Time: Evening, Soller Location: Outside The Nest Interactions: Nabarra @nasty, Yuka @princess, Aiko @CitrusArms Equipment: Sword, bow and arrows, small knife, wayfinder, fire kit, a pouch with 117 amas
Aiko’s swift and adept hands immediately went to bandage Nabarra’s wounds. However, the dark elf remained unresponsive, even despite Yuka’s best efforts to goad a reaction from Nabarra. He turned to agree with Yuka about purchasing more potions and noticed the change in the demihuman’s expression. Yuka’s eyes had glazed over and a look that made it seem as if she were very far away replaced the overly confident grin the demihuman normally wore. Just as quickly as the lioness had fallen into a haze she snapped back out of it. Based on her strange and erratic behavior, Orias could only assume she was inebriated with something other than just alcohol. Whatever was going on with the feline though was simply a lesser concern. The lioness seemed to know exactly what potion to get, and the feline appeared to be the obvious choice to move quickly through the city.
“A fine suggestion, you think you can manage without becoming distracted? Because if we want to undermine Kasai and his repugnant alliance, we will need this elf on our side. Who better to undermine dark elf forces than one of their own?” Orias spoke softly with eyes focused on the lioness. While he didn’t doubt her hate for Roshmi’s king, he had little confidence in her ability to approach things with a sense of gravity or urgency. The idea of this rebellion, of preventing the full weight of this alliance from crushing Roshmi City and corrupting it into a place of darkness, felt like the first worthy endeavor in decades. To regain any favor with his own family was beyond hope, but with Solaris, this might be his best chance.
Time: Evening Location: River Port Interactions: Kaleb @FunnyGuy Mentions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 91 amas.
Bown’s pace picked up as Kaleb lead him to where he had last seen Rue and Arn. While the fairy didn’t disagree with anything the elf said, every word about Arn clawed at his mind and further aggravated him. He only caught bits of what Kaleb said, Arn, salivating like a wolf, Arn, making no effort to greet Kaleb. Typical prince behavior, to toss a friend aside when they aren’t of use. He thought as he shook his head. Bowyn was fully convinced that everything he’d seen of Arn earlier was probably fake, trying to gain his and Rue’s trust for whatever scheme he was up to. Everything Kaleb continued to say only added to his anger with Arn.
Ogling. The word slithered around in Bowyn’s head. He couldn’t even picture Arn the way he had earlier, there was no mental image of a mild manner soldier who couldn’t understand sarcasm. Now all his thoughts of Arn had morphed into a treacherous prince with hungry eyes like a predator. Ogling Rue. And Rue was trying to help the dwarf, out she searching for a princess on Arn’s wild goose chase. It didn’t even sound like Arn was looking for Annya in the slightest.
“Ogling.” Bowyn repeated the word with disgust, making no effort to veil his opinion on Arn. “That creepy little tree stump.” He muttered to himself as he looked around the street Kaleb had led him to. “You sure this princess is even here? Maybe Arn lied about that too?” He asked Kaleb in a hushed tone. Bowyn only believed Annya to be here because Arn had said it, and he was certain now that he couldn’t trust anything that came from Arn. The back of his mind nagged that he really shouldn’t trust this strange elf he just met either. But Kaleb made sense, everything he said just proved Bowyn was right about Arn.
Time: Evening Location: River Port Interactions: Kaleb @FunnyGuy Mentions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 91 amas(30 amas added from posting bonus).
A quick flash of excitement sparked in Bowyn’s eyes as Kelab mentioned seeing a winter fairy with a dwarf and a large dog following her. Had to be Rue. Although the way Kaleb phrased it, put on Bowyn on edge, and he grew quiet. He didn’t pay much attention to the rest of what Kaleb said, if he’d been paying closer attention he would’ve noticed how strange it was that the other man had nearly called Rue a pixie. Or he might’ve found it odd that Kaleb had simply said a dwarf rather than called Arn by his name. But Bowyn was only thinking about Rue, and how this elf had definitely seen her, and how it almost sounded like she was trying to get away from Arn.
But then he thought of the large dog Kaleb had also mentioned. Mooney, for sure. And Bowyn was pretty sure this soft-looking elf wouldn’t know a wolf from a dog until it bit him. If Rue was in any danger Mooney wouldn’t just be following along with Arn. Unlike dwarves or elves, wolves could be trusted. Wolves didn't deceive, they had no reason to, and Mooney would protect Rue no matter the cost. Bowyn knew that, even without the ability to speak directly to the wolf, he knew Mooney was as loyal as any domesticated animal. So if Arn was up to anything, the dwarf hadn’t acted yet, or he’d have to go through Mooney first. So as of whenever it was this elf saw them, Rue was still safe. This was good news then. Rue was still safe and smart enough to be keeping herself out of Arn’s reach.
“Think it might’ve been a wolf?” Bowyn asked, although he was already certain it had been. He doubted there were very many winter fae hanging around River Port. He wondered what it was like to be so sheltered you could look right at a wolf and mistake it for a pet. “I think we should head over to where you saw them, Arn and Rue, and the wolf. Then we can all go and search every tavern and hot spot in town for the princess. And, added bonus, Arn’s been offering to throw amas around all day.” He added, figuring he’d thrown in the right incentives to rope Kaleb in. Running into this elf might’ve actually been a stroke of good luck; either Kaleb could help him warn Rue that Arn was dangerous or if the elf was a friend of Arn, they could leave Arn with the elf and Rue wouldn’t have to worry about the dwarf being left alone. It seemed like almost a solid plan as long as this elf wasn’t more trouble than Arn.
Time: Evening Location: River Port Interactions: Kaleb @FunnyGuy Mentions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 61 amas(30 amas added from posting bonus).
Bowyn nodded, listening and thinking over what Kaleb had said, as the other man followed. This elf had confirmed Bowyn’s suspicions about Annya. Exactly what he expected of an elven princess; spoiled, selfish, and useless. No surprises there. At least this elf talked a lot of sense. Kaleb went on to suggest Bowyn imagine this town was wealthy. He gave a sad chuckle, the elf certainly had a point. No one seemed overly concerned with the war; they were shopping, drinking, and feasting. He could only imagine how much easier it was for those who lived in opulent palaces to further ignore problems when they couldn’t even see over their gilded fences.
Unlike Kaleb, Bowyn was not so concerned with secrecy as the man mentioned the humans brought to Avalia. Like most things, Bowyn had a strong opinion about this subject and he was not afraid to voice his full thoughts on the matter. He spoke casually, not caring if his thoughts on summoning humans, or the entire Biren line, bothered the elf.
“Humans, yeah, that right there; typical monarch behavior. Summoning humans to clean up their mess. Shoulda dealt with dark elves right the first time. But no, those light elves of the past chose to keep their hands clean, push their problem off to the rest of Avalia and ignore it until it turned around to bite them, and all the rest of us, right on the ass. And now they’re still trying to pass this shit off. To an alien race. Can you imagine? Snatching up creatures from an entirely different world to use them as pawns in a war. A war they caused. Between you, me, and the rest of the damn world, the entire Biren family is one big shit show. Humans didn’t deserve this.” It didn’t matter to Bowyn how powerful they could be, only that they never had a choice in coming here.
“And I do not work for Arn, and I’m not helping you. I work for me. I’m helping me. Look at me, you think I hang out around princesses? Don’t even know what she looks like. You, you kinda look like you might. But I met Arn at a tavern and thought it sounded like a good idea to find this Annya, see if I could help cause the dark elves pain. And that is not out of any goodness in the heart.” Bowyn wondered about the elf, how he knew Arn, if he had worked for him, or if he was still working for him.
“And let me know if you see Arn around. He’s with a friend of mine; similar complexion, but better looking, and she’s still got the wings.” He added, vaguely describing Rue. He kept an eye on the elf, to see if he’d seen Arn and Rue around, and to see how he’d react. If Arn was up to something maybe this elf who knew him would know something about it.
Time: 7 pm Location: River Port Interactions: Kaleb @FunnyGuy Mentions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 31 amas.
“Yeah well looks can be deceiving…” Bowyn began a flippant reply to the elf that had spoken to him. That elf had just said princess right? Couldn’t be the same princess Arn was supposedly after, could it? He studied the elf for a second, noting that he wore both smug confidence and garish purple outfit that certainly made a statement, and that statement was I need attention. Bowyn instantly didn’t like him, though he couldn’t name an elf he did like, however, the man's words had piqued his interest.
“Let me guess, Princess Annya right? You a friend of Arn or is there more than one guy on a bullshit quest to find an elven princess?” Bowyn rolled his eyes, the idea of it had been a lot more amusing twelve hours ago when he’d been drunk. The only thing worse than hanging around a dwarven royal was tossing an elven one into the mix. The flashy elf might be onto something though, a party might be just the place to find this princess. Which meant if Arn and Rue were out looking for Annya, he might find them with the princess as well.
“A party, now that might be a good place to look. Where else would an elven royal be, just as a war was declared, than in a drunken port town at a party.” Bowyn shook his head and showed no qualms about voicing his dislike for highborn elves. The Shaky Dock was just up the road but The Sand Bar was a little more unscale and seemed a more likely choice. Plus it was near the inn, and he might run back into Arn and Rue there.
“The Sand Bar might be the place, a bit nicer than The Shaky Dock, unless she likes tossing amas around, then there’s the Casino over that way.” Bowyn began pointing out likely spots to find a princess in town, thinking out loud. It’d be useful to keep the elf around, as Bowyn had no idea how he’d spot Annya unless the princess was daft enough to be prancing around in her crown. “So what’s your business with this princess, elf?” Bowyn asked, not bothering with introductions and continuing to walk ahead, expecting that if the elf was coming along he'd keep up.
Time: 7 pm Location: River Port-Tipsy Tavern Mentions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 31 amas. (2 amas subtracted for cheap wine)
Bowyn was alone again, and something about that felt right. Not because he liked being alone but it was familiar and that made it comfortable. He was used to it, he knew what to expect and how to get by. He wasn’t used to strange companions with secrets he could barely wrap his head around and whose motives couldn’t be trusted. And he wasn’t used to his head being full of worry for an old friend who trusted too easily.
Bowyn walked around the seaside port until his feet brought him to where they always, inevitably, brought him; a tavern. This one was called The Tipsy Tavern, and the air inside was stale and heavy with the scent of alcohol. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces that paid him little attention, in a tavern that had seen better days, Bowyn felt more at ease. He ordered cheap wine and waited for it, and for the familiar numbness, it could eventually bring. The alcohol made everything more bearable, softened the world's sharp and jagged edges until everything was blurred and fuzzy.
Cheap wine clawed its way down his throat, unsettling his empty stomach. It wasn’t a good drink and it wasn’t strong enough to wash away his thoughts. But Bowyn drank it anyway and gestured for another one. It only sharpened his focus on everything he didn’t want to think about.
He didn't like the feeling of guilt that tore at his gut as his mind fixated on all the times he’d noticed Arn look at Rue with a twinkle in his eye. At the time he thought it was because Arn had a crush. That had made sense; dwarves had keen eyes, known to appreciate things rare and beautiful just like the stones and metals they dug from the earth. What if it wasn’t that? What if the twinkle in the dwarf’s eye was greed? It made more sense the more he thought about it; a talented winter fairy was worth a whole lot more than a couple of meals and a ticket on a Helius. No wonder that Arn had so quickly offered to pay for anything, he was probably thinking of all the profit he would get on the black market. Greed motivating false kindness made so much more sense to Bowyn than anything genuine.
And that was where the guilt came from, because what if he was right. He’d left Rue all alone with Arn. There were a lot of things Bowyn could live with, but letting something happen to Rue wasn’t one of them. And Rue had already made up her mind about sticking with Arn, Bowyn knew there was no changing that. So he had to stay with them, to keep a close eye on Arn and watch out for Rue. Bowyn let out a sigh and pried himself away from the bar and back out into the streets of River Port and towards the inn, he had recently left. He doubted it would be difficult to find them again; a fairy, dwarf, and wolf trio weren't exactly a normal sight anywhere in Avalia and they'd stick out enough.
Time: 7 pm, Soller Location: Outside The Nest Interactions: Nabarra @nasty, Yuka @princess, Aiko @CitrusArms Equipment: Sword, bow and arrows, small knife, wayfinder, fire kit, a pouch with 117 amas
Orias stared back at Yuka, an uncomfortable silence growing between them as the demihuman studied him. For a brief second, he wondered if she’d recognized him, but demihuman’s didn’t have the memories elves had. He was also not his sisters; no list of grand accomplishments to ensure a lasting legacy, Orias was more easily forgotten. When she finally spoke he gave a small smile and nodded. Yuka was making sure he wasn’t a dark elf too. With great effort, he conjured a small orb of light into his palm that flickered until the dull light quickly died out again. A disappointing show of magic but enough to prove him a light elf at least.
“Not a dark elf. And I wouldn’t exactly call it a lie, more like a stretch of the truth. Our races are related and I trust Nabarra enough to call her an alley. I’d go into battle with her and that’s about as close to kin as I have these days.” He kept his reply short, not exactly wanting to add that he’d really only known the other elf for a couple of hours longer than he had Yuka and Aiko.
Aiko, who had left to go downstairs to search for anything of use to help Nabarra returned empty-handed and looked a lot different from when they left. The fox demihuman that reentered the room was dressed the same and looked similar enough to the male fox that had left that he might’ve guessed Aiko had a twin sister. But the truth was stranger because Yuka was right and that definitely was Aiko.
“You’re not really an ordinary fox demi are you?” He said, studying the strange magical being in front of them. But Aiko hadn’t found anything or anyone downstairs that could help and Nabarra was still out cold. If she wasn’t awake, he wasn’t sure the healing potion was going to help. Pouring it down an unconscious elf’s throat and hoping she didn’t choke really didn’t seem like the best plan.
“And I’d love to hear all about what you are but right now I don’t think shapeshifting is going to wake Nabarra up.” He added as he snapped his fingers loudly in front of Nabarra’s face, each snap accompanied by a small but bright flash of light at the ends of his fingers, hoping maybe the other elf would return to consciousness.
Time: 7 pm, Soller Location: Outside The Nest Interactions: Nabarra @nasty, Yuka @princess, Aiko @CitrusArms Equipment: Sword, bow and arrows, small knife, wayfinder, fire kit, a pouch with 117 amas
As the tavern filled with hostile energy and violent mutterings, the strange calming sensation, the same he’d noticed earlier in the day after Yuka had made her speech atop a roof, again took root. Aiko seemed its likely source, but this was not magic he’d think to associate with a creature as mischievous as a fox. There wasn’t much time to think on it, but thankfully it helped to soothe much of the room. Not all though, as a dark-haired demihuman shattered a bottle and wielded it like a weapon. The demihuman followed them up the stairs, his words laced in venom and drunken eyes clouded with hatred. The other man spoke in threats of violence, and Yuka was quick to come to their defense.
Orias briefly wondered if that was how Nabarra had seen him earlier in the day. When his own words had been tainted with hate and he had been willing to wield a sword as easily as the other man had a broken bottle. This was an unexpected place to be caught in; to want to keep a dark elf safe from harm, to see one as his ally, and to still understand the demihuman’s rage for he had felt the same this very morning. It was not a view that would help him in a war, to have the line between ally and enemy become muddled. To think of dark elves even a little less like enemies and more simply as just other elves, would make everything more difficult. His mind was full of questions and doubts but Orias was left with little time to dwell on it. Only the strong desire, that he did not want to be seen in the same light as the demihuman with a head clouded only by hate swinging wildly at anything that looked like an enemy, stuck with him. He had to be better than that.
They carried Nabarra inside and laid her down inside the room. He let out a slight chuckle as Yuka described herself as a heartbreaker, they were all briefly safe and it was nice to release some of the tension. He could only hope the lioness’s attack was enough to deter anyone else from trying to attack. Otherwise, they were all stuck upstairs in a room with one of their party seemingly unconscious. Not a great situation to be in, but he was lucky he was not alone, and these new allies had stuck by them even after discovering Nabarra’s identity. Perhaps Solaris had begun to look favorably upon him, to be blessed with new companions such as these two, for only hours ago Orias knew that he would not have acted as honorably as these two had and aid an injured dark elf.
“Thank you, I owe you both.” He said with a nod of his head. His eyes scanned around the room, before turning back to Aiko.
“Do you have any healing potions? Or anything to counteract poison? I can reimburse you for them, whatever your price.” He asked. Healing was not something he had much training in and so potions or hope there was a fairy around tended to be his go-to answers for most wounds.
Time: 7 pm Location: River Port Interactions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 33 amas.
“Offended? You, Arn, pretended to be just a simple medic and that was a lie. But Rue makes a point, it is a dangerous time for royalty. Targets of dark elf assassins and all that. But you didn’t think to mention that traveling with you was more dangerous than alone. Because you wanted companions. What does it matter, the danger you put others in, as long as you get what you want. So no, Arn, there is no trust between us.” Bowyn paced as he spoke, agitation growing as he did so. Annoyed that Arn was acting as if Bowyn was overreacting, as if Arn was somehow the one who had been wronged here. Then Arn tried to walk out like he deserved the last word in all of this. And there was Rue. Rue who seemed to think food and fresh air were a solution to this as if that was a solution to anything. Bowyn’s cold gaze turned to her. Part of him wanted to let it go, to just get along with the both of them for Rue’s sake, because she asked, because it was Rue.
But that was such a small part, remnants who was, just a whisper in the back of his mind. Everything that he was now was so much louder, and it screamed at him. Drive wedges. Burn bridges. You don’t need them. Not Arn. Not Rue. You’re better off alone. They’re better off without you. And it felt true. He wanted to make sure Rue stayed safe, he really did, but he couldn’t. Not during a war, not when he’d been unable to keep himself safe. If Arn really was a good man who meant all he said, Bowyn would be no good to him either. Because Bowyn wanted to destroy things, to bring himself pain.
“You think you can tell when a total stranger plans to betray you? That knowing someone for a few hours is enough to trust them? That’s awfully naive of you Rue. How long have been gone from the village, out in the rest of the world? Maybe it’s about time you grew up.” Bowyn stopped pacing and took a moment to calm his tone. His words had come out harsh but he had meant them. You can’t just go around trusting people so easily. She had to know that. Had to know how dangerous that was.
“Maybe you’re right, maybe I do need fresh air. It’s very crowded in here.” Walking away from Rue hurt so that’s what he did. Maybe not the kind of pain he actively sought; not as fun as black eyes and split lips, but it worked just the same. Pain brought comfort, distraction, and it fueled the rage he needed to keep going. He needed to be out of the inn and away from things so far from his control.
Time: 7 pm Location: Aboard The Harem Interactions: Tigerlily @Potter, Tesoro@Infinite Cosmos, Lizzie @Tae, Barboda @Alivefalling, Helio @princess Equipment: A cutlass, 2 knives and a dagger strategically hidden, a spyglass, a wayfinder, pouch of amas, various jewelry.
Nym could appreciate a captain like Lizzie who knew when to put the work in and when it was time to party. He still held some doubts about the mysterious captain who appeared seemly out of nowhere but her confidence held those doubts back, and her efforts throughout the day told him she was a skilled sailor. She knew the life, the work, and it clearly wasn’t new to her and so it still gnawed at him that he’d never heard a word about this pirate. Nym took pride in knowing at least something about everyone worth knowing about in his corner of the world. Enough uncertainty to keep him from being fully at ease. Sooner or later they’d encounter trouble, and it was in those situations, and how Lizzie handled them, that would tell him all he needed about what sort of captain she would make.
Helio, on the other hand, was amusing. Nym was certain the fairy had spent the entire day drunk but still managed to pull his weight. A functional drunk and a fool, someone who could be counted on to keep things entertaining throughout their voyage. As soon as the captain suggested celebration the fairy had scampered off to bring them all rum. Being served rum by a prince was a grand situation to be in. One day, after Helio had tired of adventuring and returned home, as all tourists to this life were bound to do, he’d spin this all into a tale of how they kept a fairy royal as a cabin boy and boast about what great servants royals could make. As soon as the fairy returned with a bottle the elf and the bounty hunter voiced their preference for drinking only water. Nym shook his head with a hint of disappointment.
“Tis a shame we picked up such weak stock. A sailor unable to keep their wits after a few drinks? Awfully sad, don’tcha think?” Nym said his head turned towards Tigerlilly but his eye focused on Tesoro. A crew that drank together, celebrated together, built a sense of trust and comradery. Captain Lizzie had the right idea to encourage this. He could chalk Barboda’s abstaining to him being a bounty hunter, a way of life filled with rules and traditions he didn’t really understand. But Tesoro, the elf seemed to have no interest in being a real part of the crew. Nym could only find that suspicious, but after the elf had insulted both he and Tigerlily, everything about the other man struck the wrong cord.
“At least the magnificent prince knows how to have a good time. Tell us, your highness, have yer treasure vaults begun to dwindle or has a life of balls and tea parties lost its thrill?” He asked of Helio as Nym took the bottle from the mermaid and took a swig before offering it to the captain with a shake.
“Cap’n, I’m sure there’s a fine tale to be told, about how ya managed to steal this lovely vessel. And in the company of a bounty hunter who seems unconcerned with the price we all likely have upon our heads.” He added, hoping for a good story and maybe even some more information about the mysterious woman and the bucket-headed fellow who liked to cook.
Time: 7 pm, Soller Location: Roshmi City-Leaky Tap Tavern Interactions: Nabarra @nasty, Yuka @princess, Aiko @CitrusArms Equipment: Sword, bow and arrows, small knife, wayfinder, fire kit, a pouch with 117 amas
For a second it seemed like things might be going smoothly, the demihumans seemed open to leaving, even presenting a couple of agreeable options. He would’ve thought that for a dark elf who was in a crowded tavern in a city hostile to her race, keeping a low profile would be the obvious choice. Instead, Nabarra seemed intent on antagonizing both Aiko and Yuka. It wasn’t that he expected a dark elf to have the same level of civility as his own people did, but it seemed that even the offer of a place to rest or a silly nickname was enough to cause the other elf to lose her temper. Bringing the quick-tempered dark elf to a tavern to drink seemed like a major oversight on his part, not leaving when she hopped up on the rooftops for a fight at the beginning of the day felt like an even bigger mistake. But mistakes were his forte and he was resigned to live with them. So he said nothing and shook his head a bit in annoyance at petty arguments. Then, just when it seemed like they were all about to be leaving the tavern for some much-needed fresh air, Nabarra hit the floor with a thud. So much for keeping a low profile.
The sound of an elf hitting the wooden tavern was more than enough to draw attention. Nabarra’s mask no longer hid her identity and muttered speech around him signaled that this had been noticed by several others. He stood and quickly removed the cat mask from himself so as not to be mistaken for a dark elf, and noted the labored breathing from Nabarra. She wasn’t dead, yet, but certainly in need of a potion or two if they managed their way out of the tavern. This time leaving Nabarra behind didn’t occur to him as an option, she was an ally now, and one who was injured and currently unable to fight.
“That offer of heading to your room still available?” He asked with a glance towards Aiko. He wasn’t sure how the other two were going to react, but Aiko at least put out a very calm aura. Out of the two of them, they were the one he’d guess to be level-headed about everything. Yuka on the other hand was a wild card, chaos incarnate really, but he hoped to Solaras she’d still be on their side, even if only to satisfy her curiosity. He’d seen her ability to work up a crowd up to a near-riot earlier and didn’t want to have to deal with that as well."Either of you want to help carry her out of here before things get ugly? I'd owe you favor." He added before he crouched down and snapped his fingers in front of Nabarra's face to see if she'd just snap out of it.
Time: 7 pm Location: River Port-Inn by the Sea Interactions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 33 amas.
As Arn spoke, Bowyn struggled to keep his focus away from the closed door and the way it had made the room even smaller. In some ways, it was a blessing that the bombshell Arn dropped was unexpected enough to snap Bowyn’s full focus back to the dwarf. Arn was a prince, the only prince of Ironhold, and he had lied to both of them. Not an outright lie, but one of omission, and the semantics of that mattered very little to Bowyn. He had liked Arn better when he’d thought him a common soldier and medic, a simple dwarf who couldn’t grasp sarcasm, and who blushed when Rue smiled. That Arn had not been dangerous, he’d been easily understood, and most importantly he was someone useful.
Royals, however, were anything but useful; not for his goals, not for getting as close to violence as he wanted to be. Monarchs wouldn’t be on the front lines; not with hands too soft for hard work, not with lives they thought of as too important to risk death. What would happen once Arn found the elven princess? Would they sit around planning out the war from a far-off and safe location? Sending others to die for them? And then where would he and Rue be? Kept to the sidelines and used only for their healing magic until exhaustion burned them out? Bowyn wouldn’t let that become his fate. He expected little more from the likes of elves and wasn’t sure what to expect of Arn knowing the dwarf had his own legacy and kingdom to think of now. Maybe Arn wasn’t like the whole rotten lot of them just yet, but if you handed a man the world on a silver platter eventually they were going to believe they deserved it, and from there it wasn’t a stretch to see others as beneath them. Royals were dangerous, to be in the company of a prince was not a good thing.
Bowyn had been away from his secluded village long enough to hear how monarchies operated. The flower kingdom had let their heir carry out a murder spree against its own subjects, and when the prince had finished, he walked free with a mere slap on the wrist. The most extreme example, but one that had cemented his views on how cruel and unjust the royal families of Avalia were. Maybe an upbringing away from that life had prevented the worst of royal traits from taking hold in Arn, but it wasn’t something Bowyn would gamble his life on. He couldn’t trust Arn, and he would have to keep a close eye on him until he could figure out if it was worth it to continue traveling with the dwarven prince.
“Well, excuse me for not bowing, your majesty. I would’ve preferred you a flock of pixies.” Bowyn found himself unable to hide the bitterness in his tone. “And after you find this elven princess, what are your plans then? Form an alliance and return home? What use do you have in mind for a couple of winter fae? A place within the dwarven army perhaps? Or maybe offer us up to the elf as a gift?”
Time: 7 pm Location: River Port-Odds and Ends Interactions: Arn @Omni5876, Rue@Potter Equipment: 1 hunting knife, a flask of alcohol, a backpack, small tent, blanket, waterskin, rope, fire starting kit, lightmaker, cooking pot, a bar of soap, some drugs; skaula (8 grams) and zemak (1 ounce), rolling papers, and 33 amas.
Bowyn rolled his eyes as Arn questioned whether refusing Rue’s offer to buy him something was impolite. “Arn, if you’re uncomfortable with a lady paying your way just say so.” Bowyn said, his tone flippant and teasing. “Politeness is a waste of time. Just be honest, direct, and anyone who holds that against you isn’t worth the time.” The winter fairy had no interest in playing games of etiquette, it wasn’t worth the energy. Certainly not now, not during a war when time and energy were precious and anything less than honesty would make it difficult to trust any ally.
He offered a small and hollow smile as he accepted the clothing from Rue. The clothes were new and clean and felt much nicer than his own. He once again wondered why Rue was here, Rue who was kind without a second thought and who he couldn’t imagine as someone who craved pain and violence. But he had already asked her why she was here, so he didn’t ask it again, even though he wanted to, instead he reminded himself that she would answer that when she was ready to. So Bowyn followed her and Arn to the inn where Rue again offered generosity without hesitation as she rented a couple of rooms there.
He didn’t say anything about how uncomfortable the thought of sleeping indoors made him feel. At least outside, somewhere deep in a forest, despite whatever dangers forests could hold, there weren’t walls closing in and a single door that provided the only escape. A forest always had many paths of escape if needed, they had the endless sky to remind him of better days and to comfort him. But he said nothing about that because he doubted Rue, or Arn for that matter, would prefer to feel the hard ground beneath them over a soft bed. Soon enough they’d be in the middle of a great war and he didn’t have it in him to try to deny his companions a few more days of comfort.
After following Rue to the rented room he found it not too different from what he expected; a modest and cramped room, and a place he quickly itched to leave. He looked over to Arn who had wanted somewhere away from prying ears to speak. “So what’s the big secret, Arn? Are you actually fifty pixies hiding in a dwarf outfit?” He asked, as he wondered what it had been that the somewhat odd and mysterious dwarf had been keeping from them.
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