[IC] Tricksters and Theives: A Warhammer RP

[POOHEAD189]

Neil blinked, nearly dropping his pistol in the dark for a second at the sudden use of magic. He opened his mouth to speak, and then decided it was no time for arguing. In fact, he was pleased. He had been right about this girl, at least in some capacity. He grabbed her free hand and nodded. "Ok, we better hurry. That light will probably be noticed if we stay here," he reasoned, and the two ran off into the twisting caverns. The rocks were overbearing and jagged, stabbing upwards and downwards, difficult to see even with the light she had produced. At one point, Neil and the woman nearly stumbled over a sheer cliff. She bumped into him from behind and his foot dangled over the side.

"Back, back!" He whispered, and she pulled him back from the cliff, pebbles falling into the endless dark below.

The next hour (or four) they continued through the maze, finding their breath harder and harder to come by until the sudden whiff of fresh air hit them in the face. Neil had never smelled anything sweeter, and precious light touched their feet. The two of them shared a relieved smile, and they started forward again in one last burst of energy, realizing just how lucky they had been from surviving this utter shitshow of a day trip. As they ran, one of them, neither knew which one, kicked a relatively hefty stone. It skidded across the ground and smacked into one of the support beams.

At first, nothing happened. They kept running and laughing, until the stones around them began to reverberate; the mountains around them grumbling awake like an ancient, summoned god from the Chaos Wastes. A small rock hit Neil in the head, but it startled him more than hurt.

"Go faster! GO FASTER!" She cried, very unlady like. Neil didn't have to be told twice, all but leaping out of the cavern just as the crescendo of its collapsed erupted all around them, rocks cracking and wood splintering. With a last cry they flew out of the cavern and into the ruins of the abandoned entrance, dust flying and a deep sprinting off from the commotion as the two of them hit the grass heavily, the sun now high in the sky, slightly skirting to the east. Neil rolled over onto his back, staring at the sky and clearing his throat.

"Ranald's balls, that was..." He started, unable to find the words. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned. "Are you ok?"

[Penny]

Emmaline fell heavily onto her rump in the dust. She looked down at her tattered and soiled dress, a hundred marks worth of investment that wouldn't fetch a penny now. She let the pebble she had been holding drop to the ground, the golden light flickering and vanishing to reveal a perfectly normal rock. Fortunately the damage the dress had taken had protected her from the worst of the cuts and scrapes she otherwise would have acrued during their flight though the mine.

"I'll be fine," she said after a moment. The secondary exit appeared to be a shaft which had been sunk to clear a cave in. Several sheds had collapsed and weeds and thigh high stalks of grass poked through the compacted earth. There was an ancient wooden trough which must once have carried earth away from the mine site but it had collapsed with rot.

By now Otto would be back in town, perhaps organizing help to come to the mine, but just as likely cowering in his townhouse trying to figure out how Margueritte Von Vissenbach had perished in his company. Perhaps she might take advantage of that somehow in the future, but that was for later.

"Well Neil," Emmaline said after a moment, "Its a long walk back to Nuln, and I don't propose to be out here after dark with greenskins still abroad..."

[POOHEAD189]

Neil too wondered at the implications at what just happened. Right now, he was likely presumed dead same as this woman, which might actually suit him just fine. At least for awhile. If he was to pop back up in a week, accusing Otto of something, or even just appearing like a ghost it would be quite amusing, and likely beneficial. For a moment his thoughts went to those poor patrolmen that likely were butchered where they stood, their blood spattered over a nice potato salad and delectable horderves. He pushed the thought out of his mind. Right now, he was far too curious on this strange magic woman who was evidently more than she appeared, and at her suggestion he pushed himself off the ground and patted his breeches, vainly trying to shove the dirt and dust off of himself.

"Good idea," He remarked simply, offering a hand to help her to her feet. He pulled her up and helped her find her footing, before adding. "We'll probably get there an hour or two after nightfall, but we'll be close enough to the city to be relatively safe. I even know a way to get in the walls after the gates closed, hell, I'll carry you back, but before we go-"

He pulled her suddenly closer, his hand having never let go of hers, their faces now eye to eye. His dark eyes were brimming with something that was hard to catch. Interest or curiosity, likely. "You're going to tell me who you really are. You're lucky I think you're cute or I would have asked in the cave. Then we'd both be buried."

At that he simply let her go, checking his pockets, belt, and socks to make sure he still had everything on his person and nothing had fallen out in their mad dash, waiting for her to speak.

[Penny]

If she had been a harder woman Emmaline might have simply disposed of Neil with a spell. It would in many ways be simpler, but while she was a swindler she hadn't yet graduated to cold blooded killer. Besides, she might need him to get back inside the walls if he were telling the truth about that.

"I uhhh..." she began and then gave up.

"My name is Emmaline, I'm an apprentice with the Colleges of Magic," she confessed. She turned her hands palm up.

"I figured that I might convince Otto von Blockhead to buy me a few dinners and perhaps a few presents while I was in town," she went on, shading the truth somewhat. No noble would ever be openly involved with a wizard of course, though there were more than a few such liasons quietly conducted in the capital. It could never lead to marriage however.

"I thought I would slip away before anything too serious developed," she admitted, brushing vainly at her dress in an attempt to remove the dust from the ruined dress. She succeeded only in spreading the muck further and gave up with a defeated sigh.

[POOHEAD189]

Neil gave a rich laugh, his mood brightening considerably at the reveal. He pointed behind him with his thumb, though it made little sense since they both knew the Graf was not back there, exactly. "You're scamming fat Otto?" He asked, clearly pleased and a bit impressed. "Good job! Even with all of the red flags, you had me fooled until that pebble glowed in the cave."

"Red flags?" She scoffed, pouting and crossing her arms. "I'd have had you fooled until I fled back to Altdorf."

"Sorry, backhanded compliment," He realized and freely admitted, palms out to show deference. "Let me start over..."

The young man cleared his throat, brush some debris out of his mop of hair and presented his hand to her to shake. "Neil Edwards. Apprentice and criminal."

She glanced at the hand for a moment, and then took it in ginger shake. "Emmaline, apprentice and criminal."

---

As night fell, the city came into view. A bastion of stone and steel rising above the wissenland wilderness, a far more intimidating sight than it had been in the early morning. Silhouettes of guardsmen were posted, halberds pointing up, cutting through the fading light of the setting sun as they strode down the road. Up ahead, the gate was shut and barred, and like as not any travelers that came there would either be turned away until morning or shot, confused for bandits or beastmen. Like as not the graf made a big to-do about the orc attack, telling everyone with influence how awful it was and how bravely he fought to flee with his life.

"So, where do we...?" Emmaline whispered.

Neil took her hand and winked. "This way," he said, and guided her through a small copse of trees, the branches grabbing at them with what almost seemed like gnarled fingers before they stepped out onto another, smaller path. It looked hardly trodden at all, made by a goat or something small and infrequent. It wasn't long until the trees around them dispersed and the gleaming River Riek flowed before them, the moon filling its surface beautifully. There were no docks in sight, though doubtless were it day time one could plainly see them from where the two stood. As it were, Neil let go of her hand and padded down the 'beach' towards a lonely, flat boulder amid the soft earth. He knelt down as if to pick it up with some herculean strength, but instead he lifted what was actually a tarp off what was revealed to be a rowboat fit for three.

"Where are we going?" She asked, clearly not comfortable with getting in a small boat, but realizing she was out of options. Carefully she stepped into it and sat down, holding on for Neil to push it into the water. "Won't the docks be guarded?"

"We are going to Aver Island." He said, his feet now sloshing in the surf until the water lapped at his knees. Neil carefully hopped in and his new partner handed him the oars. "Just half a mile away. No one lives there, and there's an abandoned tower we can use for now." He waited a few minutes to put his back into his strokes before adding: "The only things there are guns no one will use for months, a tavern for the gunners and guards, and the tower no one needs anymore. It's all owned by the Gunnery School. There's some traffic from people who don't want to use the main bridge to cross the river, but that's no big deal."

Neil did not tell her the best part, but he wanted that to be a surprise. What's more, there were crates and barrels of food and ale stored there. Save for the occasional visitor or worker that won't look at either of them twice. As they made good time toward the coming shore, Neil stopped rowing for a second and reached for his lower back to grab his pistol. He flipped it from hilt to barrel and handed it to Emmaline.

"You know how to shoot one of these?" He asked.

"Probably not like you, but I get the gist," She said, raising an eyebrow and taking it from him, slightly confused.

"It's loaded, so just pull the trigger if you need to use it." He said, glancing over his shoulder as the ship began to slide up the sand just before a craggy area of rocks. If one looked closely, there were roughly hewed stone steps carved on the face of the stones. Apparently this wasn't Neil's first time doing this, as they landed in the perfect spot just beside the stairway. "We can't really have someone seeing you can cast spells, so I'm giving you that to use if you need it. Try not to steal it from me, but I guess I can't blame you if you do." He chuckled, and groaned as he stepped off the boat, clearly tired from the day's trials. If memory served, there were a few soft hay mattresses on the bottom level of the tower.

As he held his hand out again to help her out, he asked. "Hey, this might be a weird time to ask, but wanna go out some time? Like to dinner?"

[Penny]

Emmaline giggled, tried to suppress the sound and ended in a snort which would have been entirely beneath Marguerite von Vissenbach. She felt better for being out of the boat, if the were spotted now it was a simple matter of saying the had gotten lost.

"Sure, assuming the city watch dosen't shoot us, I think I can manage dinner Herr Edwards," she remarked, breath steaming in the chill spring night. They crept up the stairwell and peered around. Just as Neil had predicted there was no one in sight and the damp fog beginning to roll up off the Reik provided some additional cover. The tower loomed before them in the fog and Neil led the way, keeping low behind some bushes which had been planted to be ornamental but had gone half wild for lack of pruning. They slipped through a loop hole on the lower floor. Neil made it easily but Emmaline's broader hips bound for a moment, she twisted and fell gracelessly out onto the floor beyond.

"Such grace," Neil commented as she picked herself up. She stuck her tongue out at him rather than dignify that as a response. The inside of the tower was cleaner than she had thought, though there were a few cob webs where the joists that supported the second floor intersected the wall. Crates stamped with the proof marks of the Nuln amory were stacked on the floor. Neil took her across to a set of stairs which circled down. The lower floor was clear save for some furniture, a couple of pallets of straw, and a small coal furnace. Neil stepped towards the furnace but Emmaline snapped her fingers and it burst into flames that gouted out for a moment before dying back to a dull glow.

"Allow me," she snickered.

[POOHEAD189]

Neil looked like he was about to fight the fire barehanded for a moment until he realized the flames were her doing. He looked between her and the furnace and then flushed, embarrassed. And then he started to giggle himself. Lower pitched than hers without a doubt, but very much a giggle. He was really starting to like this girl, he decided. He was going to facetiously ask her not to use magic, but he liked being surprised. He supposed he was a glutton for punishment, but he had never been around someone who freely used magic. The only time he had ever seen any spells cast were from swindlers or the odd adept that passed through Marienburg to perform some duty. Never for fun, and the reasoning behind that was completely lost to Neil.

"Now I shall try and regain my dignity by checking the perimeter for ruffians and making us a nice dinner, my esteemed lady von Vissenbach," He said, mimicking Otto to the best of his ability whilst giving an extravagant bow. As he stepped away, he poked his head back in and winked. "Let's not call this a picnic, we've had enough near-death experiences for today."

Neil was gone for a full five minutes, checking upstairs to make sure no giant spiders had taken residence anywhere, closing any windows that might be open on the first two levels and making sure no patrols were working at such an hour. Following that, he found a few casks of fruit and bread, and even some dried beef. As soon as he began putting the food in a basket, he knew if he ever showed himself alive again and they found out where he had been staying, his student debt would rise considerably. Once he made it back down, he found Emmaline just beside the fire getting warm. Light footed as always, he snuck in like a hunting cat, placing himself just beside her before speaking.

"Hope you like apples."

She squealed, her eyes popping wide before whipping to glare at him, realizing the joke for what it was. "And here I thought you were going to be a gentleman like the great Otto Von Branstuf," she lamented dramatically, eyes twinkling with mischeif.

Neil grabbed an apple, spun it on his finger with surprising balance. "Didn't you hear? I could never understand what it's like to be him, so I'll just be the streetrat I am. "He suddenly let it roll down his other shoulder, right into his other hand to be presented before her to grab at her leisure. "Besides, he can't even have a meal with you without messing it up. I'd say I'm a step ahead, yeah?"

[Penny]

Emmaline arched a sculpted eyebrow, impressed by the show of dexterity. It was only fair after she had shown off with her magic. She took a piece of dried meat and popped it into her mouth and began to chew. It was salty but not unpleasantly so. She hoped there was ale or something else to drink but she supposed they would make do.

"Well given that you haven't run screaming and left me to die, I'd say you are a whole wagons length ahead," she admitted. Secretly she wasn't too unhappy with the way things had worked out. It was always difficult to break off after a con, but now if Otto started ranting about how an imaginary Marguerite von Vissenbach had been killed, it would only make his complaints that he had been robbed seem that much less credible.

"So," Emmaline began around a mouthful of dried meat, "you are a criminal and an engineer? I take it you are a real engineer?" It was a serious question, Emmaline had impersonated everything from nobles to farm wives to members of the clergy over the past few years. She plucked an apple from the basket and bit into it with relish.

[POOHEAD189]

"Oh yeah," he replied, trying to hide his mouth behind his hand as he chewed. He might be lower class, but he knew some manners. "I've always been handy with tools, and the last five years I've been building various little contraptions. Gunpowder weapons, steam devices. I made that pistol you have, well everything except for the oak handle on it. I've been at the guild for about two or three years now. I've always liked um..." He didn't know how to say it. Reaching into the basket, he grabbed a bottle of spirits. The only alcoholic drink he could find, though doubtless over the coming days they'd be able to scrounge up more. He had only really looked for five minutes.

"I've always liked fire, I guess. Explosions and fireworks. Guns and bombs. That probably sounds really unsettling." He almost looked regretful having said it. Rubbing the back of his neck, he handed her the spirit.

"I'd say I do ok in my apprenticeship. I'd probably do better but, I tend to trick people and steal things, and I guess being a real piece of shit holds me back." He joked with a chuckle as she popped open the drink and began to take a generous sip. He grinned. "Might want to take it easy. It's just the first date after all."

[Penny]

The spirit, it might have been apple brandy, burned down Emmaline's throat. It was rough but no worse than some of the rotgut ALbrecht had provided over the years. She cleared her pallet by taking a bite of apple and then passed the bottle back to Neil. It was easy to imagine his situation, given a chance to rise above his humble beginnings, but struggling to keep body and soul together while he studied. It was a huge risk for him to steal, something that could easily see him booted out of the Gunnery School if nothing else. Emmaline wondered if he did it because he enjoyed it, or because he had too. She had considered that herself on many occasions. As Albrechts apprentice she was more or less required to do whatever the bald old leecher said, but she knew she could support herself by becoming the mistress of some wealthy merchant or minor noble if she choose.

"You can't be too much of a piece of shit," she pointed out reasonably, "afterall you did save me from the orcs." Without Neil's help she certainly wouldn't have made it out of the mine. She was under no illusion that her magical talents would have allowed her to best a dozen of the brutish greenskins.

"Thank you," she said somewhat lamely.

[POOHEAD189]

Neil blinked, not expecting that. The guy smiled, and then realized for once he didn't know what to do. Usually he would be far more forward, but he didn't know the proper etiquette with someone after the experiences they had earlier today. But more importantly, this girl was quite a bit like him, in a lot of ways. A poor station in life and doing her best to rise above it the only way she could. "Hey, it's no problem," He said, playfully nudging her shoulder with his. He took a huge swig of the spirit, letting it burn down inside him before he handed it back to her. "Besides, it's nice to talk to someone honestly for once, about being dishonest, you know?" Quickly, he turned to her and he added. "I mean, not in a pathetic way. More in a wounded lone wolf sort of fashion."

Trying to hide a smile, he bit into his own apple again. In the firelight, his dark hair had the richness of copper, but her hair really looked like spun gold. It was a bit mesmerising, and it was hard not to just look at it. Which reminded him. "So um, if you wanted to... that gold shipment is still showing up tomorrow... and we got a skiff..."

Truth be told, there would be a lot of boats out on the kick off for Black Powder week. It was just a matter of sliding in close enough to board from behind and grabbing what they could. If they could just get a handful, they could be rich enough to buy a share in some posh merchant company, or more realistically Neil could buy food, drink, and more explosive equipment!

"And if that goes well and we don't end up in jail, I'll bring you back here and show you something exciting, if you don't want to skip town by then." He said, and then gave her a sly look. "Though I doubt you'd want to miss it. So, should we shake on it or...?"

[Penny]

The warmth of the liquor and the mention of gold spread warmth through Emmaline's belly. She had been debating whether it was better to simply abandon Nuln and head back to Altdorf and collect her share from Albrect. The problem with this plan was she didn't actually have any coin to buy passage. Under normal circumstances she could have simply pawned her dress, but after the disatorous visit to the mine head, that was ruined. The jewels she still had, while pretty, wouldn't pass muster at any real jeweler, and pawning them in an alley somewhere was as likely to get her a dagger to the kidney as a few coins. As her only option to get back to Altdorf was to steal something to pay her way, or unthinkably, get a job, she might as well take a shot at the crime that was in front of her, rather than risking trying to start something of her own with limited resources.

"Sounds like we have a deal," Emmaline purred eyes alight with the thought of gold in her hands. She wondered what Neil considered to be exciting, though given the day they had been through, it must be something to make the cut. She took the bottle back from Neil and took another long drink. Letting out a pleased sigh she took some of the dry fruit and dropped a few pieces into her mouth. With some money of her own she might be finally able to get out from underneath Albrecht, though that was tricker than it sounded.

[POOHEAD189]

The next day...

Outside of Nuln, the place was called the richest, more cultured city in the Empire by man. Those who lived there, however, knew just how degenerate and dangerous it could be. Knife fights in the alleyways, merchants squeezing someone for every penny they're worth, and suspicious authorities arresting anything they might deem heretical or even in bad taste. There were very few times when the streets were entirely safe and the city came together with little fear of grievances or reprisals. It just so happened, Black Powder Week was just such a time.

As the sun lifted again to awaken the world, the clouds still covered the horizon and made sure to keep the city under sunless gloom. Despite that fact, even from the tower Neil and Emmaline could feel the energy in the air. Thru traffic on the island across the two bridges was bustling as boats began to flood the Reik, large yachts to smaller dingies floating along the ever flowing river. The two would-be gold thieves ate a small breakfast, not taking too long to sit down and chat. They had found two cloaks in a room upstairs and a few workman's clothes. Impressively Emmaline had scrounged up some breeches and a top that fit her snugly, and she surprised him with a couple of boots they could wear.

"You're a lifesaver," he said, slipping on the boots , half a banana in his mouth like a dog and its toy. Swiftly he devoured the rest of it and over the next hour they snuck out of the tower where no one could see them, idly stepping out of the untended bushes as a cast clip clopped past them. They simply looked like two off-duty masons or laborers. One or two glanced Emmaline's way, but no one stopped them or even muttered to someone else as they passed.

Eventually they made it to the little skiff, Emmaline hopping in and Neil sliding the boat in and leaping on, making short work for the first few hundred yards rowing. Soon they were passing through a piece of the river that had at least thirty smaller boats and three larger ones, likely owned by members of the merchant's council. There didn't seem to be any indicator on where they were going as the water lapped at the edges of their small dingy, but Neil treated it like a railway, knowing just where to go. At his feet was a small grappling hook attached to a thick, sturdy length of rope.

"Ok so, this should be pretty simple. We climb up the rope, grab what we can and get out. Even a handful of gold is a good haul." He reminded her. "If we run into any guards, you try and distract them while I grab what I can."

"Albrecht always made me the distraction," she remarked without much enthusiasm.

"It's not by choice, do you really think I would make as good of a distraction?" He asked.

She shook her head, thoughtful. "No, I guess not..." Emmaline admitted.

"Yeah exa-..." Neil began, but halted and pointed at his face, offended. "Hey, I'm good looking!"

[Penny]

Emmaline had her doubts, a daylight robbery seemed risky, but as they rowed down the slugish river, she saw that Neil had the right of it. The river was packed with vessels of all kinds, ranging from simple working boats to elaborate barges draped with silk bunting for the parties which would rage as part of Black Powder week. Even as they approached the merchant vessels they drew no more attention than any other river boat.

"It's going to be a little hard just to climb aboard," Emmaline complained.

"Nothing to it," Neil assured her. He held up a hand to forestall any argument. As if on que there was a distant clang of the great clock in the College of Engineers. It continued to clang every few seconds, ringing out over the city. Neil counted out the beat and then hurled the grappling hook so that it bit at the same time as the chime struck. A few moments later there was a great booming off to the east.

"They are testing the guns at the college," Neil explained, "everyone will be at the starboard rail watching the display."

"Daylight robbery, what could go wrong?" Emmaline asked, but she was already shimmying up the rope towards the bulwark of the ship.

[POOHEAD189]

Neil vaulted over the ship railing and landed with ne'er a sound, as if the floorboards of the treasure ship owed him a favor. Emmaline was a bit clumsier, tripping over the side and nearly faceplanting had Neil not caught her, but all in all it was a successful landing. Neil pursed his lips and the two of them received a fine view of the river reik, the hundreds of boats floating listlessly among the soft current.

Suddenly, rhythmic footsteps were heard from behind them, accompanied by a whistle as a sentry approached. Neil placed his hand over Emmaline's mouth and yanked her into a room, softly closing the door behind them just as the guard made his rounds, none the wiser walking past them. Neil turned and saw it would be a secondary munitions room in any other ship, but instead it was another small place to keep barrels of supplies for future expeditions down the reik. Barrels of what looked to be apples, dates, and alcohol were stacked next to one another, though the area was hardly larger than a foyer.

Neil stood by the door, peeking out until he was certain the coast was clear. "Come on," he whispered to his latest partner in crime. Well, she was also the first in many years, if he was honest with himself. Both of them stepped out, Emmaline having apprehended an apple, already chewing on a fair chunk of it.

The two walked toward the stern, seeing the backs of some of the guards as they watched the booming display from across the harbor. Once they arrived to the cargo doors, a sentry stepped out beside them, but comically he turned the opposite way, having not even glanced toward the doors. Neil spied something, reaching over to the fellow's belt nonchalantly, as if he hadn't a care in the world! Neil then opened the door and bowed before entering, allowing the lady to waltz in past him like a true gentleman. Once they were both inside, they saw chest after chest, locked and reinforced with iron and thick timber. Neil knelt beside one, producing a key.

"You didn't get that just before we got in here..." She marveled.

"Sometimes Ranald has a sense of humor I can agree with." He shrugged, and he shimmied his key into the lock he sat before, Emmaline wiggling in excitement as it opened with a 'click'. The rogue grinned, grabbing the bottom of the top lid and lifting it up to reveal a mouth watering pile of gold coins, riekland minted. Neil gave a low whistle as Emmaline's mouth began to water. Neil ran his hand into the pile and grabbed as many as he could, shoving it in his pocket.

"Take as much as you want," Neil said. "In fact, you take what we can get and I'll go check to see if the coast is clear." The young man eyed the door opposite of where they had entered. It was smaller but made of mahogany rather than yew or oak. Despite his words, he made for that door instead, unable to help his curiosity. As Emmaline dug into the pile like a digging hound, Neil quietly opened the door and suddenly understood this was a side entrance to someone's office. The Captain or another high ranking official, he didn't know. There was a smart desk, framed by a cupboard of books and drawers of what he couldn't guess. But it was the weapon next to the cushioned chair that caught his eye.

"A hochland rifle," he marveled, stepping in to take the weapon, slowly flipping it to admire the firearms's entirety.

[Penny]

Emmaline's mind burned with gold lust as she shoveled handfuls of coins into her belt pouch. Her dress had no pockets so she began shoving coins into her bodice until the integrity of the fabric itself was threatened. Still far from being satisfied she grabbed one of the canvas rain covers and improvised a sack, pilling coins in the center so she could gather up the corners like a drifters bindle.

"What 'ave we 'ere then?" a gruff voice demanded. Emmaline spun about so quickly that her blonde hair flicked out with the speed of the motion. An unshaven guardsman carrying a heavy looking baton in one hand was standing in the doorway. His face was contorted into a leer as he slapped the wooden weapon into his palm. A heavy leather belt encircled his waist and there was the wooden and brass butt of a pistol tucked away there. The rapid rotation shook a coin form her bodice and it bounced and clinked over the hull before coming to a stop at the mans feet.

"My, you are the prettiest thief we have caught in a while, be almost a shame when we finally have to cut your throat and drop you in the river," the guard leered taking a step towards her. Emmaline took a step back, bodice jingling with coins as her eyes darted about for a means of escape. There was no obvious means of doing so, the only port hole being far too small to accommodate her.

"Look I'm sure we can come to some arrangement," she temporized attempting to back away. There was no where to go in the confined cabin.

"Oh, I'm sure we can," the grinning thug agreed, stepping forward and slapping his baton into his hand for emphassis.

"Reckon I'm going to enjoy this."

[POOHEAD189]

The man clearly wasn't the most erudite fellow in the world, but it seemed as if he was no stranger to what he thought he was about to do. He placed the baton under Emmaline's chin as he unbuckled his belt with his free hand, grinning like a panting dog. To her eyes, she could see his face looming above her, before something else rose out from behind him. The butt of a rifle, it looked like? The next moment, there was a 'crack' as Neil's rifle banged the man atop the head with such force there was no way he could still be conscious, and maybe even alive. He fell to the ground like a poleaxed ox, and before her now stood the much slimmer and far more charming Neil.

"We should go," he deadpanned, and his eyes caught the butt of the fellow's pistol. He let out a soft 'ooo' before dropping down to collect the weapon. It likely wasn't as well crafted as his own, but who couldn't use more guns? Slipping it into his belt, he looked at her and saw she was loathe to leave, and he laughed. "Babe, we can't spend any of the gold if we're dead or imprisoned, we need to get the fuck out of here."

Once the two stepped out onto the deck, the imperial guns still boomed in the distance, now almost every moment. The gunnery school was beginning to show off, as always trying desperately to prove they required even more funding from the good countess. As much as he wanted to be near the gunpowder, this was a pretty good substitute, particularly with such a fun partner. They found their grappling hook, still biting into the wood just beside the storage room.

"You first," Neil told her, dropping the hochland rifle into the skiff and drawing out the loaded pistol, leaning against the railing so as to appear casual. Emmaline didn't have to be told twice, shimmying down with the rope as carefully as she could. But then Ranald saw fit to make another joke, it seemed. Her foot slipped, soft body thumping against the side as coin after coin spilled out of her bodice like an avalanche, plopping into the dark water one by one! She gaped and let go of the rope, hitting the boat with an 'oof' to save the rest of the coins despite the rough landing. Neil heard the commotion and peered over, worry finally evident in his normally carefree demeanor.

"You ok?" He asked. Hurriedly, he retrieved the hook and slid both his feet over the railing, landing far more gracefully into the boat beside her, the structure wobbling precariously but finding its balance as Neil kicked away from the treasure ship, shoving the side of it with his feet to give them an outward trajectory. Immediately he went to check on her, and to his surprise she seemed to be relatively unharmed save for a bruise here or there.

[Penny]

Emmaline wobbled, more top heavy than normal, as the skiff slid away from the treasure ship. Within moments they lost amidst a hundred other similar ships. If anyone had seen them shimmying down the grappling hook no one remarked on it as they focused on the flash and roar of the distant gun fire. Emmaline stared somewhat morosely at the surface of the river which had stolen the majority of her coins. She shifted her chest with an obvious clinking sound. Reaching down her bodice she retrieved a coin and set it on the rowing bench. She repeated the procedure plucking coin after coin from the sagging fabric of her dress until nearly fifty pieces of gold were laid out in twos and threes. She reached down into her bodice and searched around for the final few coins that were caught where the corset wrapped her dress.

"Uhhh," Neil interjected. Emmaline looked up and realized that she had managed to free one of her breasts in her attempt to retrive coins.

"Oh," she said, hurriedly pulling her dress back into place. She glanced around the river and saw that no one else seemed to have noticed her momentary exposure.

"Well it isn't a fortune," she admitted looking at the small pile of gleaming coins, "But it is a fair days work." Grinning with pleasure she picked up a battered canvas hat which had been under the rowing bench and swept the coins into the hat with a series of satisfying clinks. She sighed lustily at the sound, casting a regretful glance back at the ship.

[POOHEAD189]

"Especially considering a got a few as well," He said, producing around a dozen coins in his hand, dropping them in the hat with satisfying 'plunks' in the pile. They would count them when they got back, which outta keep Emmaline busy while Neil set up the place for his surprise for her. Glancing up at the sky, the weather was growing less overcast, a swift sunrise of red appeared on the horizon, showing it was mid afternoon.

As the crew of the barge suddenly began to shout with alarm hundreds of meters away, Neil and Emmaline made their way slowly back to the island, Neil trying to keep both the images of Emmaline's chest and the gold next to it out of his mind for at least a bit longer...

Two hours later, the sun began to dip behind the spires of the palace, the two moons of the world idle in the ever darkening sky. Having used a few coins to buy the best vodka he could find, Neil had set up the tower to prepare. Ham, cheese, wheat bread, vodka, water, and even a few grapes and berries had been procured by the entrepreneurial thief, giving Emmaline ample time to count the coins over and over and over again and sip the last of the spirits from the other night. The guns had gone silent an hour ago, but that did little to clear the river. Strangely the skiffs and longboats still swayed in the surf and flowing water, though Nuln patrols had started sailing out there, Neil having heard from a fishwife they were searching the boats for a culprit of what was supposedly a gold theft, not that they knew anything about that. Now as the sun began to truly disappear, Neil brought Emmaline to the top of the tower, pushing a couch audibly toward the opening of the balcony, the wooden pegs screeching across the floor as he did so. He looked like an unkempt waiter moving all the food and drinks on one tray, setting them down on the table with an impressive balance. Finally satisfied, he plopped down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him, the girl thief sitting down and both of them began to pluck bits of the food off the table and drink a bit of the alcohol. After a few minutes, Neil grabbed a piece of fabric he had procured and began ripping it into four pieces.

"So what's this surprise you have for me...?" Emmaline asked, even as Neil pushed a piece of balled up fabric into her ears, and then into his own ears. "_{Neil, are you listening? What are you doing?}"

Without warning, a bomb detonated.

No, it only seemed that way. A sudden cascade of incandescent colors radiated across their vision. Missiles of fire shot up before them not forty paces away, emitting more booms, rapidly erupting like the bang at the beginning of creation, popping and roaring. There were moments where they could feel the wind from the explosions, multi-colored sparks hitting the balcony. With their ears stuffed, they didn't receive any hearing damage. But it was loud and intense, brightening the low-lit room with every firework launched. Neil looked engrossed, popping grapes into his mouth. Before them, the gold glinted with the myriad of detonations reflecting off their shining bodies. It seemed to last forever; a few times teasing them with a long pause before an even larger explosion of colors, before the largest launch occurred. One firework exploded into the likeness of a golden hammer, just as another became a roaring red dragon, and still the last was a great eagle of flame, dissipating moments later as golden specks fell into the river for all to see.

Neil beamed, looking to Emmaline to see if she enjoyed it as much as he. He pulled a bit of fabric from her closest ear. "How'd you like it?"

[Penny]

Emmaline stared skyward in rapt wonder. She had some vague memories of the discussions about how different alchemical solutions could be used to make different colored flames. Normally such discussions took place between the other Gold apprentices, most of whom were fussy studious types who bored Emmaline to death. Albrecht usually found better uses for her than lounging about with her fellow apprentices however, and his own instruction was haphazard at best. She had never imagined that such boring academic knowledge could be put to such good use. Each bursting crack thumped in her chest an each flash of color dazzled her.

"It is incredible," Emmaline gasped, feeling the warmth of the vodka flowing through her body. She had taken to crushing berries into the potent liquor to give it a slightly sweeter flavor and her belly felt pleasantly full from the food she had consumed. Since she had become ALbrechts' apprentice Emmaline had rarely gone completely hungry, but there had been times when they had eaten such poor fare that she hadn't been able to quiet forget the privations of her childhood. Her own voice sounded muffled in her head and she reached over and pulled out the other piece of cloth, working her jaw to equalize the pressure. Reluctantly she had to admit that perhaps not everything in Nuln was inferior to Altdorf afterall.

Emmaline popped another of the berries into her mouth and chewed. Down on the Reik below they could see hundreds of boats, many illuminated by lanterns. It gave a beauty to the river that the muddy reality of daylight would dispel. She rolled up onto an elbow to turn sideways, resting her cheek on her palm.

"You sure know how to show a girl a good time," she grinned, gesturing to the remains of dinner as well as the pile of gold.