Gerwyn looks back and forth between his new pack-mates. "So... I suppose we'll all meet up at the caravan in the morning?" he says uncertainly, not quite sure how to start a conversation with the other lycanthropes.
“.... So, am I the only one that finds her incredibly creepy?” Valaronex asked after there was a moments of silence. Okay, admittedly Gerwyn had actually already broken the silence with his question, but it was such a generic question that Valar felt his more specific question was of much more utmost importance!
“Plus, the caravan is in two days, not one... still got the extra day before we’re off. We have the merchant to meet, but he ain’t the caravan.”
"She's a b#!*# and a tease. What do you expect?" Raze commiserates. "Little packleader's daughter."
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Igdus shrugs.
"She is exactly as expected."
Typical wolf, full of baseless pride and confidence. Was it any wonder they ended up with more silver then anyone. Not to mention the main reason their kind were so hunted. He could understand some of the others. But any that thought themselves more then they could prove were fools. Pack or not in the end it was the individuals that brought strength to a group not a group that empowered individuals.
She had guessed their nature, not that difficult for the observant. Yet had she known their clan she would have kept her thoughts her own. Unless her arrogance bordered on the delusional. Not that ether of them would rely on it, that was after all a point of their clan. Not to mention he had not earned the right, he was pretty sure Sircot hadn't ether. Even if he could sneak up on him.
Gerwyn suppressed a wince. Not exactly the best way to start things out, was it?
"Oh, right," Gerwyn says, looking at Valaronex with a bit of an embarrassed grin. "I guess I was getting ahead of myself. So, um, Raze, I guess you're better at this whole city thing... anything we should do here before we leave?"
"Yeah. Go out the back, come around front, and rent a room for the night." he says. "It's going to be suspicious if you just materialized out of thin air to guard the caravan. Other than that... it's nearly the full moon, and that's a fun time for us, but you HAVE to curb your instincts in town. Survival tip. Get that urge out one way or the other, but don't take it out on the people here." he adds. After a moment, he scratches his chin. "Come to think of it, though... There's this cattle farmer out of city limits who was getting really touchy-feely on some of my girls... It'd be a shame if he suddenly lost some cows."
He shakes his head. "Anyways. Just, biggest thing is, keep in your human skin, and you'll do fine. Gotta kill a man? Do it with a knife. Even a faint suspicion of werecreatures will drive the town into a frenzy... or even worse, an inquisition."
Vaki grins at Valaronex's comment "What's wrong with creepy?" He says a bit playfully.
"I'll be staying at my own place, but I suppose I could meet up you all in the morning. Ugh, I hate mornings" He says with profound disgust in his voice.
557 CY - 1st Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
The other group huddles up around some of the tables discussing their own strategy for reaching Dyvers or the area near Dyvers. It appears in that group the female also has the lead as Lyneth appears to be directing the conversation.
Sircott steps away from that group and over to your group. "Hey Raze, since you are from around here think you can introduce us to the owner of this Tavern? Lyneth is gonna use her feminine charms on him so we can get financing for our own trip north".
He turns to Igdus, "Good hunting Cousin!"
Uncle gives a nod and a wink to Vaki.
Also Valaronex is a cousin of yours that journeyed with you to this city as you were both the black wolves of the pack and two of a kind, he left very soon after to "find himself" while you set down roots here. Roots that are about to be dislodged it seems.
Igdus makes a sound in his throat at Sircott.
"We will see."
He didn't have a high opinion of things he had seen so far. Alot of ambition and posturing but not very much thought or planning.
Raze sighs. "All right. Why not?" he says. He'll take her over to Willem once he knows he's had a few drinks but not too many. He makes Lyneth sit at one of the empty bar stools and moves over a few seats, leaning over the bar and knocking on it, winking conspiratorially.
"Hey Willem!" he stage whispers. "Thanks for the break, needed that. Oh speaking of... Don't look now but I think you have an admirer." he grins. "You should go uh... get to know her?"
He will leave it to them at that point and go back 'to work' for the rest of the night's shift. It'd be a shame he'd lose such a sweet gig, but that's life for you.
Tobar goes about seeing to what he can to smooth things out. There is little, however, that he can do with his meager funds prior to their advance. He will work on weaving some silk ropes if he can find a place to do so discreetly.
557 CY - 1st Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
Willem grins with a pearly white smile, some of the teeth too white to be real, "Alright pretty Lady..." Relatively quickly he is under her her charms.
The group finds rest and the rest of the night passes by uneventfully.
---
557 CY - 2nd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
Raze opens the Swan Dive to arrange the meeting that Marya requested with the merchant who is leading the caravan.
You all arrive in the morning and Raze and Val are already quietly seated at a table, you presume catching up .
Vaki strolls in last clearly less than thrilled about having to wake up early, you discern that he means by day based on how exhausted he looks.
By 9:30, Marya enters with the Merchant. He is not what you expected tall and powerfully built though his face appears a bit haggard and pale. An odd combination to see on the same person.
He strolls in and circles the table you are seated around staring at each of you intently, "Marya Darkeyes tells me that you lot can fill out my needs for caravan guards. None of you..." he stops and stares at Raze. "... well perhaps you. Appear cut out for the work. What experience do you all have in this uh line of work?"
Raze sits at the table, his head hung back across the back of the chair and yawns, his fingers laced behind his head. An empty cup that reeks of bad coffee sits before him. A hat, one that obviously did not belong to him nor would it fit his head right, sits on the top half of his face to block the sunlight coming through the windows and door. While not a 'night' person like Vaki might be, he gets bored easily.
After moments of silence, he'll speak up out of nowhere. "So Val," he begins. "Where did you go after all this time? Coupla times I thought you'd died."
Raze, now sitting up and attentive, shrugs at the merchant, waiting to see what everyone else's 'cred' might be.
"Be wary cousin, she is not to be trusted. Nor are any of your companions until they have proven themselves."
Igdus rises early but apparently not early enough. He gives only a nod to the others and takes a seat without a word. As the merchant arrives and questions their ability, he responds quietly but clearly.
"I have traveled the gnarly often and alone at times. If you need more then that, you are ignorant of the land you travel."
He felt no need to give anything away or justify himself to a merchant. Nether was he going to sooth any fears, that got you killed in the forest. He does study the man due to the oddity of his body.
"I stab a bit, and can patch up wounds well enough."
Gerwyn nods in agreement as Igdus speaks. "I hunt out in the Gnarly Wood, myself. I'm good with an axe, and I know the woods. Woodcraft's as important as the axe, out there."
Vaki chuckles at the merchant's question, though it is a sound without mirth "In my line of work, it's best to appear unassuming and 'harmless'. I hope that answers your question."
I smell a vampire or vampire pawn. Screeeeeech! xP
557 CY - 2nd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
The man frowns at your answers but says nothing. He turns to Valar, "What about you?"
557 CY - 2nd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
Valar shrugs, "Don't worry, I don't need a weapon to kill bandits. Names Valar".
The Merchant chuckles, "That's good. Real good. You all seem useful enough. This is a dangerous run I'm not gonna lie. Not all o' ya are gonna survive. If ya' want to get paid ya' need to see to it that I do survive as all I have is enough to pay stipends right now.
The pay is 50 gold a head now and 250 gold a head when we arrive in Dyvers. The rules are pretty simple. The sleeping wagon is for sleeping and the rest of the wagons are for the goods I am bringing to Dyvers. Ya've got no need to be in any wagon but the sleepin' wagon, if I see ya in one ye'll be tied up and left on the side of the road for the horrors of the woods.
I've enough hard tack and rations for ya'll to eat two times a day, you want to eat more'n that buy yer own supplies or you can try to hunt in the Forest. I don't suggest huntin'.
Any other questions?"
"Nope." Raze replies almost right away. "Guard the carts, don't look in, pay some now rest later. Got it."
Well, this is going to be fun. I think I'll take a few sniffs of the carts when the idiot's asleep. If I don't someone else will, and they prolly wouldn't tell me.
"Sounds like fun, when do we leave?" Vaki asks, eager to get on the road.
"No qualms here."
Igdus didn't much care all that. He wouldn't need to get near the wagons to find out any secrets, not that he was all that interested in it. What he did wonder was if he could risk hunting during the trip. Rations were hardly worth being called food.
"Should I or my cousin fall, the other will collect what is owed."
He doubted they would, escape in the open was easy for them. Still he didn't want the merchant to think he would save any gold by reducing their number.
557 CY - 2nd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
The Merchant cocks his head at Igdus, "Which one is yer cousin? This is the only caravan I'm running out of Narwell.
I am leaving tomorrow 6 am. I'll pay you the gold now so you can shop fer what you need. Come 6 am you not out from of the Gnarley General Store I'll assume you made off with my hard earned coin and the Sheriff'll have an arrest warrant with your name on it".
That said he heads out gesturing for Marya to follow him.
After the merchant leaves, Gerwyn looks at the others. "I think I've got everything I need," he states. "Can you think of anything we should bring? I've already got camping supplies and weapons."
Still, Valar could hardly blame his cousin for the question and glanced at Raze when he asked where he had gone. After a few moments of pondering how truthful he should be about it, Valar shrugged, saying. “Doing my best not walk the same path as dad did.”
”Pleasant Guy.” Valar noted when the merchant took his leave. Tieing them up in the middle of dangerous woods if they had a looksie at the other waggons was a little extreme. The warrant was understandable, 50 gold was a lot, you could buy a lot of good gear with it. Even a decent sword. But Valar simply pocketed it, commenting. ”I ain’t got anything to buy either.”
"Marya knows what I mean."
After the merchant leaves.
"I have a few things to buy that may prove useful. If their is nothing else, I will go seek them out."
Unless someone has something to add he does as he says and leaves to go shopping.
Tobar will look for a masterwork survival kit to help with their journey.
Tobar will look for a masterwork survival kit to help with their journey.
Done.
After spending some time thinking it over, Gerwyn decides he could use a bit better of armor, and gets a suit of studded leather armor.
557 CY - 3rd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
The morning of the third is a cold rainy day. One of the other mercenaries complains about it being an "ill omen". In all, the group is fairly large. Including the six of you there are twenty sellswords in all being hired to defend seven wagons.
Two of them wear better armor and weapons than everyone else, much better. They are likely the merchants personal guards.
Another seven men and three ladies make up the rest of the travel companions. It is not clear if they are all merchants but all are fairly well dressed and give the impression that they may well be.
Of the seven wagons in the train, the three in the middle have closed tops. Even the back of the wagon is sealed over with heavy cloth on each. The other four are full of supplies, whether these supplies are all goods for commerce or some are rations and water for the road is not clear.
The wagons must have been out in front of the Swan Dive for some time as the wheels are dug pretty deeply into rivets. These wagons may need a push to get out!
Marya approaches the lot of you and growls, "That damn merchant bastard is late. I'd like to place a warrant out for his arrest!"
"Heh. Merchant ends up being the one late." Raze chuckles. He ignores Marya for the most part and talks to the other guards. "C'mon then, let's get these things out of their ruts while we wait. If'n he doesn't show, I guess we made an easy 50, eh?"
557 CY - 3rd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
A few of the men grumble but assist Raze nonetheless.
Vaki shows up, bleary-eyed, and grumbling. "At least there's no sun." He notes gloomily.
He doesn't offer to assist with the wagons, instead ducking inside to get some breakfast while the others wait.
Gerwyn notes everything with suspicion--why so many guards, and why the closed-up wagons? It seems... too obvious for smuggling, but Gerwyn has to admit to himself that he doesn't know a thing about smuggling.
"That's a good idea," Gerwyn agrees. He moves to assist.
557 CY - 3rd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
Gerwyn slips a bit in the mud but Raze and the other mercenaries manage to push the wagons out of the mud.
"Great, there goes Vaki. Soon more will wander off and we will be running late on the first day of this trip". Marya complains.
Before anyone else can wander off, the Merchant, who still has not given his name to any of you, comes towards the caravan. Next to him is a figure that seems somehow familiar though you are sure you never saw the man before.
Gerwyn watches in curiosity as the pair approach, wondering what it is about the man next to the merchant that seems familiar.
Vaki grabs a light meal, not really one for eating so early, and is outside again moments after the merchant and mystery man show up. He munches on his muffin and waits.
Tobar appraises those approaching as if dealing in simple wares.
Valar felt it was a little odd that the merchant ended up being late, despite the fact he had made it clear that he would tolerate no lateness from anyone else. It could hypocrisy sure, Valar acknowledged that. But as the merchant turned up, with someone else walking by his side, the ex-lycan had to wonder if he might have been the cause of the delay...
Still, Valar felt not need to ask any questions for not. Staying silent and on his guard. They might still be in the city, and there were almost twice as many sell-swords in the company as there were lycans... but that didn’t mean they could not be ambushed even without leaving the city limits. And even if they weren’t ambushed, there was always the chance of thieves trying to lift some goods whilst the caravans were just sitting around.
Igdus watches but does little else. He takes special care to look over the details of the strange wagons. Coupled with what he suspected of the merchant, things did not seem very promising so far. He wondered if Marya knew or if her arrogance blinded her. Then again he could be wrong in his suspicions, he would not be disappointed in that.
557 CY - 3rd Day of Coldeven - The Free City of Narwell -
Igdus notices that behind the two men is a woman. The man and the Merchant stop. The man hands the Merchant a sack and turns to the woman giving her a hug. He then wipes tears from his eyes and heads away leaving the woman next to the Merchant.