Penny

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

Camilla found her mind drifting during the escape. She knew, at an intellectual level that she shouldn't but it was hard to focus. This woman was certainly a friend and maybe more than a friend. Each time Elspeth looked at Cydric she felt a surge of jealously that threatened to sober her but the intense emotion cooled once the blond turned her attention back to Camilla.

She had a vague notion that they were in a coach and the next thing she knew they were sitting in an elaborate parlor. The place was decorated in shades of red and gold with occasional silver accents and had a subtle feeling of aged splendor. Handsome men, each handsome enough to give Ricardo a rival, stood in livery of red and gold. Many of them wore weapons but they seemed to Camilla to be more ceremonial than practical.

"Cydric," Camilla whispered as she watched the servants. There was no response, his eyes following the roll of Elspeth's hips as she laughed at some jest Ricardo had just made.

"Cydric," she repeated. Still no response. Camilla very deliberately and very firmly stomped on the Ostlander's foot. For a moment she thought that it hadn't been sufficient but then, several seconds after the blow, his eyes cleared and he turned to look at her.

"Cydric something is wrong, look at their eyes," she said with a gesture at the servants. Indeed, their eyes shone with an almost religious devotion, but they were empty too, somehow conveying that there was little behind them other than a blind desire to serve. Before he could respond Elspeth turned back to them and was gesturing them into plush chairs.

"To bussiness then," she said languidly, her smokey gaze promising there would be time for pleasure afterwards.

"You have come for the Scarrab, I confess my Mistress does possess it, but no force you could apply will recover it." The words were matter of fact but absolutely final.

"Still we are not unreasonable, I can provide you with gold and with... other things," her gaze drifted across the trio and Camilla felt the 'other things' was distinctly different for each of them.

@POOHEAD189

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

When I fist came to the US the Colbert Report was one of the very first shows I ever saw. I remember stumbling onto the O'Reilly Factor shortly there after and thinking that he was no where near as funny as Colbert was. Later I learned he was supposed to be serious and I died a little inside. Still later I recognized that large swaths of the population subscribed to O'Reilly and I wondered if I had made a mistake coming here at all.

I saw the clip where Colbert said that he doubted if Trump would be president by the end of the week. Clearly it was intended to be a joke.

Also everyone should listen to John Oliver's old podcast The Bugle. But not in a hospital.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@Dynamo Frokane

Full disclosure - I very seldom watch videos/read articles linked in this thread.

That being said I am more than happy to date any ethnicity. Unfortunately I don't have alot of time outside of work to make connections and my professional environment isn't as diverse as I'd like which somewhat limits my options :(

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@Andreyich As you are uniquely qualified to speak on racism? Do you believe that leftists are to blame for the woman who died in Virginia? Or do you think it should fall on the guy who actually did it? You know, the Nazi.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

Yeah its totally the fault of leftists that a Nazi decided to crash a car into a crowd.

It was just all those peaceful Nazi's and KKK folk before that.

I suppose those people in Spain probably provoked that terrorist too.

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

The only real difference between the asshole in Spain and the asshole in Virginia is luck.

The Sunday Group

Everyone doing alright? Eerily quiet here!

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

My sympathy is always with people who are murdered by Nazis. People who are murdered in general, but by Nazis and religious nut jobs in particular.

But what about blah blah blah blah. Murdered. By. Nazis.

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

Camilla stood transfixed, her dagger still extended towards the woman. The blade seemed to weigh a hundred pounds and its point began to waver as the woman continued to speak.

"I want to talk Herr Becker," she said, as though that were the most normal thing in the world and he was somewhat churlish for him to rush her to her point.

"As I said the three of you have proven resourceful and brave," her eyes lingered on Cydric and Camilla fought to contain a gasp as she lowered her dagger. Relief flowed through her and she tucked the weapon back into the small leather sheath in her belt.

"This is a bit of an awkward time for discussions..." Camilla said finding some of her equilibrium returning. Her eyes followed the woman irresistibly as did the men. Ricardo reached out for a moment as though to touch her but didn't do so.

"You may call me Elspeth," the vision of beauty replied , "and yes, I don't imagine our hosts would react well if they discovered we had broken into their mansion." There was a touch of contempt in the woman's voice now.

"We?" Camilla asked, "You broke in as well?" Elspeth nodded graciously.

"Of course," she replied, obviously enjoying her effect on the trio. Her lips were very red and curved into a cupids bow smile.

"I'd like to know how you managed that," Camilla said her body tingling with some strange sensation as she spoke. The woman smiled that predatory smile again, somehow full of knowing and illicit promises.

"Perhaps I will be able to show you very soon," the woman purred. Camilla had to the strange feeling she was being sized up for something. Not sex, or at least not only sex, everything the woman seemed to do was sensual, but she couldn't imagine what it was.

"Why don't we leave this dreary place and I will take you to my estate were we can talk." Her fingers traced over Ricardo's shoulder as she spoke, tugging him as if by and invisible leash towards the floor. Ricardo who could have hit a bullseye with a throwing knife in the dark while drunk, knocked over the small lantern as he turned and oil spilled out onto the table, igniting the papers on the desk in moments.

"Oops," the woman said with an ironic smile.

@POOHEAD189

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

Camilla felt the faint stirring of panic as the footsteps came closer. She worked the small set of lock picks against the door, feeling for the tumblers in the dark with the small wire implements, the first one engaged with a small click and she fought hard to resit the urge to push too hard. It really ought to be Ricardo doing this, it had been years since she had worked on anything more complicated than a jewelery box, but there was no time for them to switch places now. Indeed, her old friend was stepping back and drawing his small crossbow from his bag in case she was too slow. A dead body wasn't the end of the world but it would complicate things and there was no assurance that Ricardo could take whoever it was down quietly. Worse yet what if it was a child out to get a glass of milk in the middle of the night. It didn't bare thinking about.

The final tumblr clicked into place and the door swung open. Camilla steeped through the doorway a moment head of her two companions and then closed the door as quietly as she could, resisting the urge to let out a breath of relief. Hurriedly she turned and surveyed the darkened room. Large bookshelves lined the walls and strange artefacts stood on carved stone pedestals. It was too dark for Camilla to recognize the items as more than indistinct masses however. At the end of the room stood a large table on which sat a mass of scrolls, a quill and an ink pot.

"Ucellina, he is slowing," Ricardo hissed and as he said it she realized that the unknown man out in the hallway was slowing his footsteps. That meant that he was coming here. Desperately she cast her eyes around. There was a large bench in one of the reading alcoves and she grabbed Cydric's hand and pulled him towards it pushing him down behind the bench before laying beside him. She couldn't see where Ricardo went but she knew he too was finding concealment.

The rattle of keys could be heard outside and the sound of voices. The door handle turned but didn't open. Camilla held her breath hoping however it was didn't find it odd that his door was unlocked. The key clicked again and the door swung open.

"I told you it is unnecessary," a strangely accented voice said as it moved down the center of the room.

"And I still say it is prudent. No questions will be asked if three bodies turn up floating in a canal."

"You dont thing that Riarao will be a little suspicious if her boy toy turns up with an acute case of stabbing? The woman can hold a grudge like no one else." The voices faded to a muted rumble and Camilla heard the clink of glassware, she presumed they were pouring drinks. She lay as quietly as she could beside Cydric as a light sprang into being at the head of the room, presumably a lamp on the table.

The conversation continued for several minutes, much of it unintelligible from here and then the light was extinguished and the two men departed, the key rattling as it locked the door behind them. Camilla breathed a sigh of relief but remained still for several more minutes. At last she stood slowly, stretching her muscles before helping Cydric to her feet.

Ricardo was already at the table evidently having decided the coast was clear a minute before she had. He was going through the papers and Camilla joined him while Cydric stood guard. The risked lighting a small lantern which they could shutter at need. It was more light than Camilla wanted to use but she didn't see any help for it. Ricardo picked up a particularly ornate looking document with a strange wax seal.

"It's Brettonian, do you read it?" Ricardo asked. Camilla smiled in the near darkness.

"Dosen't everybody?" she asked.

"We didn't all get the fancy school Ucellina," Ricado said with a roll of his eyes. She red the document.

"It is a note asking for the acquisition of a particular piece, the Scarab of Lahaima? It offers... something, something the agreed upon previously in exchange and it is signed by someone calling herself Lady Miroria? The Lady of Mirrors maybe?" She asked, her Brettonian not quite equal to the challenge afterall. There were directions to deliever the item to an estate out of town.

The sudden sound of hands clapping was as shocking as gunfire. Camilla spun around her dagger coming to her hands in an instant. A gentle mocking laughter filled the room. In the corner, where a moment ago Camilla would have bet her life no one was sitting, sat the beautiful blond woman in a pale blue dress. She was beyond lovely in the low light, artists would have wept to capture such a thing on canvas.

"Very well done my dear, I can see the Mistress was right about you," the woman said coming slowly to her feet. Camilla cast a side long glance at Cydric and Ricardo. Ricardo had his hand in his satchel though he hadn't actually drawn the little crossbow. She licked her nervous lips as the woman seemed to glide forward towards them.

@POOHEAD189