her. They soon scattered around the deck, returning to their work.

"Still, not bad." The woman said, letting go of Louisa's wrist. "Name's Terry. And you are?"

• Use your real name.
• Use a fake name.
• Don't answer.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Her small rush of victory at having deflected the blow suddenly evaporated. Louisa winced prematurely, awaiting impact with the ground. Yet, it never came; someone caught her. She opened her eyes to a wild grin and a face far too close for comfort. It made her heart skip a beat. Close- too close- abort! As if on cue, the woman released her. Louisa skirted around her, free of the railing, and took a step back.

Terry. While that may or may not have been her real name, Louisa didn't much care; what she cared about was that she just got whooped in a battle. Note to self, she thought, never run into her unarmed.

"Sarah," she said. Louisa had considered using Emily, Elizabeth, or Marie for the voyage but the first two had been discovered by Alden's agents - really, they knew her too well - and her middle name would be a dead giveaway to anyone actively seeking her out. So, she'd chosen a random, unassuming name plucked from a pattern she noticed over the years: In groups of gossiping women, there always seemed to be a Sarah.

 

[ArcticFox]

Terry nodded. "Sarah. Thanks for the entertainment. See you around." She said, stepping away and heading toward the stairwell leading to the cabins below. Louisa knew where the woman's cabin was, right next to hers, but it was doubtful that they would see much of each other. The trip will end tomorrow and Torhen was a big town, it was easy to get lost in it.

• Go to sleep.
• Stay on the deck a bit longer.

 

[Cartoonicat]

As Terry left, Louisa released a tired sigh. She would sleep good tonight, that must was certain, but she'd also likely be nursing bruises for a bit to come. Despite knowing she should sleep, though, she stayed on the deck, prodded awake by her thoughts. Getting beaten in a fight had not done well for her ego; even if she'd wanted to trick Aldren into the wrong opinion, she wouldn't have been able to. Without her weapons she was weak.

That needed to change.

A lot of things did, actually, because through the last four years she'd felt as though she were running in circles, unable to make so much as a dent in Alden's thick armor while simultaneously losing her head. Louisa dragged a tired hand down her face, wishing for more of that warm drink from before.

 

[ArcticFox]

With her gesture came the memories of another night. The second time the Agents caught up to her.

Logan sits on the bed beside her, his right hand shuffling through the yellowed pages of the Holy Book. His left arm hangs beside his body, the sleeve covering up the stump. The wound had healed nicely and he stopped complaining about the phantom pains he felt the first couple of months.

"This is it." He says, underlining a passage. "As I thought. This book. It's a portal between plains. Among other things." His golden eyes rise to look at Louisa and they look worried. Very worried.

But Louisa does not hear his next words. The doors split into a thousand pieces and a black robed figure enters the room. It has fire in its eyes and an sword in its hand. Logan is on his feet already, the Book thrown to Louisa, as he steps forward to deflect the blow aimed for her. And then three more Agents fill the room and everything turns to hell.

Logan is strong, but not strong enough. One of them slips around him and is on Louisa, it takes her everything in her power to get out of the scrap with just a scar. Blood drips down her chin as the room around her erupts into chaos. One Agent is dead, but the others surround Logan. The third one is preparing for another attack and Louisa fears she will not be able to evade that one.

"Read the passage!" Logan exclaims suddenly. "Just read it!"

Her eyes search for the Book and she finds it on the floor beside her feet, still opened on the page Logan read. He stumbles toward her, hand reaching to grab her so they can get away. With every spoken word Louisa feels the air around her change, the view of the room wavering. But something is wrong. Logan was supposed to be beside her by now. His hand was supposed to grab her. Yet she does not feel it and it is too late to stop. The spell took hold. The room is gone.

• She felt guilty for leaving Logan.
• She felt lost without him.
• She knew she had to go on.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Her fingers stilled across the scar on her lip, a painful reminder of Lady Luck's spite. If only she'd been stronger, then Logan would still be at her side. Perhaps if she'd bargained with Idris back at the Trinity she'd have helped him fend off the agents. After leaving Myrr, the question of whether she'd made a mistake rose every time her eyes fell on the stump that used to be his hand.

She missed that stump.

Louisa knew she had to go on. Yet, after everything they'd been through, she couldn't find it in her to put the past behind her. Though she definitely tried; she took great care to avoid anything that reminded her of the mage. During the day she did alright but at night, when she was alone and her thoughts caught up to her, she found herself drowning in guilt. Guilt for abandoning the three people she cared about most, even if unintentional, to the man that betrayed her.

She slammed a livid fist down onto the railing with a curse, only to wince a second later.

 

[ArcticFox]

The cold night air drove her to her cabin after a while and sleep took over quickly, despite unpleasant memories. She had no dreams that night and perhaps it was for the best.

--

the morning came way too soon and when the sunlight reached through the port hole on Louisa's cabin, she was still groggy from lack of sleep. However, she couldn't go back to sleep due to the commotion on deck. It sounded like every member of the crew was already up and about, traipsing along the deck. She could hear them calling to each other and they a particulalry loud voice among them yelled out:

"Docking in a quarter!"

They had arrived to Torhen, as Louisa would discover once she climbed on board with what little stuff she carried with her. She still did not find out any more information than she had the day before, but with no other goal in sight, this was her only chance to make some progress.

Torhen loomed on the horizon, getting closed and closed, until The Black Crow sailed into the port, passing by huge galleys and small fishing boats that littered the bay. Louisa could hear the sound of bells from a church close by and as they got even closer the hawkers already trying to sell their wares despite the early morning. The sails of the ship creaked as they were tied down, the ship slowly sailing by a dock. As soon as it stopped the sailors jumped out to secure it and to place a walkboard for the passengers to leave as the captain bid them farewell.

The elven man was the first to leave the ship. For some reason he did not have a book with him. It was strange seeing him without it. With an urgent step and a shifty look around the port he disembarked the ship and continued straight from the docks through a maze of alleys. Terry walked out after him, her own step sure and confident. As she disembarked she turned to the right toward the church tower.

• Follow Terry.
• Follow the elf.
• Ask the captain about the Raven.
• Ask the captain about an inn.
• Go explore the town on your own.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite her desire to fall back asleep, Louisa found the prospect of finally docking somewhat refreshing. With Torhen came a higher chance of running into agents, for she was not isolated at sea any longer, but it also brought new beginnings. New beginnings such as with this mysterious contact, wherever they may be, and the prospect of finally doing something more productive than running about like a paranoid old maid.

Perhaps she would not have noticed him with a book. The elf from the ship, the one she'd diligently avoided, took off towards the alleys. Louisa's eyes followed him before her feet did; He looks shifty, she frowned. What is he up to? Only after leaving the ship and losing sight of Terry did she realize what she was doing.

She shouldn't be following him, especially not after she'd done so good in avoiding him thus far. It'd taken all of her will-power, the first time she saw him on The Black Crow, not to strike conversation. Though, now that she thought about it, perhaps that was why she needed to follow him. If Alden had Logan, he knew his personality. Knew how to catch her attention. Add that in with the urgent step to the elf's walk and Louisa may have had another Agent with her on board this whole time. How had she missed it? Too caught up in the past to open her eyes.

So, Louisa followed him carefully, so as not to draw attention to herself. If he was an agent, he'd be on guard, and she couldn't have him know she was onto him.

 

[ArcticFox]

The elf walked over the board of the dock and into a narrow alleyway, like he had an exact destination in mind. It was easy to follow him for Louisa, he had a long brown coat with embroidered details and light blonde hair which made him stay out from the people of Torhen who were mostly brown haired and tanned humans.

As Louisa trailed him she saw him make a turn to the left, then stop in front of a wooden door. For one brief moment he cast a look in her direction, making her quickly duck from view.

She heard the doors creak open and a couple of words exchanged in greeting, or at least she assumed it was a greeting since the man used elvish. She heard his steps and then the doors closed again, which meant he was inside the building.

• Knock on the doors.
• Eavesdrop in front of the doors.
• Stay hidden and wait for him to go out.