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"Gods, will you two just bang already and stop arguing all the time." Cassandra mutters as she keeps her eyes forward.
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Amira's eyes flicker over her shoulder for a moment. "You're going to pay for that later Miss Wagner." she whispers, a tiny smile playing on her lips.
Wednesday arched a brow. "Unless our mouths are preoccupied I'm sure we'd find something to argue about while trying to out-pin each other."
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"I come from a family of merchants. We're experts at paying, Ms. Oenestria." Cassandra can't help but smile, though her eyes are still forward.
A woman's voice calls out from the darkness, in response to Terri's entreaty, "Come no further! Who are you and why should we trust you?"
The voice is high-pitched, possibly coming from an older woman, and sounds nervous or frightened.
"I am Terri Riverrun, a priestess of Shelyn. I've been trained to help those who have been injured and tend to the sick," the young priestess answers as she leans her glaive against the wall, "we mean you no harm. we only want to help."
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"Introducing herself to whatever's about to try to kill us." Amira says under her breath, just loud enough for Tolenn to catch it.
Tolenn nods and smiles at Amira's dark humour, then merely raises and eyebrow at the risque banter that then ensues.
She says nothing, merely looking calmly at her friends as if to say Is that really appropriate?
When the other's voice is heard, she shushes the other three, "Shhh, let Terri speak..."
She edges up a little closer to Terri, just in case she was in the midst of a ruse.
A mousey woman peers timidly around the edge of the wall. She looks to be in her 50s with gray streaks in her brown hair. "We don't have any sick here, but we do have some injured," she says as she gestures for the group to come forward into the chamber.
Inside, as the light from the spell illuminates the area, there are two other women and two children. Both women wear bandages, one with a bandaged arm in a sling, the other with a bandaged leg and arm. The one with the sling stands with a small girl clinging to her leg and trying to hide behind her. The other sits on the floor with a child in her lap - the child has a bandaged head and looks pale. All five of them have a thin, undernourished look to them.
Putting away her weapon. Amira moves forward, taking in the sight of the injured women and children. " Eries isn't it? What happened to you all? How did you end up down here?"
"That's a very good question." Cassandra stops hopping, letting her spell drift away for now.
"Wednesday, let's go get some food for them while the people who can do healing get to the healing."
Cassandra heads back to the hole. A grapple and a throw later and she's climbing up and heading to the nearest food stall.
Arching a brow at why the reality-taunting spellslinger would ask him to come along he nonetheless doesn't make a remark other than to give a quick nod to the others before following along behind the springy wizard.
Terri leaves the glaive against the wall and moves to look at the their injuries. She replaces bandages with clean ones and sets any bones that need it before gathering them all around and saying a quick prayer to Shelyn, filling the room with a warm golden glow.
That done, she looks to the older woman.
"What happened to you? Why are you hiding in a sewer with open wounds," the priestess asks gently.
Tolenn advances into the room with Terri, still a bit wary of the circumstances, despite the familiarity Amira apparently has with Eries.
The ratling hairs and scratches still plays on her mind as she stands in the entranceway, watching Terri do her holy work.
Eries continues to act as spokeswoman for the group. "It's not a pleasant story, but in return for your generosity, I will tell it. Maybe you can still help us before things get worse." She sighs. "It may not be obvious, but we are not entirely what we seem. We are part of a community that mostly lives beneath the streets. We are a rat people--what you single-form folk call wererats. And we've become a hunted people."
"Rats are not usually loved. People believe them to be carriers of disease as sometimes they are, but usually leave us alone. No longer. Out of fear of the blood veil, my folk are now targeted by surface dwellers. They cornered and murdered one of my kind just two days ago - someone found a silver axe and the mob caught him in an alley and chopped him up. And now, some of my people are planning to retaliate. I know it will just make things worse but they're determined and won't listen to reason. I've tried to stop them, more than once, but failed. The last time, a fight broke out and the five of use fled here.
Terri's lips thin into a grim line as she listens.
"It's not right to be attacked and killed just for what you are. There is beauty in anyone, if someone only looks and helps nurture it. That's what I've been taught, and it shames me to hear that people of this city would attack their own," she says quietly, evenly, "but even so, to attack someone because they disagree with you is just as despicable. I know that I am an interloper, but I want to help you. You have just as much of a right to live and live free of fear and prejudice as I or Tolenn or Amira. How can we help and how can we avoid bringing about more bloodshed?"
Amira frowns as her suspicions are confirmed. The tensions brought on by the damn plague were just piling on to the powderkeg of issues that existed in the city, and an attack by the were-rat community, who mostly kept to themselves, would give the Queen's guard free reign to impose martial law.
"That's the plan. The attack on the city is more insidious than just the plague, it's turning the city against itself as everyone tries to find someone else to blame." she says grimly. "If they attack she'll crush them."
Tolenn enteres , nodding, "Indeed, none should be afraid to live their lives due to fear and ignorance."
She walks in and crouches before the child with the injures head, gently touching her cheek as she softly chants a prayer to Saraenae.
"Saranae's light welcomes all." she says gently.
The adults in the group visibly relax as the powers of Terri and Tolenn are brought to bear and injuries are healed. The (formerly) injured child's eyes flutter open for a moment, but soon close again as the child falls into an exhausted but now pain-free sleep.
"It's that firebrand, Girrigz! If someone could get through to him and convince him that he will doom our people, then maybe the rest of his pack will settle down. It won't be easy, though. He's always been a resentful one. But if you truly want to help us, maybe you could try. He refused to listen to us, but he may accept you as representatives of the city above." Eries beseeches.
Meanwhile, Wednesday and Cassandra find a food vendor hawking a brothy fish soup with noodles and a few silvers buys plenty of food from him.
Landis, from his vantage point, spots two of the heroes of Korvosa toting a substantial amount of food back toward the book shop. The proprietor greets them at the door, himself apparently encumbered by a loaded tea tray. It takes a moment or two of hands-full jockeying for position for the two heroes to fully make it into the shop.
"So why'd ya drag me along to go get food?"
A curious scene in the play he's been eagerly following began to unfold; the sight of two of the lead characters carrying this much food was as mysterious as their reason for being in this store. Landis could not complain though, if this meant anything it was that these heroes were many things but boring was not one of them Ah the report that would be written about you by any possible enemies stalking you would be a pleasure to read Landis could not help but surrender a low throaty chuckle at the thought.
Deciding that skulking about had long since lost its advantage; Landis left his vantage point and began making his way to where the champions of Korvosa were currently gathered...only to stop next to a window of a nearby shop.
The all too friendly grin Landis served to those around him greeted him, along with a face mostly obscured by the shadow of a hood. Pulling the fabric back revealed amber eyes and an all too noticeable scar trailing over his nose Ah Landis you handsome devil, why must you punish those around you by denying them the sight of your charming and roguish face? Landis pulled the hood back to its previous stance Because nothing in this world is for free Landis turned from the partially reflective surface and continued onwards, a part of him hoping that all this food that he saw would be for a party of sort; yes that would be the simplest answer but by far it was the most desirable. If memory served him the last party he crashed was back in his days at the Academea and the experience was above all entertaining.
"Good day" Greeted the Varisian, his demeanor jovial and upbeat "Tea? Why I had not had a decent cup since my days at the Academea! You wouldn't mind my stealing a bit for my poor sense of nostalgia would you sir?"
"And you must be the famously fearsome heroes of this poor little cesspool we call a city! Hmmm that's odd I thought there would be more of you...no matter my name is Landis Ryne and it's a pleasure to meet you, as I am sure the pleasure will be all yours once we know each other a little more"
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Amid trying to maneuver around the shopkeeper and get the food safely down into the sewers Wednesday stops once the unknown and overly friendly voice calls out to them.
Arching a brow he flatly asks "Who are you and what do you want?" He knows about us, and was expecting us all to be here? A messenger? Assassin? Some foppy rough tryin to make his jewels?
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"Because I wanted someone to carry the food for me. Duh." Cassandra says. Indeed, she holds not a single bag. "I'm still working on how to make transplanar containers. Long term go..."
"People that greet you on the street either know you, want you dead, or want to sell you something." Cassandra says with a shrug. "He reminds me of one of dad's business partners right before hitting on my mom."
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"Wouldn't you have preferred Amira then?"
--
"I don't care for any of those options." Wednesday murmurs. He looks human enough, guess I'll use the rapier rather than the scythe. It's supposed to work better against humans... didn't do a whole lot of good against me though. Granted, the Dauds gave up their humanity a long time ago.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"A concerned citizen. Of course going into more details would mean telling a tale of tears and tragedies, also it would detail how a handsome young man was lead astray because of the cruel actions of cold-hearted men. I am sure this is neither the time nor place for that...we'd also need more tea and I'd hate to impose further on our kind host" Landis' smile grew slightly "On the other hand what I want is fairly simple; I want to help you, which will indirectly help me in the long run"
"People that greet you on the street either know you, want you dead, or want to sell you something." Cassandra says with a shrug. "He reminds me of one of dad's business partners right before hitting on my mom."
"You being dead would not serve me in any way, shape or form if anything it would probably hinder and hurt me...more than emotionally if I were to be exact. I have nothing to sell really, although you aren't completely far off my father was a store owner, so I guess the look of a trader does run in the family. Do I know you? Only as well as any other person who followed your exploits...Heroes, Champions, take your pick of such titles. In most cases such tales would be too good to be true, not in yours however, but beyond that? I do not know much" They are wary, which explains why they are still alive to this day and not boring at all! I think I will really enjoy my time with them The Varisian kept still, not showing any signs of moving anything besides his mouth.
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"Cute. Now actually answer the questions jackass." Wednesday grumbles.
"Are you always this cordial or are you just a morning person?" Landis turned his head in Wednesday's direction, his smile not withered or changed "And that is strange I really believe I answered those questions, but no harm in trying again" The hooded fellow raised a gauntlet covered fist to his mouth and made a show of clearing his throat.
"As I've said my name is Landis Ryne, I am nothing but a citizen, I am not employed, I am not affiliated with any of the organizations that operate legally or illegally, and have sought you out because believe it or not want to help you, as you succeeding with me by your side will most likely help me achieve what I am after...will you also want to know my favorite dish and color? Or can we save those for after we are done sipping tea?"
"Yeah, you're not untrustworthy at all..." Wednesday says with a roll of his eyes before looking for a stable place to set the food so he could draw his rapier.
"I am not asking you to trust me right this moment. That would be mad, foolish and naive!" Landis laughed lightly "But really now if my intent was to harm you, then approaching you and having this delightful conversation would be really poor planning on my part. Spying on you would be better done from afar, so what else is there to worry about? Assassination? Just by myself? Not to mention approaching the lot of you when you are aware of what is around you and in close proximity of each other? I am good, but no one is good enough to pull what I described off" Landis reached for his hood and raised it revealing his full face to those there to see it. The grin on his face did not change, but the look of his previously hidden eyes were surprisingly serious and quite contrasting with what his lips conveyed.
"If my answers seem too general it is because your questions are very broad. I see no way of answering them without telling you my life story and while I have no trouble doing that, I doubt anyone here really has the time for it. If you have any specific questions I'll be more than happy to answer them with specific answers"
Sighing Wednesday will put the food down and draw the rapier at the ready. "You have five seconds to leave, or actually give us a straight answer. Though I'd prefer the former."
"Five..." he growls out.
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"Ugh!" Cassandra groans. "This is boring and pointless. If he wants to follow us into the sewers let him. If he turns out to be bad for our health you don't need to worry about slicing him open. I'll teleport his internal organs one way and the rest of him another before you can."
Cassandra turns and begins walking toward the shop.
"Let's go. There are literally children starving while we waste time."
"It must be nice to be that arrogant."
You have five seconds to leave, or actually give us a straight answer. Though I'd prefer the former."
"Five..." he growls out.
I love how he talks like he owns everything he sees...this is what I get for trying to discuss things with a man who's clearly shown no capability of listening The hood returned to once more obscure most of the former outlaw's face Next time save your suave for people that can hold a conversation
"Ugh!" Cassandra groans. "This is boring and pointless. If he wants to follow us into the sewers let him. If he turns out to be bad for our health you don't need to worry about slicing him open. I'll teleport his internal organs one way and the rest of him another before you can."
Cassandra turns and begins walking toward the shop.
"Let's go. There are literally children starving while we waste time."
Like her "Thank you, the voice of reason finally" Landis nodded a thanks in the mage's direction before following after her "The sewers it is, not a place I'd usually spend my past times in but business cares not for preferences"
"It must be nice to be that arrogant."
"It is, you should try it sometime"
"That wasn't directed at you." Wednesday growls as he puts the rapier away and retrieves the food.
"We can try, but if he's set on this course, then I'm not sure what good we can do. Would he at least give us a chance to talk if it was just Tolenn and myself," Terri asks.
Tolenn nods, "It would behoove us to not at least try. Where can we find this Girrigz?" she asks, smiling at the childs mother's relief reaching out to gently pat her hand where it rested on her child's back.
"Even if we can't convince him, if we can get through to the people around him it could save lives." Amira adds in agreement.
"That's true, but I'd like to know if he'd be willing to talk without us having to hurt or threaten anyone. If he won't then no offers of truce or promises of no violence are going to sway him, and that means there's no point in basically offering up two of us as hostages."
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"So, guy who probably chats up prostitutes a lot." Cassandra says as she leads the two men back to the shop. "Here's the deal. We're about a step away from a group of people horribly murdering us. And we're the good guys. If you want to live or you want to do bad guy things you should walk away now. If you actually want to make a difference and save lives? Tag along."
"So, guy who probably chats up prostitutes a lot."
"Some of them can hold wonderful conversations" Landis' closly drawn cloak parted slightly as he walked after the mage revealing the shine of something metallic worn over his white shirt.
"Here's the deal. We're about a step away from a group of people horribly murdering us. And we're the good guys. If you want to live or you want to do bad guy things you should walk away now. If you actually want to make a difference and save lives? Tag along."
"While I appreciate the warning, I do realize who I am throwing my bet with; you are all for fighting the good fight and standing for the trampled rights of others. It is all so very touching" Chuckled Landis "In all seriousness though if I had a problem with your activities I wouldn't have bothered to go through that glorious discussion we had back there" A one sided grin appeared on the black haired man's face, clear amusement was still present in his voice despite how he claimed to be more serious than before.
Where the f*&* is this wacko getting his information?
"We're actually just taking some food down to some misfortunates." Wednesday adds.
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"While our healers do healingish healing things." Cassandra notes.
So not only fighting the corrupt but also taking the time to help those that can't help themselves Landis' head turned from Wednesday to Cassandra, then forward towards the road before them And I thought they were too good to be true when I first caught wind of them, its a surprise that they don't have an army of bards singing about their heroic and altruistic acts The hooded man's head cocked to the right side briefly before returning to a more vertical position Well at least this promises to shock me every now and then, and what is life without a couple of surprises?
"That would certainly explain the amount of food you have with you" Hidden eyes turned to what Wednesday was carrying "I trust after that is over and done with we'll move on to whoever wants to how did you put it? "Horribly murder you"?"
"When I said 'actually' I meant we're doing this instead of... whatever the hells she's talking about."
"Conflicting words do not exactly make these talks any easier" Landis sighed in an exaggerated manner "I hope it is all cleared up when we arrive to where the rest of your group are...to be honest I am quite eager to meet them"
"Obtuse morons don't help much either."
"I'm impressed! You've actually came up with an insult that isn't a childish slight like jackass and managed to not grumble while saying it! There may be hope for you yet" An ever larger grin was offered to Wednesday before Landis turned his face away from the grim man Something foul must have crawled up his breakfast and died...It's probably been happening for the last ten years judging by how sunny his disposition is
"You are a jackass." Wednesday grumbles.
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"Pfft." Cassandra snorts. "Like I know what I'm saying half the time. Please."