Zara is aghast, pouting in shock "It was just a thought. I am sure he had nothing to do with it or the previous church burning down."
"The father seemed very interesting and a nice man. He healed us so I doubt he did anything...possibly." Zara concludes lamely.
"Samara, Nicea, Damara I was wondering if you would fancy taking me for some armour or something. I don't have any other clothes really."
"Balance is a part of nature as is discord. It is understandable to those who have lived in the embrace of the natural world and those of us who do tend to try for such in their own lives." She looks down then back up, some shame written upon her face, "However, I do have to admit that I am lacking in a couple of areas and help would be appreciated."
Damieka looks to Nicea, somewhat concerned about how the woman would react but she feels better that the woman and Davben just met each other and that Nicea seems to have a very easy going attitude.
"It would be nice to have companions upon my wanderings, that much is sure. Sometimes one becomes tired of going at it alone. Thank you for the offer, and you, Nicea for accepting me in your group. That means I would like my portion of the goblin 'treasure' as well." She joked but was also polite. Politeness often went a long way to keep other women from finding fault in one so easily but even so Damieka tended to be polite around all people. Just more so around women.
The hunter smiles at Zara, "To be a troop of slayers each must put in their part, even if it is just cleaning the dishes."
What in the world was that? She was starting to think of them all as a group? That was strange. To think of traveling with a companion or two was one thing but this ... something was strange. Was a god manipulating them for some unknown reason? Meh, even so it was still their own lives. It wasn't like it was pretend or some such thing.
Davben asking her to sit up, have some spirits and chat with him made her smile, "I would very much like that, Davben. Thank you for the offer."
The idea of how the goblins came in was being discussed but Damieka did not seem to concerned with that yet, "Interesting hypothesis Zara and quite possible. Maybe what we should do after ... you want to go shopping ... ah well I ... am bad at shopping but we could check about and see what happened tomorrow. Search for clues on how the goblins came in."
Silva practically rolls his eyes at the discussion regarding the goblin plot. "Or maybe Hemlock kept them under lock and key in his basement until the time was right to launch his war on fun and happiness. Or maybe Cyrdak's plan to teach them to sing and dance in his play went terribly awry," he says, tossing his used dishrag into the sink, "Come on, they were goblins. Stupid little things probably weren't thinking at all when came running in here. Least of all when we put the boot on them."
|
Nicea's jaw drops at Silva's theories. "By Desna's dimpled tuschie, you're right! This goes much deeper than I thought! But we need to be able to prove it, don't we, to have them arrested? Unless we just go do it ourselves right now, to keep them from starting more trouble! Who first - the priest, the bard, or the sheriff?"
She tosses the goblin gold and the potions on the table. "I'm willing to divide this up - but how? Does somebody want a potion as their share, or do we just divide up the gold evenly and have the potions ready if needed on the boar hunt? Zara's probably going to need one or the other, depending on whether she gets that armor or not," she says with a grin. "We should go get that before we arrest the sheriff."
Damieka smirks at Silva's ideas and then to Nicea, "Actually, let's get Zara's armor first. I will put my part to that if it will help and the potions I would hold on for hunting. You never know what can go wrong in something like that." She didn't want to include about how much she thought that man knew about the woods.
"Bard. Let's blame the bard. They're always the ones who do everything. How do you think they get their songs?" She adds to the joking around, a smile lighting her face making her deep blue eyes gleam with amusement.
Silva chuckles some before inspecting the dishes, apparently satisfied by their dryness. "There, I'm sure Ameiko will appreciate that. As for the loot, go ahead and split it amongst yourselves. My pocket's heavy enough as is for the time being," he says cheekily, before letting out a yawn, "Well, I would love to stay and mix minds with you all some more, but I'm feeling dead tired. The trip to get here was bumpy and sleepless, and I used up just about all of my arcane mojo in that last fight," he says, wiggling his fingers and waving his hand around in some ridiculous, mystical gesture to illustrate his last point. "So I'm gonna get some shut-eye. I'll see you all tomorrow. I'm sure the people of Sandpoint will just be ready to love us..." With a final wave to the others, Silva would head off to his room for the night.
|
|
"You know, you're right. It must have been the theater owner. After all, they were singing. He probably intended it as an advertisement for his show and it went horribly wrong," Nicea says seriously, frowning at Silva's refusal of loot and dividing the cash into five stacks of four gp's worth of coins each, "I wonder if the show is still on. Entertainers are awfully adamant about not closing down, come hell or high water... or goblins. It's early yet. I'm going to go see what's happening out there."
She suits her words to her actions, pocketing her 4 gp and a room key and heading back out the door once the dishes are done. She wanders out by the temple and then to the theater to see if the performance is on for that night.
Zara picks up the coin with a guilty look. She finishes her pink water and with the coin in her bag follows the sardonic fighter outside; "What you were saying about leather?" she pauses.
"I wouldn't want anything to restrict my movements, I suppose I could get it tailored to hug me. But that'll be expensive." she ponders "That shimmering shirt of yours, looks nice."
"Possibly if I asked her for the correct spells. Though it seems slightly selfish." Zara adds. "Mostly she allows me, her favoured to dance like the wind and heal the sick or injured."
"I'll owe you a couple of drinks. As a thank you for helping me, both now and in the market square." An expression of dismay crosses her face; "I hope Estoban and Marko are alright!" she seems genuinely upset, there had been so many hurt and they were so young.
Since no one noticed her statement that Zara get her share, Damieka takes her coins and shrugs. She needed to get a new bow anyway. She turns to look at Davben then Samara, "It is down to the three of us. So, you say that you wish to know about hunting trips then, Davben? What do you know of hunting?"
|
After listening to the others and giving each a nod at their departure Davben turns his attention to Damieka when she addresses him "Yes, just us three, although Nicea and Zara may join us when they're finished outside. Hunting, I believe it involves killing animals, but I could be wrong. Perhaps it is a ritual to help one reestablish their equilibrium?" Sounds like he knows nothing about hunting. Oh, but wait we need spirits before you start your hunting stories." He goes to the bar to retrieve a bottle of what appears to be rum, jotting it down where Amieko requested, and comes over filling a mug for himself and Damieka then looking to Samara "Would you care for some as well?" He offers and will fill a cup for her as well if she wants.
Turning his attention back to Damieka he seems ready to continue "Go ahead, tell me of hunting, and how you became a hunter."
"I don't believe they should be too long." Damieka agrees as she allows Davben to serve her up more to drink. She leans back against the wall and looks in the glass before starting, "Usually hunting does mean killing animals and it is usually done for life whether it is for food or finances to get through. People like Mr. Foxglove; however, tend to hunt for sport. Thankfully they tend to take the animals and cook them for a meal after the hunting."
Damieka looks about the room then drinks a bit of the rum, grimacing for a moment then sighs, "Depending on how much this man has or what he likes we will either go it afoot or he will have horses. The chances of him having hounds to run down the animals for us will be high."
She took another good sized drink before going on, "My parents died when I was young and I was in an orphanage but they gave me to a couple who lived in the woods after ... other choices ... they had were not for me." The hunter looked at the wall for a moment then shook her head, "They taught me to hunt and about being a ranger. They kept the town I had lived in safe from more dangerous animals and goblins."
The woman with two toned hair waited for any comments, taking her time drinking the rest of the rum.
She wanders out by the temple and then to the theater to see if the performance is on for that night.
"The pair of brothers who were going to play music for my dances. I take it you don't play any instruments. I have tried but need some practise." Zara walks with Nicea towards Savah's Armoury just off the square and scene of such carnage.
Zara knock on the door, just to see if it's open - then tries to push it open.
|
|
"Play music for your dance? That little bastard ripped you off, if you didn't notice, just like he tried to cut my purse earlier. Those kids will watch out for themselves. Their kind always does," Nicea replies, then sighs at the overly-humble cleric. "Look, sister, we're not going to start that 'accounting in the middle of a battle' crap either. When you're in combat, you hit the other guy and protect your friends, period. I protect you so you can hit other guys and maybe heal me. You heal me so I can protect you and hit the other guys. You don't owe me jack for it because I'm sure as hell not paying you for healing! Got it? Same thing for armor or spells to keep you alive. You can't help anyone if Pharasma has sorted you out, right? What's that they say - the gods help those who help themselves? No disrespect, but I believe that."
She accompanies Zara into the armorers.
The door opens.
Inside a muscular female is re-arranging things on the shelves. Surprisingly, the weapon shop has quite a few customers. The scare from the attack must have prompted people to equip themselves immediately just in case the raid continues.
|
|
Davben listens to Damieka as she explains about hunting, and how hers is different than the method Lord Foxglove uses. He sips at his spirits while he does "I see, so your hunting and his are different, but you both eat the animals you hunt." He furrows his brow a bit when she talks about horses and hounds "I'm not terribly good with animals, hopefully it is on foot at least."
After Damieka's mentioning an orphanage, and some choices were not for her "I see, sounds like you had some difficulty finding your balance in your youth. I understand I also had some problems, my parents sent me away, they said I was unpredictable and needed to learn discipline. They never understood, sent me to a monastery, where they did indeed teach me discipline, but even there was only one old monk that understood. He showed me balance, and helped me towards it, when he died, I couldn't connect with of the others, soon they chased me out. I've been on my own since, I guess I have friends now though, Nicea, and yourself?" He phrases it as a question as if unsure if it's ok to consider her a friend.
He slides the bottle closer to Damieka when it looks like her glass is getting empty "You don't have to hold back on the spirits, we've a whole bottle." He takes a drink of his own glass "Tell me more, hunting experiences perhaps, or you mentioned balance in nature before, do you follow the path of balance as well?"
"That's sensible, Nicea. I would never charge for healing anyway." she opens the door and looking inside is shocked at the crowds.
Picking her way through them she approaches the counter; "Excuse me." she says softly. "I was wondering do you have any armour available?" she queries of the muscular woman.
"Silly question. I was wondering if you could tailor a suit of studded leather for me and the charge." Zara is slightly nervous around all these sharp weapons in inexpert hands.
Savah looks up wide eyed and smiles.
Savah: "Of course we have Armor in stock! It wouldn't be Savah's Armory if we didn't."
Savah leans in close and whispers.
"I'll even throw in a 20% discount for what you all did in town square today. Don't tell anyone though. The rest of these wusses are only gearing up to protect their own hides. Sandpoint could use a few more people like you."
"Oh thank you. That's generous, you weren't hurt? If you were..." she twitches her fingers, whilst whispering.
"If you could tailor it for the day after tomorrow? We are all going on a hunt with Lord Foxglove." she states wondering if anyone has heard more about her potential suitor. "Do you need to take measurements?" Zara is not sure how to buy tailored clothes.
"I'm in your hands." Zara states, looking to Nicea in askance. "Black or tan, with steel studs?"
"I am not a baggage! Running around after a man, like some love-sick puppy!" Zara softly exclaims.
Savah: "I'll have to take your measurements. I think I have something close, but I'll want to send it off to Larz at the tannery to make sure its perfect. If you're going on a hunt with Lord Foxglove I know you'll want to look your best."
Savah pulls a measuring tape out from a pouch on her belt and takes Zara's measurements on the spot.
"You should be able to come back tomorrow later in the day to pick it up."
|
|
"Love? I'd never think of you as in love with his type. I thought you were looking for a patron, of course. All artists do that. Nothing to be ashamed of. We all gotta eat."
Nicea will help advise Zara on fit or features as needed, since the dancer seems unfamiliar with armor, then proceed to the show, keeping a close eye out for any sign of goblins. She then returns to her room - alone - for the night, sleeping in her armor with the hammer close at hand, just in case there are more alarms.
"Thank you very much Savah, this'll be a life saver. He seems a gentleman, if a little preoccupied." Zara says before looking bashfully to Nicea as she is measured up.
"Sorry, it's just... well you know. Sometimes when I end up dancing other women give me catty comments, at best, thus I can get slightly sensitive about it." Zara concedes with a shrug; "Yes, I think black with some steel studs should work well."
Once she has been measured, fitted and had a browse around the shop; Zara will head over to the temple. She will see if Father Zanthus needs any help with the injured (using all-bar 1 of her channels as necessary); or if he needs help laying out the dead. Comforting the grieving relatives, cleaning the bodies,...etc.
Then it's a quick wander around town and off to bed.
Silva - Asleep
Nices - Asleep
Zara - Asleep
Samara - Awake
Davben - Awake
Daeika - Awake
"Sometimes it is not about your balance but due to another's balance. It sounds like they just did not know where your balance lay and therefore were not that good of trainers that they could not help but the one. And yes you have friends. I will be honoured to call you friend and be yours as well."
Damieka considers what to say regarding her own past as to why she had been sent away and wonders if these two would understand. She nibbles a nail then takes some more drink and a deep breath, "As I said, sometimes it is others who's balance causes problems. There were five half-elven children in the foster home and a woman became enraged when she found out that one of us were an illegitimate child to her husband. She was angrier that the child was a half breed so pretended to be a helper to the orphanage. She killed two, two got away..." She took a deep breath then sat back, eyes closed as she drank the alcohol for liquid assistance.
|
|
Davben offered Damieka a smile when she said she'll be his friend "Friends then." He nods as she talks about other people's balance "Yes... that is something that caused me difficulty with the others at the monastery, I cannot push the way of balance upon others. I try not to, but admit there are time when I do." He takes a drink of his rum remembering the monks throwing him out and sighs.
Listening to her story about the woman enrage Dav shakes his head "That is unfortunate... that woman should have tried to bring balance to her husband for his evil act, instead she commited an atrocious evil of her own, she's pushing everything far too much towards evil, she must be stopped." He sounds like he would go out and do so himself right now if he had any idea where the woman was. He swishes around the spirits in his mug before drinking some. "You must have been one that escaped then. Is that when you went to the ranger family?"
Damieka smiles at Davben accepting the friendship and gives him a sympathetic look as he mentions how he had to leave. His urgent anger towards the woman surprises her into looking directly at him but then she looks down.
"I did not escape her wraith. I am told that I was lucky that those who caught her had come when they had. They ... they did what they could to save me but I would never be a daughter who could have a dowry set upon her for a homesteading wife like most others of the area were. So I was sent to the rangers and expected to make for a solitary life or one of wandering. It is not so bad, y'see I have found friends."
The ranger takes a slug of ber drink then fills her mug with more to drink another hit.
|
|
Davben looks at her curiously when talks about dowries. "You seem to be a fine woman, I don't see why you would have difficulty being a homesteading wife if that's what you would like. It seems to me however that you are closer to your center as a ranger. Forgive me if that is too bold an assumption. I did not know that rangers were celibate, some of the monks are as well, though I could never see how it helped their balance."
He watches the half-elven woman drain her mug and fill it again and sees that he is falling behind 'Is that her third? I'm still on my first' He finishes the last bit he had in his mug and refills it. "Tell me of life as a ranger and if you have any tales of the hunt friend Damieka did it help you to regain balance with yourself?"
|
Samara doesn't contribute at all to the conversation, just listens to the back and forth between Davben and Damieka. She is still only partway through her own drink, sipping at it and sniffing at it. It's probably a bit uncomfortable how silently she listens and watches without just leaving to go to bed.
Damieka smiles but sighs sadly, "I have no trouble with boldness. This has never made me celibate but, you see, being a wife normally means bearing children. I cannot do this because of the damage that woman did to me."
She thinks about children for a moment, her eyes downcast as a slight, gentle smile lights upon her face. It does not stay long as she takes a sip from her mug and looks back up at Samara. What the elf thought of her she could not tell and what she thought of what was said could also not be surmised but her simple way of watching could give anyone the creeps. It made Damieka a bit unsteady as the woman was a full elf. Full elf or full human, this ranger found it could be a danger.
"My balance. That is not complete and I do not know if it ever will be but for hunting ... She chuckles, eyes alight with a memory, "My first actual hunt was acquiring piglets from an ailing sow and I tell you that was not easy!" She goes on to mention how at the age of seven she had to trap and remove piglets from a pig farm. The trapping was humane but getting the piglets from the yard was insane as sows are large, fast and get very upset when their piglets are removed from them.
It ended with how the sow continued to try to get at the piglets through the fence and was able to be captured to be tended to and that little Damieka was covered in muck and pig feces laughing like a little maniac, "Oh it was hard and dangerous but by the gods I learned how to hide in the worst of things!"
|
|
"Oh, are not all half bred races incapable of bearing children?" He'd never seen a quarter elf before and just sort of assumed. Samara's quiet watching could give anyone the creeps, except apparently Davben, he doesn't seem to mind, and decides that when she has a comment she will speak up.
He listens atentively to Damieka's story of chasing piglets and nods "Yes hiding must be quite a useful skill, I was never very good at it. When someone came to vent their wrath to rebalance themselves I was usually found easily." This probably meant being bullied and getting beat up to most people. Dav on the other hand simply believes they were trying to balance a good act and he was just in the wrong place.
"With many animal crosses that is so but with peoples it is not. We can, well most can produce children if nothing has damaged them. Damaged goods are seldom wanted though." This is an imbalance to the huntress which is noticeable by her frown and resultant slug of alcohol.
She looks at Davben and snorts, "So people used you as a kicking dog too." She touched his hand and squeezed it trying to be sympathetic, "There are many people who use others as their punching bags when they need to feel better about themselves. It seems you got the same as a half-breed usually does. Heh. A useless half-breed who can't have kids and a monk treated like dirt for others' comfort. A quiet one and fighters of goblins we all make a ... songless troop ..."
Damieka suddenly feels sad, not knowing if she should have said anything about that part of her past. The fact that she called herself a useless half-breed showing another reason for her imbalances.
Damieka stands unsteadily but does so and nods to Davben, "Maybe we should discuss this another time. I may have ... nevermind. I'm off to bed. Goodnight Davben. Goodnight Samara. See you in the morning."
She moves shakily to a bedroom and drops into the bed. She is soon dead asleep from all the alcohol she had drunk.
Davben makes his way off to bed following Samara.
Everybody rests comfortably and wakes to Ameiko ringing the morning breakfast bell.
As he makes his way downstairs, Silva stretches his arms out and lets out a big yawn. He lazily pats down his hair as he enters the dining area, before putting on a broad smile.
"Good morning, Ameiko! What's for breakfast?"
Zara calls down the stairs; "Coming! Just be a minutes." She blinks the sleep out of her eyes, never really a morning person Zara literally rolls out of bed. Going over to the porcelain wash-bowl, she splashes the cold water all over.
Letting out a sharp gasp she is soon awake, with the shivers. Quickly drying herself and tying on her scarves, ready for the day.
With a soft bounce down the stairs, she looks about the dining room. "Thank you Miss Amieko. You're hopsitality is a treasure." Then she sees Silva; 'Unsurprising he is down stairs so early, probably to see our hostess.'
|
|
Pillow over head to shut out the noise, Nicea's nose catches the smell of food and prods her brain awake. She sits up, still armored, but the hammer has fallen to the floor beside the bed sometime in the night.
Wonder if that woke anyone? Ugh, I hate sleeping in armor.
Finger-combing does fine for her dark hair, and she proceeds down the steps with some haste, not wanting to miss the meal. "Good morning! What's for breakfast? she greets their hostess cheerily, "I hope we did the dishes well enough last night. It was my idea."
With that humble thought spewed carelessly into the air, she sits at a table and waits to be served.
"Good morning," she nods to Silva and Zara, "I hope you slept well?"
"Like I was in Desna's arms. I suppose it's due to the adrenaline rush of the conflict yesterday?" Zara queries; "Afterwards, I felt a bit drained."
She sits down and asks Nicea; "Is it always like that? I generally haven't been in many fights."
Zara gets up and helps Ameiko serve the food; getting a big platter for the heroic Nicea. "Pest extermination? Oh, I suppose so. I was warned that there were a few goblins around here; but then I suppose there is anywhere."
Making sure her hair is pulled back with a thin tie, she sits down beside Nicea. "You were amazing though, the way you cut through them." there's a hint of awe in her voice for the warrior's skill.
|
|
Nicea shrugs as she digs into the savory egg and sausage mix on her plate. "I'm good at hitting things. You can dance and heal. He..." she pokes her fork in the direction of Silva "... can do magic. The others can shoot and punch and damn! that little elf woman can stab things with that knitting needle! We're all good at something." She munches away philosophically.
Zara gently puts her hand on Nicea's arm; "And you are kind, a good person." she says trying reassure the muscular lady that she isn't just a fighter.
Nibbling upon a slice of fruit, she looks around for the elf-woman. "Are all elves like that? She was really quick and very accurate, I wonder if she plays music? I heard all elves play." Obviously she has had little experience of elves and none of Samara.