Yrantan adventures (Completed)

[ArcticFox]

As Levon heard his mistress call out to him he turned his head toward her out of instinct and in that moment of wrongly directed attention Zach had slammed into him, knocking him off the table. Zach was on him now, one hand holding Levon's shirt and the other his knife. For a second it seemed like he might bring the blade down, his eyes glinting. But, he let out a small sigh and stood up. "It was unfair. You let your little mistress distract you. You really are a faithful dog." And he gave him a mocking smirk and then was up over the table in one movement, picking a slice of meat from Anna's plate. He winked at her and then strode out of the room like he owned that whole mansion.


Anna wanted to come up to Levon and help him, but he was already on his feet, nothing injured except maybe his pride. Anna felt a pang of guilt come over her, maybe it would have been better not to try and stop them. But then, who knew how long the fight would last and what would the two men in their rage have done.


"I apologize, madam." Levon said, his gaze lowered. "I seem to be failing you every step of the way now."


"No, Levon." Anna tried to comfort him, but the steward raised his gaze and looked at her intently


"There is something that must be done, madam. Now that you have become a member of the Council, you life might be in danger every day. You will need a body guard." He put a finger on his lower lip in contemplation. "I will need to think on this further."


- Ask Levon something.


- Agree to the idea.


- Just go rest.

 

[Ezri]

"A body guard?" Anna was more startled by the sudden shift in conversation than the idea itself. It wasn't something she had considered before, and yet it seemed obvious in hindsight; being in such a high-profile political position was sure to bring its own dangers. Plenty of people would have something to gain by targeting her, and while that was an unnerving thought it would be foolish to ignore the possibility. She nodded slowly. "Right. But..."


Something was still bothering her from before --  quiet, she peered discerningly up at his face. Considering how much taller he was than her she had to crane her neck a bit to feel like she was getting a good look. She could have sworn she saw a cut on his cheek before, but there wasn't even a mark there now. "You're really not hurt at all?"

 

[ArcticFox]

Levon first looked at her like he was unsure what she meant. Then realization hit him and he gave a faint smile. "I'm not. Please don't worry about me." He made a small bow and then walked up to the string that was hanging off a wall. A couple of minutes after he pulled it a maid walked into the dining room to clean up the table. Levon bowed once again. "If there is nothing else, madam, I'm afraid I must ask your leave." The steward looked like he desperately wanted to be elsewhere, like there was some urgent business he needed to attend to. But Anna couldn't remember anything else on her schedule. She had some free time until tonight, when she had decided would go and meet the man who gave her that mysterious note. Until then, she was free to do whatever she wanted.


- Find Zach.


- Invite Nate.


- Pay a visit to the Duke.

 

[Ezri]

Levon was definitely acting a little strange... actually, he'd said more than a few strange things recently. It was good that he was unharmed of course, but something was off. Regardless, Anna could hardly confront him about it now. And it was probably not a good idea at all, but the only thing she really wanted to do was find Zach and give him a piece of her mind. She doubted that anything she said would get to him, but he wasn't acting like a man who just wanted to lay low and stay out of trouble. Who knew, maybe he had some motive for acting like a nuisance other than being a flashy egotist. Either way, he needed to know that it wasn't appreciated and he had better not get any ideas about extending his stay.

 

[ArcticFox]

Anna climbed the stair to the upper floor and knocked on the door leading into a guest room that she had lent to Zach. In truth it was lent to him for last night only and she had expected him to be gone by now. When no answer came from the room Anna pushed down the door handle and entered. In a way she felt guilty doing this, being a proper lady that she was, but she quickly remembered that this man had barged into her room twice last night only. The guest room was in perfect condition, much due to her surprise. The bed was made and everything was in place. As far as she could see none of the gilded ornaments were missing. But, the intruder wasn't there. Had he gotten the message? Had he left already?


"Boo." A voice whispered in her ear which made her jump like a scared cat. Zach was standing behind her and he laughed at her reaction. "What's wrong, little mistress?" He said through laughter. "Did I get you so scared last night that now you recoil from my ever movement?" He wiped at a tear in corner of his eye, clearly amused.


"You need to leave." Anna told him once she calmed down, giving him the best glare she could muster.


"And I will." He answered with a nod much to her surprise. Then he took a step toward her. And then another. Until Anna's back hit the wall of the bedroom. Zach leaned over her, hands on the wall on both sides of her head, not allowing her to move. His face was so close, too close, and his lips curled into a mischievous smile. "But not until you spend a night with me."


- Say something.


- Try to run.


- Don't move nor speak.

 

[Ezri]

Anna hadn't expected this meeting to go well, but evidently even that had been an optimistic outlook. Was that really all he wanted?! There was no shortage of women in Yranta, if he was so desperate he could go bother someone else... although she wouldn't wish that on anyone in particular. He might be a bit handsome, and undoubtedly confident, but no amount of charm could make up for him being so inconsiderate. Her eyes darted towards the door, but no luck -- with how close he was she wasn't confident about her chances of escape.


"That is not going to happen, so you might as well leave now." she hissed, brows furrowed and her voice steady as she tried to ignore her own heart rate. "I have no interest in criminals."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Don't be so quick to judge, woman." Zach said and his tone was harsh. But, he quickly regained his usual cocky manner. "And don't be so sure." As he said this his fingers touched Anna's chin lifting her face towards him. For a moment it seemed like he was sure to kiss her, but the intruder only smirked and stepped back. "I have a warning for you, little mistress. Your guard dog is not what he seems. You would do good to watch your back around him." He nonchalantly pulled out his knife, examining the blade. "At least I am open about my intentions." A couple of seconds passed and then, as if remembering, Zach reached with his free hand into a pocket of his pants, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper that seemed very familiar to Anna. It was the note she received a day ago. She reached into her own pockets, tapping herself and Zach smiled knowingly. "I see that you are up to something. Something dangerous. What is it you have planned for tonight, girl?"


- Lie.


- Say the truth.


- Dismiss the question.

 

[Ezri]

Anna wasn't sure how she felt about hearing her own suspicions echoed by someone else, especially Zach. Unable to think of a good retort her gaze drifted to the floor; even if Levon was hiding something from her, surely he didn't mean it maliciously. It was much easier to trust him over this intruder. He'd managed to swipe that note without her noticing a thing!


"You--" she started, angrily looking back at him in an instant, but she held her tongue. He was at the very least a very talented pickpocket, so did that mean he was a thief by trade? In any case she had no intention of telling him what she was up to -- with a huff she crossed her arms, avoiding eye contact. "Any 'dangerous' things I might be up to are none of your concern."

 

[ArcticFox]

Zach gave out a soft chuckle. "You really are a little girl, aren't you?" He smiled, very amused by her pouting. Then he stepped toward her again and extended the note to her. Anna took that piece of paper reluctantly, looking at the man with suspicion. "You should not go alone." He said, uncharacteristically serious as he was holstering his knife. "If you are intent on getting into dangerous business, always have someone you trust with you. Although..." He shrugged, turning his back on Anna and walking up to the window of the bedroom. "Trust is hard to come by these days." And with those words he simply jumped out through the open window. Anna's mouth slightly widened at the sudden motion, but then again, ever since he came into her life, Zach was nothing but sudden.


The rest of the evening she spent walking through her mansion, reading books and just thinking about everything. She did have a lot on her mind, what with Council business and a mysterious messenger and everything else going on in her life. She tried keeping herself busy until midnight came. She also looked for Levon around the house, but he was nowhere in sight. Zach had not made a reappearance since his majestic escape through a window and Anna thought if she could allow herself the hope that he was gone for good. Somehow, she doubted. It was twenty minutes until midnight when she walked out the doors of her mansion to meet her strange gentleman. Is Anna going to the meeting alone?


- Yes.


- No, she's with Zach.


- She's with Nate.


- She's with a guard.

 

[Ezri]

She didn't want to admit it, but Zach was right about one thing: it would be too risky to go meet this stranger by herself. If she had to choose someone she trusted her options were a bit limited, and Zach was not high on that list. Now that they were on good terms again it seemed safe to ask Nate; he wasn't sure how he would take to the idea, but he should understand her curiosity more than anyone. Sure, it was dangerous, but it was a little thrilling too! And he did say to ask him if she needed help with anything...

 

[ArcticFox]

Nate met her in front of the gates of the courtyard. She had sent a messenger to him earlier to notify him of this little adventure and the blonde's expression spoke of how thrilled he felt about it. He had a sleeveless cloak on with a hood over his head, all very dramatic. When Anna greeted him he spoke in whisper.


"What is this mysterious thing you have planned?"


"I didn't plan on anything." Anna told him with an amused smile. He was still very childish. "I got a message to meet someone at the docs. I thought it was safer to go with you."


Nate seemed to beam at these words. He stood straight and moved his cloak to reveal a small stiletto tucked in his belt. "I'm ready for everything." Anna wanted to laugh at his giddiness, but also hoped that it would not come to violence. 


They were at the docs at midnight. But, docs of Yranta were a huge place and nobody knew them better than Nate. He led Anna through side alleys that did not seem very safe at all, but no one ambushed them or tried anything else. There were some guardsmen stationed in the doc square, but too few to cover the whole area. They walked left and right until Nate finally decided they should just wait for the stranger to approach them. After all, if he was so vague about the meeting place, it must have meant that he was watching them as they were speaking and was only waiting for a right moment to greet them.


Nate's proposition bore fruit. As the two friends were standing a little way off the main street, a figure all in black approached them. Cloaked and hooded he looked much like Nate only slightly taller. He stepped up to Anna and removed his hood. Her musings had proven correct, the mysterious gentleman was Nerith, the elf she took in a couple of days ago. After his abrupt disappearance Anna did not hope to see him again, but by the look in the elf's eyes she could see that he needed something of her. 


"Miss Penrose. Mister." He inclined his head slightly, his manner very polite. He didn't seem agitated by the fact that Anna brought Nate along, which was probably since he recognized him as the one who helped him earlier. Anna couldn't help but wonder if Nerith's reaction would be any different had she come with someone else. "I have something to ask of you."


"Of course." Anna answered as nonchalantly as she could given the circumstances.


"What?" Nate was suddenly shouting. "You cannot possibly mean on getting friendly with this guy again! You know what would happen if people found out!"


"They won't." Anna said calmly, giving Nate a glare.


"I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you." Nerith continued. "But I have no one else to turn to in this city. Your guards walked back on their words and even though they gave me permission to enter, they would again try to make me a villain and throw me in jail. You have shown me kindness before and I have told you I need access to Yranta's public library. I could never walk in there in the middle of the day without rousing suspicion, but you can."


"Anna..." Nate piped in, a look of disapproval on his face.


- Agree.


- Ask him about this further.


- Refuse.

 

[Ezri]

It wasn't hard to understand why Nate was worried. Being on the council, if someone found out Anna was sneaking around at the behest of a dark elf things could end very badly for her. But if Nerith was persisting in this after he'd been beaten and threatened, it must be very important to him. On top of that, he didn't seem like a man that would ask for help lightly. Nerith had never struck her as a bad person... she returned Nate's gaze with a determined eyes and a small frown. He would have to trust her.


"I'll help however I can." she nodded to Nerith, decisive despite her friend's concerns. "Although I would like to know what this is all about..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I cannot say any more." Nerith answered, his brows furrowing. "I'm sorry, but this is something I'd like to discuss in private with you, miss. And not in the streets." He looked around suspiciously. 


"Oh, really!" Nate threw his hands up. "This is so obvious! He just wants to get you alone, the sleazy elf!"


"Nate!" Anna protested. "Please." She looked at him pleadingly. "Don't be difficult." Nerith did not seem to budge at Nate's words, but still, Anna did not want to drive him off. It was enough that she had Levon and Zach at each others' throats, she did not want these two to start as well.


"Fine." Nate crossed his arms on his chest demonstratively. "Just be careful." 


As Nate left them alone, or least claimed to (Anna was certain that he still lurked in the shadows somewhere), Nerith led her to a run down building at the end of the docs district. It was very close to the shore and its first floor was flooded. Broken down stairwell led up to the second floor. Anna peaked inside, but was reluctant to enter, as she would be up to her ankles in water. Nerith noticed her reluctance and without a warning swept her up, taking her in his arms like a princess. Not saying anything, he crossed the flooded room and ascended the stairs into the upper hallway. He pushed open the first doors with his foot and only once they were inside a room he put Anna down very gently. They entered a very decadent bedroom. It had been rich once, but since its occupants had abandoned it, the house seemed to be beyond repair. The plaster on the walls was crumbling and the posts of the bed were rotten. It did have clean linens, which meant that Nerith had probably occupied the house for some time.


"I'd offer you a seat, but there is no chair." Nerith said to Anna with a small smile. 


- Ask for an explanation.


- Talk about something else.

 

[Ezri]

Anna was too surprised to object when Nerith picked her up, but she was able to regain some composure at his joke. "I appreciate the thought." she laughed -- he couldn't have many visitors, after all. He had an unexpected sense of humor, and he seemed kind in his own way; he couldn't be the sort of unsavory character that Nate was imagining.


She look a moment to look over the room again. It was a little sad that he had to stay in a damp, decrepit place like this, but it would be near impossible to find an inn in the city that would take him. If he didn't want to stay in her home either, it wasn't as though he had many options.


"Can you tell me what you're doing?" she asked, lowering her voice slightly even though there was no one else around to overhear. Habit, she supposed. "I thought you would have left, after what happened..."

 

[ArcticFox]

Nerith walked up to the bed and removed his cloak, tossing it over the sheets. Then he sat on the side of the bed, the piece of furniture producing an enraged creak. Nerith winced at the sounds, but quickly regained his composure. "I am investigating. I have been doing so for quite some time. Even before I ran into you." With a sigh he brought a hand through his hair. "My people are dying." He said in a pained tone. "I don't know how familiar you are with the region, but there is a small elven village in the desert, east of Yranta. We keep to ourselves and humans don't bother us. But, we are a barbaric people, at least most of us are. We don't have access to your means of healing and all our mages are long since dead."


There was a legend that dark elves were the same as high elves some millennia ago. But their mages were too curious and kept digging for secrets they were not meant to uncover. They stumbled upon a force so dark it corrupted their magic, completely killing any man, woman or child who bore this gift. And the rest of the dark elves bear the same corruption to this day. This association with demonic power is what has isolated dark elves from the rest of the world, true or not.


"I need to get into Yranta's library to search for a book that speaks about something alike to the illness that has overcome my people. I need to do something." His voice was not very loud, but the desperation in it said enough.


- Help him get into the public library.


- Propose to search the private library of the Duke.


- Or the medical library of the House of Healing.

 

[Ezri]

She stared, mouth slightly agape in shock -- any confusion Anna still had about his determination vanished in an instant. She never would have imagined that his motivation was something so awful as a deadly epidemic, but now she better understood his resolve. Of course he couldn't leave Yranta when his entire village was depending on him to find an answer. All this time, Nerith had endured such hardship with a heavy burden on his shoulders... he must have felt so terrible.


"I'm... sorry." she said, her gaze downcast, although it didn't feel like nearly enough comfort. The best thing she could do to help was to assist in searching for the information they needed. She crossed her arms, mentally looking for anything that would lead them in the right direction. "If it's about an illness, maybe the medical library would be more helpful? I know there is one, in the House of Healing. And a smaller library might be easier to search."

 

[ArcticFox]

Nerith nodded at her words, his gaze lowered. He seemed to contemplate it for a second, but then he stood up, walked up to Anna and knelt in front of her, right hand on his chest. "Thank you, miss Penrose." He said with a small smile. "I will be in your debt for as long as I live." Then he stood up, now towering over Anna and he looked her in the eyes. "When and how?"


Anna did not expect that she will need to do all the planning. But, two choices were clear to her from the beginning. She can either go alone to the House of Healing and search through their library for a book that might contain a plague that Nerith mentioned. While this would be the easy way, going without the elf could cause some confusion or she could even bring back a wrong kind of book wish her secondhand information. The other choice was a far trickier one as it would require her to go along with Nerith. Dark elves are not allowed inside many of the buildings in Yranta and Nerith was seen by so many people on the square some days ago. This would require them to go by night and sneak in, and if they were caught, Anna would be in as much trouble as the elf. Either way the two of them should not be seen together publicly in order not to raise suspicion until the whole ordeal was done.


- Propose to go alone.


- Propose to go together.

 

[Ezri]

Nerith was full of surprises; Anna hardly felt like someone who should be knelt to. She blushed a little, feeling a little nervous about the intensity of his gratitude when she hadn't accomplished anything yet. She would have to make sure she earned it..


"I think... we should go together." Anna decided, although even she knew it was probably a bad idea. She didn't even want to consider what might happen to them if they were caught... but if this illness was as dire as it seemed, they couldn't afford to waste much time running back and forth if she got the wrong book. As long as they were careful, they could be in and out in one night and no one would be any the wiser. She nodded to him, trying not to let her nerves show on her face. "You know what is happening with your people better than I would. We'll have to go at night of course, and be discreet."

 

[ArcticFox]

With the agreement between her and the elf made, Anna returned to her home. She had a lot to think about. This quest would prove to be a liability, just as Nate mentioned, but she could not leave Nerith to fend for himself if she was able to aid him. They have decided to go together, which would require them to go at night. While the streets of Yranta's administration square were well lit with streets lamps during the night, the lack of guardsmen that Anna had wanted to point out to the Council, but chose a different proposition, could be a plus for them. This would mean that there would be a handful of them patrolling the main street of the district and maybe one or two in front of each of the notable buildings. One for House of Healing probably, because no one venture there to steal anything. There was nothing worth of stealing in there probably.


The two of them could sneak easily in, but the finding their way on the inside would be a bit trickier. If only Anna could get her hands on the building's plan.


"Hey." A voice startled her. She was in her bed, with covers pulled up to her nose, musing about her wicked plan. The intruder could be nobody else but the rude escaped prisoner. He seemed to appear at worst possible times and always when she was thinking about something she did not want anyone else to know about.


"You did not leave still." Anna told him sternly.


"Nope." Zach said, leaning against the post of her bed, his form looming above her. "But if you made room for me in there tonight..." And she gestured at the bed with his chin.


Zach was the most persistent person that Anna had met so far in her life. But, for a moment she wondered if there could be some use for him also. He was a good thief, wasn't he? But, could he be trusted?


- Let him sleep there.


- Ask him for help.


- Tell him to leave.

 

[Ezri]

"No." she replied, flat and direct. Zach might think he could wear her down, but he could ask a hundred times and she would have no intention of changing her answer. What kind of woman did he think she was?!


She was on the verge of just telling him to go, but she hesitated. Anna really didn't want to admit it, but Zach's 'services' might actually be useful after all. This mission was about much more than her, so she should consider it an opportunity even if it was a hit to her pride. She'd never really stolen anything before, and she hoped she wouldn't need to again, but it was imperitive to both her and Nerith that they didn't mess up. But she definitely didn't want to tell Zach the details -- if he found out she was working with a dark elf there was no telling what he would do with that information. "Although, if you insist on meddling in my affairs... I could use some advice." she sighed in resignation.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Oh?" Zach's eyebrows raised in amusement. "You need an escaped prisoner's advice? What kind of unladylike business have you gotten yourself into?" He chuckled at his own joke and without asking plopped down on edge of the bed next to Anna. He sat there with his arms crossed on his chest, one leg impatiently thumping the ground as he looked somewhere straight ahead, waiting for Anna to explain it to him.


"I need to... acquire a certain item." Anna said reluctantly. "But, I am unsure how to go about it."


"Oh, acquire is it? Acquiring items is my specialty." Zach let out a laugh. "What do you need?"


"A plan of the House of Healing."


"What?" The man looked at her in disbelief and very much disappointed. "I thought you were going on a heist. Don't you want plans to a nobleman's mansion? A bank? Duke's palace?"


Anna shook her head.


"Really?" Zach blinked a couple of times. "Okay then." He stood up from his sitting position. I'll do it. For a price."


Anna was a bit afreaid to ask him his price, half expecting it to be something improper. "Yes?"


"After I get this item for you, I want to ask a favor of you also. A favor for a favor, it's fair trade, don't you think? And I'm not telling you what kind of a favor I have in mind. You'll need to find out." And he gave her a wink.


- Accept.


- Refuse.

 

[Ezri]

She should have expected such a reaction from him. Zach seemed very single-minded, so she could only imagine what he'd ask of her... she couldn't just agree to that! Part of her regretted asking at all, but those plans would be so helpful... as far as Anna could tell there was no good solution. The thought crossed her mind that she could just lie, or refuse once he finally revealed whatever favor it was, but Zach was still a dangerous criminal. He might not be so friendly if she went back on her word. Even if he wouldn't accept it she decided to at least try to negotiate; if he refused, she'd have to figure it out on her own.


"Letting you stay here at all was favor enough!" she grumbled, unable to hide her frustration. "I'll quit badgering you to leave, if you want. But refusing to tell me what I'm agreeing to is hardly fair. I can't do that."

 

[ArcticFox]

"You cannot do anything about me staying at your place, either way, woman." Zach's voice turned into a low growl, probably infuriated by her words. "Really... I'm offering you a fair deal here." He shrugged and then took out his knife, which seemed to be a habit of his. "I can always take anything I want by force." He holstered it back. "But I won't, because a small part of me is still a gentleman." He was back on the bed again, on top of Anna, his fingers grasping her chin. "Do you accept my deal such as it is with no alterations?" He asked, his face very close. "Yes or no?"


- Accept.


- Refuse.

 

[Ezri]

It was easy to forget about Zach's temper until it flared up, and by then it was too late to do anything about it. There clearly wasn't going to be any negotiating after all -- she had to take this shady proposition or leave it. As much as she hated the idea of helping Zach, especially now, she tried to think of Nerith's desperation, and the plight of his people... she should focus on him and them instead. All she could hope was that whatever the theif wanted from her wasn't uncouth or dangerous, or that she could avoid it somehow. That felt unlikely, but it made her feel better for the moment to hope.
"Alright, alright!" Anna gave in through gritted teeth, heart pounding and glaring as if it pained her just to get the words out. "It's a deal."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Excellent!" Zach seemed to beam as he jumped off the bed. "You'll have your plans in the morning." He said and exited the room with a wave of his hand. Just then it occurred to Anna that he did not ask where he could find such plans or any other details. Maybe Zach was a very experienced thief.


The morning came very quick and Anna felt that she did not get enough sleep. At least she did not need to attend Council meetings for a couple of days. There was no sign of Zach even though she half expected him to wake her up in his usual rude manner. She got up, washed and got dressed and made her way down to have breakfast. She did not encounter Levon anywhere, which also seemed unusual as the steward was always in the dining room before her with a meal already prepared. This time however one of the kitchen staff whipped up a delicious meal for her and she ate in silence, completely alone in such a vast dining room. 


- Search for Levon.


- Wait for Zach.


- Seek out Nerith.


- Call on Nate.


- Visit the Duke.