Ushari looks over the magical items, including the pearl one Straehan has claimed the pearl from Fin ;)
"Oooooh!" Fin nods in understanding then notes the pouch full of sand sitting by her. Hefting the strange back, she dumps it out and then proceeds to start filling it up with coins again. Since Straehan and Ushari are clearly busy, she taps Jayse on the arm, points a thumb towards the town and asks, "Next round?"
When he looks up to her with a bit of confusion, she turns to her elvish girl friends who giggle profusely. One of them says, "Findelgwing wants you to show her where to buy rounds for everyone with all of the money! Better be careful she doesn't spend it all, she thinks you mean the whole town! Haha!"
The tall girl simply looks at Jayse expectantly raising an eyebrow as her friend speaks as if she should have come to some other conclusion.
Jayse smiles back at the giggly elven girl, enjoying the attention, "I think buying a round for everyone who's drinking is a fine idea. It is a night to celebrate, after all, and the fine people of this town deserve a little something free as well." He turns and look up at Findelgwing, "Go ask the bar-keep how much for a round for everyone."
The elves all grin excitedly and grab Fin by the hand giggling as the lot of them break into a run heading towards the tavern.
Upon arriving at the bar, Fin looks at her friends who point out the barkeep to her. With a determined exhale, she marches up to the bar, and sets the magic bag on the counter.
In a tone that brooks no argument she says, "Next round!" and points a thumb at herself, patting the bag with her other hand.
1,2=H 3=E 4=T 5=G
Gender:
1=M 2=F
Relative Age:
Looks:
With deft skill, Ushari snakes the pearl from Straehan's grasp. The little gnome looks over his glasses at her, momentarily seeming vexed. Then he speaks pleasantly in a language she doesn't understand:
Despite the friendly tone, Ushari thinks the words were probably less than kind. She decides it may be better to continue her item identification than question the gnome on what he said. She sits down at a table, examines the curious objects in turn and determines, though it only confirms what Fin's experiments revealed, that the pouch is a mystical bag of holding . The purpose of the elixir and pearl utterly elude her. However, she does figure out the purpose of the coin and puts it to the test. Laughing, she tosses the coin on the ground where it lands on its edge and proceeds to start a lazy wobbling roll around the pavilion somehow only glancing off objects and luckily avoiding being stepped on. It makes a complete circuit of the area before altering course and wandering towards Fin where it drops at her foot.
The bartender, a human in his mid-twenties, is startled by the ferocity of Fin's request. He is a forgettable looking fellow but not unpleasant. Seeing the obvious glee in her friends' faces, he sizes up the large crowd of people and goblins and settles on a fair price for the drinks.
He gives Fin his best winning smile and says, "That'll be 2 gold pieces and one dance with you."
Two? And gold. OK. Wait... What?!
"D– Dance?" Fin asks, suddenly feeling like a flock of butterflies has taken wing in her tummy. She turns to her giggling friends, a look of silent desperation on her face. However when the barkeep says, "Dance? I'd love to!" two of them pair off, face-to-face and begin swishing about in an exaggerated waltz. As the other sits down at the bar to mind Fin's purse, Whoosh, and Twang, Findelgwing turns back to face the barkeep, swallowing hard.
Hesitantly she steps forward as the barkeep cues some musicians to strike up a tune. In imitation of her friends, she holds one hand up and puts the other on the shorter man's waist, all color now drained from her face.
Giants I can fight. Dance...? Courage Findelgwing!
While the bartender isn't much to look at, he is a kind man and sees her nervousness. He leads her leisurely in the dance, talking her through the steps. His behavior is entirely beyond reproach, taking no liberties and holding her a comfortable distance apart from himself. Despite his clear delight at dancing with her, he speaks as if he is merely a dance instructor. He ends with a flourish, spinning her well.
He bows politely when the song end, which didn't seem the eternity that Fin was expecting. "Thank you for the pleasure, Miss Fin." He puts her in the care of her friends... since several other gentlemen have quietly queued up seeing a possible opportunity. Fin's friends immediately swarm her, eager to hear what she thought of it and the bartender.
Ushari stows the coin in her pouch, and then hands the Vial and the Pearl back to Straehan.
"I hope you have better luck with these than I did."
She settles back in her seat, and watches Fin dance with a look of wistfulness in her eyes. She recalled dancing many times before and always felt a sense of...need as she danced. Her hand unconsciously strays to the daisy in her hair, and she wonders if her Secret Admirer will made an appearance. She sighs, Well, it's not like I have hidden myself at all. I will wait all night, if need be, for him to show his face! she thinks as she takes a long draught of the Eel tequila, which she was growing to like the taste of the beverage, she discovered.
Fin takes great care in making certain not to crush the hand of or step on the toes of the barkeep. When she sees other eager young men lining up, her heart starts to palpitate a bit in fear so she makes a point of focusing on her dance partner's feet instead so she can see how she's supposed to move. When its finally over and he thanks her, she gives a cautious nod and a hesitant smile.
Uncertain as to what she's supposed to do next she considers whether or not it would be appropriate to give him a thumbs-up. Instead, imitating what she has seen some other women do, she leans down and gives him a hug before breathing a sigh of relief when her friends swarm around her and whisk her away each of them soon raising a glass or tankard as they all chat.
Upon their inquiries about the man, she replies, seemingly speaking even faster than normal...
And so it continues for a time before her friends finally press a beer into Fin's hands so that she can get a breather and take the edge off.
Some of the young bucks keep circling Fin and her friends but the wolf-pack of elven women keep them at bay. At length, unsatisfied, a few go over to speak with the barkeep - clearly looking for details. The barkeep glances at Fin briefly, thinking about their dance, then he shrugs and smiles telling them absolutely nothing.
Ushari watches Etta making the rounds. She brings food and beer where it seems to be lacking, and makes sure the drunk are taken home. She shares a few words with nearly everyone she passes - working the room. She stops by the goblin table and engages in some light conversation (through an interpreter). The goblins are having a height comparison with Vargr. Standing on the shoulders of their somewhat drunken comrades, the goblins determine that Vargr is about 3 goblins high and 2 goblins wide. They collapse in a heap and Etta laughs, leaving 3 pitchers of beer for them before moving on. She continues around, always touching and talking to the townfolk.
Ushari is so busy watching Etta, she fails to notice the young fellow who approaches her reluctantly. "Miss Ushari, I notice you haven't danced yet. It's pretty fun... you maybe wanna give it a try?" He's not a bad looking young man, but definitely isn't one of the young town bucks.
Ushari gives a start as the young man approaches her. She stares at him for a few seconds, but while he seemed a nice boy, she was not sure what she felt...excitement...disappointment...or perhaps something else. Still, it would be a shame to be rude to this young man.
She gives him a somewhat hesitant smile, and holds her hand out for him to take. "I think I would be...delighted to...Mister..."
She allows him to guide her to the floor for a dance, waiting for him to respond.
Straehan takes the objects without comment. He cleans his glasses and finishes his examination of the pearl and then the liquid.
He approaches Ushari when she isn't otherwise engaged. "This potion is baffling me." He pops the cork, "What does it smell like to you? I can't quite pin the scent down."
After some discussion, it hits him. It whiffs of brimstone and cinnamon.
"What we have here is a pearl that enhances spell-casting capabilities . And this..." he says bouncing the vial in his hand, "is 5-alarm Chili in a bottle. This will make you breathe fire ."
Seeing folks dancing, Milaflora sashays over to Jayse and watches the crowd while standing next to him for awhile. She says casually, "So, would you like to dance?"
Jayse has the distinct impression she is referring to a more horizontal dance, not a vertical one.
"I think I would be...delighted to...Mister..."
She allows him to guide her to the floor for a dance, waiting for him to respond.
"Just Yallan, Miss. We don't have many titles around here." He's a competent dancer and holds her gingerly as if she might be made of porcelain. "That's a real pretty dress, Miss. You didn't get it in town didya?"
Jayse smiles at the woman's sly approach and turns his best grin back on her as her true intentions become evident. "I'd love to dance." He says as his smile becomes a little playful, and before she can act he grabs her hand and swirls her out onto the dance floor. As they spin into each other's arms he whispers, "But let's do one on the dance floor first."
He makes up for his lack of actual dance training or knowledge with sheer gusto and grace, spinning the woman around the floor.
"Just Yallan, Miss. We don't have many titles around here." He's a competent dancer and holds her gingerly as if she might be made of porcelain. "That's a real pretty dress, Miss. You didn't get it in town didya?"
'It is a pleasure to meet you Yallan, and you do not need to be so formal, just Ushari is fine." She smiles to put him at ease, while her heart jumps in her own throat.
As they dance, she replies to him, "No, I did not get this dress from town, it was a gift from...someone else...who wooed me before." she then lapses into silence.
Mila is surprised to find herself dancing. "I see you have patience, Jayse. That's an unusual quality in a man on the hunt." She dances for as long as Jayse cares to but she makes a point of brushing her body against him, flirting, tempting him.
As they dance, she replies to him, "No, I did not get this dress from town, it was a gift from...someone else...who wooed me before." she then lapses into silence.
Yallan gulps, "Oh... well... its real pretty." Yallan goes silent himself looking uncomfortable. When the music ends he says, "Thank you for the dance, Ushari, and thanks for saving the town." He moves away quickly.
Ushari belatedly realises that talking to a dirt-poor would-be swain about another swain, particularly one who can provide lavish gifts... is probably not the best way to appear inviting or available.
She sees Etta watching her curiously.
Ushari watches Yallan move off, apparently put off by something she had said to him. As she realizes why he had moved away from her so quickly, she takes another look at her dress, and sees how expensive it was compared to the other outfits she noticed the other townspeople wearing. A sense of disappointment flooded her, and she felt tears spring to her eyes.
Is that why he ran away from me, because he thinks all I care about is money? I would give all of the money I have for any more answers to who I am. Maybe I should talk to him...
On impulse, she heads over to Etta, and asks her, "What can you tell me of Yallan, he seems like a nice boy, I just think I scared him away."
Etta replies, "He did hot-foot it away. He's a sweet boy... what did you say to him? I was hoping that seeing you dancing with another would force your admirer out into the open."
"He did hot-foot it away. He's a sweet boy... what did you say to him?"
"I...I mentioned I was being wooed by another...although to be honest, I did make that up. I really don't know who gave me this dress."
"I was hoping that seeing you dancing with another would force your admirer out into the open."
Ushari stares at Etta like she had sprung a third eye on her face. "Wha...what do you mean?" As the meaning of her statement becomes clear, she asks, "How do you know this?"
Mila is surprised to find herself dancing. "I see you have patience, Jayse. That's an unusual quality in a man on the hunt." She dances for as long as Jayse cares to but she makes a point of brushing her body against him, flirting, tempting him.
"Patience?" Jayse ponders the word while looking into the strange but beautiful woman's eyes. "I'd say I'm just making the most of a good situation. How often does a guy get to be the hero of a town then spend the evening in the company of the towns most exotically beautiful woman?"
He whirls her around a turn or two, enjoying the feel of her body against his, "I mean, tomorrow I'll just be another guy, and you'll be wondering just how much you must have drunk to wake up next to this loser."
Ushari stares at Etta like she had sprung a third eye on her face. "Wha...what do you mean?" As the meaning of her statement becomes clear, she asks, "How do you know this?"
Etta rolls her eyes in a good-natured way, "I know because I'm a woman who understands men and this is a small village. He's going to want to know if you're wearing his flower. Why else would he leave it for you on the eve of a party? And since everyone in town is here, he must be among the crowd. I thought, by arranging that dance with Yallan, that we'd flush the fellow out... and here you go ruining a perfectly good plan." She tsk-tsks Ushari with a smile to show she is kidding.
"How often does a guy get to be the hero of a town then spend the evening in the company of the towns most exotically beautiful woman?"
She raises a finely arched eyebrow, "Oh, and with a honeyed tongue yet? My my. I wonder what other secrets and talents you'll reveal this night?" From the direction of her glances, it is clear she is thinking about unwrapping a present.
He whirls her around a turn or two, enjoying the feel of her body against his, "I mean, tomorrow I'll just be another guy, and you'll be wondering just how much you must have drunk to wake up next to this loser."
Mila scoffs, "Vampires vanish at sunrise, not heroes. I think your reputation is safe here for awhile longer. As for me... I rarely drink and I'm selective about whom I bed, if I may be so bold as to say so. Straehan intrigued me with what he said of you... your heroics just gave me a good excuse to satisfy my curiosity."
Etta rolls her eyes in a good-natured way, "I know because I'm a woman who understands men and this is a small village. He's going to want to know if you're wearing his flower. Why else would he leave it for you on the eve of a party? And since everyone in town is here, he must be among the crowd. I thought, by arranging that dance with Yallan, that we'd flush the fellow out... and here you go ruining a perfectly good plan." She tsk-tsks Ushari with a smile to show she is kidding.
Ushari laughs along with Etta, "Well, Etta, I do appreciate the effort of helping my Secret Admirer get some nerve. Fallan is a fine dancer!" She looks over the crowd, noting Jayse and Mila dancing very close together. She thinks, Well, I am sure it is not Jayse!, chuckling to herself.
Turning her attention back to Etta, she smiles, "Thank you so much for helping me find out who this man is. Hopefully, he will say hello soon."
Etta looks almost grim, "I don't know. This fellow seems awfully shy. It might take more effort to lure him out... and when you do meet him, don't wistfully mention other lovers or suitors you've had. Men don't like hearing about the competition." She takes a deep breath as if mustering strength, "Well, I think I'll circulate again and see if I hear anything that might help you find this mystery man. Hm, or woman I suppose."
The evening continues pleasantly enough. A group of local boys manage to convince Fin's friends that they should all dance together. Fin reluctantly goes along when her friends agree. It turns out to be less nerve-wracking than she expected... but it isn't better than drumming. Jayse disappears with Mila and learns that some rewards are more enjoyable than others. Ushari dances with yet another young man (clearly encouraged by Etta). This time she doesn't mention who gave her the dress. Sadly, her reluctant Romeo does not approach her. Straehan spends the rest of his evening avoiding the 'normal' gnomes who can't put aside their race hatred despite their obvious curiosity about the goblins. He spends long hours talking with Rashgari and showing her how to dance. The night winds down with certain people going to bed alone, certain people going to bed with pleasant company, and certain drunk goblins passing out on top of or beneath tables.
Etta and a few of the older women are up early the next morning preparing breakfast for, and keeping their eyes on (if truth be told), their short green guests. Hung-over goblins are no more pleasant than hung-over humans but no untoward incidents occur and breakfast cures many ills. It is a late start to the day for most of the townsfolk but the normal rhythm of the town reasserts itself by the noon hour when their new goblin allies are given a small cart loaded with food for their people as a token of good faith. The goblins, still wearing their white bandanas, wave and move off down the path. Buli is giddy; He's been promised a visit at a real live goblin cave with real live goblins innit!
Gentle, warm morning sunlight playing across Jayse's face brings him out of his deep sleep. A slight, crisp morning breeze blows across his bare chest, the clean scents of earth and trees mingling with the soft undertones of salt and sea paint a picture of the morning in his mind even before his eyes open.
When they do, they almost immediately find the still form of Milaflora. She sits looking off into the forest from their secluded little copse of trees that looks out from a slight rise to a breathtaking view of the ocean beyond. Graceful arms wrapped around her long legs, knees tucked up under her chin, the morning crispness held at bay by one of the blankets they grabbed from her house the night before. Jayse remains motionless, letting his breaths remain slow and long so he can watch the exotic beauty quietly.
He lets his eyes wander beyond the woman for a few moments, taking in one of Milaflora's 'secret spots' in the light of the morning. It really was a breath-taking little spot. Hard to notice on this small hill, mostly protected from the wind by the beautiful tall trees, perfect for sitting - or, as he learned last night - for sleeping with its thick, soft grass. As his eyes are inexorably drawn back to Milaflora, they connect with her own. Her hand, which had been holding the blanket in place, now holds his reed pipe ... the blanket falling low across her torso. She smiles and Jayse tries to hide a flush of self-consciousness that rises at the memory of playing for her the night before.
Trying to cover his discomfort, he brings the subject back to her, "Straehan was right about you." He pauses with a smile, "You are quite enchanting and skilled. Though the words somehow fall quite a bit short of the reality."
He puts his hands behind his head as he continues watching her, letting this moment completely overwhelm all of his senses and doing his best to store every detail in his memory. When you only have a few memories, it's pretty amazing to add one such as this to the collection. Memories of the night before wash through his mind as he continues watching her inspect his pipe. And he can't help but wonder about this mystery woman tucked away in this small corner of the world.
"So I have to know - if you don't mind sharing - what brings a woman like you to a town like Forestal? As diverse as the town is, you stand out like a ruby on a rock-pile… no offense intended to the rocks, of course."
Ushari wakes the next day with a mission planted firmly in her mind. Find out who her Secret Admirer is. She heads down to breakfast, and notices no one else in her party is awake.
She greets Etta warmly, ”Good morning, Etta! I cannot stand around and wait for him to make his move. I am going to find him and ask him why he did not ask me to dance with him”
She gives her a wave goodbye and heads out into Forestal to track down this mystery admirer.
...he brings the subject back to her, "Straehan was right about you." He pauses with a smile, "You are quite enchanting and skilled. Though the words somehow fall quite a bit short of the reality."
She shivers pleasantly, whether from the cool air on her bare skin or the compliment, Jayse isn't quite sure. "Keep talking like that and I may have to avail myself of your services yet again."
"So I have to know - if you don't mind sharing - what brings a woman like you to a town like Forestal? As diverse as the town is, you stand out like a ruby on a rock-pile... no offense intended to the rocks, of course."
"Some might say that it's better to be a ruby among rocks than a ruby among other rubies... because you will stand out and be valued all the more." She looks thoughtful, debating how to answer. He sees her 'professional' mask drop. "The truth is that I'm here because it's safe and I'm not treated like a play-thing. You called me exotic last night and it's true. That's a blessing and a curse in my profession."
Jayse smiles at the encouragement, "I don't believe it. I think if we put you up against these other rubies, we'd see who the real beauty is. At the very least, I'm glad you chose a life here. It very selfishly worked out great for me."
His face sombers slightly as he remembers something, "Something stuck out to me last night, but I've been having too much fun to ask about it. You called me a 'hunter'… what did you mean by that?"
Jayse smiles at the encouragement, "I don't believe it. I think if we put you up against these other rubies, we'd see who the real beauty is."
"Perhaps. You'll have to visit the brothels of Orfallen and then tender your verdict, Jayse."
His face sombers slightly as he remembers something, "Something stuck out to me last night, but I've been having too much fun to ask about it. You called me a 'hunter'... what did you mean by that?"
She raises a curious eyebrow at the tangent, "Last night, you were a man 'on the hunt' for companionship. I offered it and the first thing you wanted to do is actually dance with me." She laughs, reliving her surprise from the previous evening, "For most men, 'hunters' if you will, the time between me saying 'yes' and their pants hitting the floor is probably somewhere less than 30 seconds... circumstances permitting. So you are officially a patient hunter."
Ushari walks through the town of Forestal, trying to figure out where to start her search. She sees a group of young women standing in front of the General Store. Figuring this is as good a place to start as any, she approaches the ladies, and strikes up a conversation.
”Good morning, how are you doing this fine day?”
.
.
All the women are very pleasant, remarking on the fine weather and inviting Ushari into their conversation discussing the 'goings-on' at the party last night:
- Who danced with whom
- How close they were together while dancing that supposedly 'innocent' dance
- Goblin table manners
- Whose alleged boyfriend was eyeing the 'tall Elven lass' a little TOO intently
- The hot water said boyfriend was in today...
Jayse is about to respond, when his stomach lets out a loud rumble. "Well, it looks like this hunter needs to find his way to something to eat. Should we head back into town and see what's going on? If you agree, I'll buy."
Ushari giggles at the thought of one of the boys approaching Fin. She is sooo beautiful, I wish I looked half as pretty as she does.
She asks one of older ladies, ”Excuse me, I needed some advice. Since I am a stranger to your town, I was unsure what to do about…”