Fantasy Uncertainty and Unease (Paused)

[ArcticFox]

"Rina." Throben said, his expression lightening as he stood up from the table. "Thank you, Sarah, I am most grateful."
"Thank you, dear." Leila added, handing a bundle to Louisa. "Here are the buns."
"I'll show you the cart."

--

The cart was an old rickety thing, but Throben swore that it was the most reliable he ever had. Served them well for the last ten years, he said. It was filled with sacks of flour, about a dozen of them, neatly tied at the back. Two ponies stood tethered to it. The animals at least, looked reliable. Their legs were muscular and backs broad, for ponies, they seemed very sturdy.

"Go left down the cobbled street, then on the fourth intersection, go right. You can't miss the smithy, the smoke will show you the way." Throben explained and with more thanks left Louisa there to go about his business.

• Take the cart and go find Rina.
• Steal the cart and go elsewhere.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Should she have been put in this position before knowing their kindness, Louisa might have stolen the cart for herself. Times were tough. Be things as they were, however, she nodded and set off towards the blacksmith. Wondered on her way there what kind of person Rina was like and if more people in Torhen were so hospitable, or if she'd just happened to stumble across a bit of luck. Tried not to think of darker things, like the potential for this to actually be a trap of some sort, because things were finally going alright and she did not want to spoil her good mood with negativity.

 

[ArcticFox]

The cart rolled slowly, but surely. Throben's directions were much clearer than that old woman's, so Louisa was able to arrive to the set destination without getting lost or side tracked. The smoke greeted her first, just as the dwarf said. It was not a pleasant one, like the smoke coming from the ovens in which the bread was baking, no, this one was thick and black and it stung her eyes.

The sounds came after, the steady hammering and hissing of hot metal doused in cold water. Then she emerged out of the street and saw the smithy, finally. Like the other buildings in the dwarven quarter, it was made out of stone mostly, with an open terrace with a furnace and all sorts of scrap metal laying about. In the center of it all was a dwarven woman, hammering away at a piece of weaponry, not paying any attention at Louisa.

• Call out to her.
• Step down from the cart and approach her.
• Something else.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Not inclined to leave the cart unattended, Louisa called out to the woman from where she sat. "Excuse me! Rina?" She squinted, the smoke stinging her eyes. Took in the sights of the blacksmith's set-up, having been made curious after glancing at the weapon in progress. Her eyes landed again on the dwarven woman. She is quite strong for someone so small, Louisa observed, noticing the muscles of her arms. Unable to help herself, she glanced down at her own person in comparison. Funny, feeling small in comparison to a dwarf.

 

[ArcticFox]

The blacksmith did not look up from the hammering and it was quite probably that she did not even hear Louisa. She continued at it for a moment, then brought up the item close to her face to examine it. Only then did her eyes focus past it and onto the cart.

"Who are you?" She asked, her expression baffled. "That's my dad's cart." She pointed out, setting the item back on the anvil. "Are you the new worker? I told them guys they should hire someone, they are not getting any younger!"

• Go along with her story.
• Tell her the truth.
• Don't reveal anything, just hand over the flour.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Ah, my name is Sarah," she said, sticking to her new alias. "And it is, though... I do not work for them. Simply returning a favor." Louisa hopped off the seat to start collecting the sacks of flour. One alone was heavy in her arms, but she managed well enough in handing it over. "You are Rina, then? Your mother sent honey buns, too."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Oh!" Rina clapped her hands together to remove some of the soot from her gloves. "Yeah, I'm Rina. Nice to meet you." And she hurried up to help Louisa carry the sacks. "Just over here." She showed her a small shed next to the smithy. "Boss will pick them up later."

Rina towed her load with easy, used to heavy lifting as she had to be in her line of work. Louisa did not fare so well, but with a grin and a pat on the back, Rina took over when she got tired and finished the job. After all of the sacks were unloaded the dwarven woman turned to Louisa.

"So, Sarah, tell me, do you have a keen eye for art?" She asked, then motioned at her to follow to the terrace and the anvil where she left the item from before. Now when Louisa saw it up close she made it out for a handle that could belong on a longsword or a one handed axe. It was made out of a metal unfamiliar to her and had a strange bluish sheen. On a table next to the anvil stood a small bowl with aquamarines. "I'm gonna use them to decorate the crossguard." Rina explained. "But, I'm in a dilemma. Should I go with aquamarines, or find some opals, eh? Blue or yellow, what do you think?" She looked to Louisa for an answer.

• Blue.
• Yellow.
• You have no idea.

 

[Cartoonicat]

With arms turned jelly, Louisa watched Rina finish up. As with Throben and Leila, Louisa found she didn't worry much about their daughter having a secret agenda. Instead of consider it suspicious, Louisa quite liked her upbeat attitude. It was refreshing, in a way, letting herself think such things.

"Art?" She liked to think she had an eye for art, but many years had passed since she'd last needed to use it. While she'd always be sore over Emily's betrayal, she felt less bitter about her family's reputation crumbling. There were more important things in life than attending political parties and exercising one's charm. If Alden abducting her parents had done anything good, it was humble her somewhat.

Looking at the bluish sheen in comparison to the gems, Louisa chewed at her lip. "Perhaps the opals? I think it would make a nice contrast with the handle's color."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hmm..." Rina hummed, flipping the handle and examining it thoroughly. "You know what, I think you might be right." She said, patting her on the arm. "Thanks. For this and for the flour. And the buns." She took off her gloves. "Might as well take a break and eat." The dwarf grinned and hopped on the table, taking out one sweet bun and biting into it.

• Stay and talk with Rina.
• Go back.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Feeling proud of her answer, Louisa smiled. Did not so much as bat an eye when Rina patted her on the arm - contact she would have normally shied away from. "You are welcome," she said. Part of her wanted to leave and continue her search for the Raven while the sun was still high, but another part yearned to stay and chat. Rina seemed like good company, so she chose the latter. Yet, she couldn't for the life of her think of what to say. Did she want to ask about the Raven? Would that even be a good idea?

She could at least try. "So, do you know of a Raven? Ah, Raven as in a name, not the bird."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hmm, is that your friend or something?" Rina asked, looking at Louisa with a bit of confusion. "I don't know anyone by that name."

The investigation on the first day in Torhen lead to a dead end, but at least Louisa managed to secure lodging and some food without spending a dime. The dwarves were nice to her and their daughter kept her company for a full hour, telling her about Torhen and what little there was to see around there.

It was not a town that many people chose to settle in. Travellers came there on dozens of boats each day, that was true, but none remained in Torhen. This town was a gateway for the rest of the continent and the League. The League, Rina explained, stood for an alliance of city-states to the east and north of Torhen. All of them function well on their own, but in cases of dire need they would unite under the same banner. However there was no wars in this part of the world for at least two centuries.

Louisa had never been on the League's territory before. Most of her jobs were on the continent of Varla, where her hometown was and where Myrr was stated, albeit on the completely opposite side of it. The hub of operations for The Order of the Blue Light was also across the ocean, on the northern shores of Varla. She was far away from Alden, but still within the reach of his influence.

--

That night Luisa spent in a room provided by Throben and Leila. It was a simple and cosy place with a single bed, a large closet and a table with a chair in front of it, just under the window. It was dead of the night and she was asleep, soundly or not, when she heard the window creaking open from the outside and a gust of fresh air rushed into the room. The curtains moved and if she opened her eyes just a bit she could see a robed figure sitting on the table with the moonlight behind it.

• Pretend to be asleep.
• Attack the figure.
• Address the figure.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Ah, never mind then," Louisa offered her a weakening smile. A dead end once again. As she stayed with Rina for the next hour and learned more about Torhen and the League, though, she found she didn't mind. Even if she didn't find the Raven, the people she did meet proved quite helpful. As a child, Louisa had only heard of the League in passing from her mother, but all talk of the other continent ceased after the De Rosas fell from grace. Her mother likely knew plenty about the world beyond Varla, but Louisa did not have her guidance now.

So she'd take it where she could find it.

***

Once upon a time, Louisa Marie De Rosa used to be a heavy sleeper. On a day of nostalgia she'd think back to the many times her mother chastised her for such lazy behavior, going so far as to pour water on her if she slept past noon. Between her mother's insistence on rising early and her job as an Agent, not to mention Alden's four year hunt, Louisa long since grew accustomed to waking at the slightest of noise. If only her ten year old self could see her now.

When the window creaked open, Louisa woke instantly. Upon sparing a glance at a robed figure on the table her heart flew into her throat. Shite, shite, shite, I should not have stayed here, she panicked, the hand beside her pillow reaching carefully for the dagger she hid underneath. Either she'd fallen into a trap or she'd brought trouble to the dwarven family, both of which were not good options.

Maybe if she'd stopped fooling around with pastries and hour long chats, she'd have found the Raven by now and avoided this. Why did she always have to procrastinate?

Upon grabbing the handle of her dagger Louisa flung from bed and lunged at the figure.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Oh, just stop." A voice rang out in her head and her whole body froze. Literally, she could not move a muscle. Her hand was gripping a dagger, low beside her body and she was caught in a half step, just a pace away from the table and the figure on it.

She knew who the figure was now, at least. She recognised the voice. It belonged to the elf on the ship, the one she followed that morning, the one that led her into a trap.

"Will you stop trying to kill me already?" He let out an annoyed huff, crossing his legs on the table. "It is not very charming. I went through all that trouble of letting you tag along, led you right where you wanted to be and then you ran off." He shook his head. "You are paranoid to the point of either being incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. I'm leaning toward the latter now." Louisa could see his narrowed eyes watching her intently. "If you promise to behave for a moment, I will let you go."

• Promise.
• Don't.
• Ask him something.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Stupid mages, Louisa gritted her teeth. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was being held by magic against her will. She used to fear it; now it was a nuisance. Stupid me. I knew he was an agent; I should have gotten rid of him this morning! "Kill you? You're the one trying to kill me!" No matter how she tried, she could not move. At least he did not float her in the air. "You-"

She choked on her words, realization dawning on her. Suddenly, Louisa felt unbelievably foolish.

"Where I wanted to be?"

 

[ArcticFox]

The elf gave her a very slow clap, looking at her without much amusement.

"Finally realised your foolishness, did you?" He shook his head. All the while he was talking, his mouth did not seem to move, and his voice was not reaching Louisa's ears as one might expect, it was echoing inside her head.

Louisa's body relaxed and she was free of the force that held her muscles taut, as if by someone else's will. The elf leaned back, his eyes taking in her appearance completely.

"I am an Agent." He said, but qucikly raised his hand. "Not that sort of an Agent. I am an... adviser of the Raven. I was to ensure you reached him safely, without tipping you off. But it seems old habits die hard." He sighed. "Well, no matter. I do understand you. These past years must have been tough for you. They have been tough for Raven as well." He climbed on top of the table and looked out the window. "Will you come with me now? He will explain it better than I can."

• Go.
• Don't go.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite being released, she felt no more at ease than she had under his spell. Could she trust this man? Her stomach lurched at the thought of a trap, but she was not going to get anywhere if she kept playing things safe. Had she not taken a risk with the dwarves today, she'd likely be sleeping at a downtrodden inn with scummy tenants. So, even if part of her did not believe him - she had mentioned the Raven thrice that day to strangers, and word could travel - Louisa exhaled in resignation.

"Alright," she said. "I will go with you. But no more of that magic shtick; it is proper annoying."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I promise not to make you pull down your pants or something." The elf snickered and then jumped out the window. It was only one story up, so they landed gently down. "Follow me."

--

The elf led her out of the dwarven quarter and through the streets and alleys, back to the house she ran from just that morning. Torhen was different during the day. The streets were far from empty, but it did not seem a dangerous sort of a place like Myrr was. Here at night, everyone seemed to be drinking, singing or whoring. There was much less thieving or stabbing.

The elf opened the doors of the building and gestured for Louisa to enter. Candlelight spilled outside to the steps. She saw a silhouette move on the inside and heard clinking of glass on glass.

"After you." The elf gestured.

• Go first.
• Let him go first.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Louisa scowled, not in the mood for humor, but she followed him anyway. At least the streets were lively; hopefully if this little adventure did go south, someone would see. Not that I could probably count on someone to report it, much less help. Still, the thought counted. As they approached the house from that morning they slowed to a stop. She shot him a terse look and did not move, unwilling to put her back to him.

"I would be more at ease if you entered first."

 

[ArcticFox]

The elf rolled his eyes and entered. When Louisa followed, she was greeted with a sight of a cozy living room, complete with a fireplace, a sofa and two armchairs set in front of it, and a table with an arrangement of glasses and bottles as well as a porcelain kettle.

"Hello." An old man was sitting in one armchair, smiling at Louisa while holding a cup in his hand.

"Welcome, Agent De Rosa, please, sit." He took a sip from his drink. "Oh, Nyv, please pour a drink for the Agent. Would you like some tea, or something stronger?" He asked Louisa.

• Have something alcoholic.
• Have some tea.
• Ask him who he is.
• Wait in silence.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Hearing her real name sent a chill up her spin. Someone is knowledgeable. Shoulders tense, Louisa stood there for a moment taking in the sight of the room and the man with the tea cup. Hesitantly, she took a seat. Is this the Raven? It would make sense, I suppose. Louisa had, on many a night, yearned for the mind-numbing buzz of alcohol but had not indulged in at least three years. Too much risk, being on the run and all. Now was no different. "Tea," she said. If this man was the Raven or at least worked for the mysterious name, she should at least try to accept his hospitality to some degree.

"Are you the Raven?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"I am." The man nodded. "I know it's difficult to belive. I don't look the part anymore, all gray like this. Now I'm just an old crow." He chuckled for himself and motioned at the elf, who poured some tea for Louisa, but clearly was not enjoying the task.

"You got my letter." Raven continued. "And I know you are overflowing with questions, but let me tell you something before you ask. Let me tell you about your old employer and how he is about to send the whole world to hell."

Raven told her a story then. It sounded like a fairytale one might conjure up for children, but this one had a far too familiar villain. Alden had spent years collecting information. Louisa knew this, because she was one of the many that did this for him. With the information he controlled cities, kingdoms, empires. The mightiest people of Varla were in his grasp. But, apparently, that was not enough for him. He was not content with what he knew, he was not content with his magical abilities, he wanted more, always more. And he had it just withing his reach, but was far too blind to see it.

Raven realised the potential of the Holy Book before him. He stole it and sold it, hoping it will be locked somewhere in a rich man's vault, forgotten. He knew that Alden would come to the same realisation soon, so he ran, laid low for a while. Until he heard that Alden was on the move again and that the Holy Book's location was known. It was Louisa's simple bad luck that had her thrown in the middle of everything. She found out too much, she was too curious. She, much like Raven, could not be let alive. Alden would hunt them for the remainder of their days, or at lest until the got the Book back and destroyed everything.

• Ask about Alden.
• Ask about the Holy Book.
• Ask about Raven.
• Ask about Nyv.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"On second thought," Louisa dragged a hand down her face, "I will take a stronger drink, if you are still offering." She'd sipped through at least half of her tea throughout the story, believing Raven more and more as he spoke. Of course, her involvement had no more reason behind it than the luck of the draw; Lady Luck seemed to dislike the De Rosas something fierce. That fact alone made her far more tired than she had been walking in the building. There had been no avoiding Alden; no avoiding losing her parents; no avoiding downright betrayal.

Louisa sighed into the palm of her hand. Yes, she definitely needed a drink. "I believe you, but what do we do now, then? I am tired of running, and I want back what is mine," she said. Her parents, Logan, her life. "You claimed a way of helping in your letter."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I know, I know." Raven nodded. He gestured at Nyv, who once again moved to pour a glass of some copper liquid that could have been whiskey for Louisa. "I do have a way of helping you. Helping the both of us, to tell the truth. It's very simple - we kill Alden." The old man said, taking a sip of his tea. "But the tree of us cannot do it on our own. We will need a small army." He left the cup on the table and stood up. "Thankfully, I know just where to start."

Raven walked into the adjacent room and returned with a a couple of scrolls and ledgers, arranging them on the sofa and shuffling through them.

"First, you will need a place to train your small army. I have readied that for you. Nyv will lead you out of Torhen and into the mountains. I used to have a home there, but now it's been converted into a makeshift fort. It will suit your needs just fine. Second, you will need people to work there. I will deal with quartermastery and provide the supplies for you, however the fort is already stocked quite well and has a skeleton crew, a handful of servants and cooks that will take care of the place. But, you need to find a blacksmith and an armourer. Or any reliable merchants, trainers, I'm sure you will encounter them on your journey." He tossed a ledger to Louisa. "You'll find notes there about a couple of people I've met during my time and managed to locate. Seek them out first. And this." He tossed her one of the scrolls. "A map of the League territories. It will come in handy." He looked at the elf then, with a smile. "Also, you get Nyv, he will now be your personal adviser. Any other questions, refer to him. Now, it's really the best you go right away."

• Go immediately.
• Go in the morning.
• Propose Rina for the blacksmith position.
• Examine the map.
• Ask something.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Feeling safer there, now, Louisa dipped her head at Nyv in thanks. Brought the glass to her lips and listened to Raven's plan. Even just a sip prompted her to grimace; Louisa hadn't drank in quite some time. She never much liked the taste of things stronger than wine. Cry as her tastebuds might, the quick warming effect it brought was more than welcome. It made Raven's solution less hard to swallow. There was a lot to do.

Perhaps if Alden had not taken her mother and father she would hesitate more at the prospect of killing him. She'd known him for quite some time. Had considered him a friend, even. Yet, if anyone knew Louisa, they would know her loyalties would always lie with her parents - and Alden did. It's why he'd taken them as bargaining chips. And, when that hadn't worked, he'd the gall to take Logan, too.

She took another sip.

"I actually-..." Louisa pursed her lips: Did she want to involve Rina in this? What would her parents think, should she accept? As much as it worried Louisa that she'd be repaying their kindness by potentially whisking their daughter away to war, she needed good people, and the dwarves seemed just that. "I actually have someone in mind for the blacksmith position," she said. "Rina, a blacksmith from the dwarven quarter. She is easy to get along with and open-minded enough to ask advice from others."

After proposing Rina for the position, Louisa spared a glance in Nyv's direction. Personal adviser... I cannot exactly avoid him, then. She resisted the urge to drag yet another hand down her face; instead, downed another sip of her drink. Perhaps it will not be so bad. He does remind me of Logan, but there are definitely some differences. Yes, Louisa had not yet realized she'd been blatantly staring, this will be alright.

 

[ArcticFox]

Raven nodded at her proposition. "It will be done. I will send someone to talk to the dwarven lady and thoroughly check if she is suitable for the position." What kind of checks he wanted to perform exactly, he did not care to elaborate.

"It seems that we are stuck with each other for now." Nyv spoke, actually moving his lips now, though his voice sounded bored rather than irritated. His words made Raven chuckle.

"Now, I expect you to play nice, Nyv. I don't want any complaints."

"Of course. I am always completely professional." Nyv said, standing up. "Let us be off then, unless you have further questions."

• Go with Nyv.
• Examine the map.
• Ask something.