"You are...seeking...recognition? Something not quite fame and only a cousin to honor. I feel you care little for coin, even if you do not spit upon it, and have yet to feel the caress of strong ties to this world. You are searching for something...though even you might not know what."
He shakes his head, as though rousing himself from a small trance. "Huh? Am I even close?"
Having still not gotten reassurance that this man was completely welcome, Yasala remains in the doorway to block his exit, but puts on a friendlier face. "Although I do enjoy guessing games, I would like to keep my motivations to myself until a day where we know and trust each other a bit more." She shakes her head slightly with an almost self-deprecating smile. "I can tell you though, you are quite far from the mark. Recognition is certainly not the thing that I seek. Far from it, in fact"
Talar shrugs. It does not appear a threat, just a statement of what must be done. "Consider it extra incentive to not betray us. I may be utter shit at lying to people, but you'll find my tracking skills are hard to shake."
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"What do you here, O man? Are you the master of this manse that you would question any man such? Why do you treat me and my kin as you would a paving stone set in the road--each made alike with no room for individuality at all?
Do these tales say we northmen are as shoes, or dog collars? Each made alike to each by workmen sitting at a bench with any flaw or diversion from the norm tossed to the pile of rubbish to be re-used into something more closer to the norm?
Samir turns from Talar to look at Mal, saying nothing. Instead, he merely watches Mal for a long moment.
"You must be very poorly traveled, so I will enlighten you. All people, no matter the place, are as wide and varied as spices in a cookpot. Each person, no matter where they are from, are free to be there own.
Methinks you took one look at my strong-but-silent wolf-brother and made up your mind. Well I tell you as I am not him and as he is not me, and both will appreciate if you address us as people, not merely as some storybook come to life for you to critique as you would based on thy own prejudices!
Samir smiles widely at that, but his eyes are flat as he does so, his gaze not leaving Mal. He speaks, but when he does, he speaks to Talar.
"I am not as versed with the folk of the north; tell me, do you know if it is customary for a man to be so critical to the host of a home he is a guest in?"
So too, you seem to be confused on the matter of 'employment' so I will educate you. No bill of sale for a slave has been stamped, and neither am I anyone's manservant. A task has been set upon the board and coin promised for a work-piece delivered.
Is the smith thy servant just because you request him to shoe thy mount? Is the baker or meat-chopper thy servant because you are hungry and call for a good meal? Nay, man, nay.
So too, if you call for bread and the baker instead murders a man, are you responsible for actions? Nay, he is not thy slave anymore than I am Talar's.
Samir's smile turns crooked as he continues to watch Mal, his eyes remaining flat, yet a sardonic gleam is now in them.
"Good Talar; if I bought you a loaf of bread to share with you and, upon biting into it, you found that it was filled with venom, do you suppose you would not at least ask me why it was that I brought you such bread?"
"In any case, he has spoken already at his choice to change allegiances for the promise of greater coin. We are well off, but hardly wealthy as others. What if others were to offer him greater coin?"
"I do not say he will betray us for more wealth, for I do not wish to offer insult, yet no matter, for he himself declaimed it; though, for some reason, you personally are vouchsafed from such a decision; though perhaps he does not share such camaraderie with others of us yet?"
"Surely you see why I might mistrust a man who offered such claims about himself, at least until I had seen clearer proof of his sincerity beyond a first meeting?"
He turns to look at Talar and cocks his head when he does so continues to speak.
"It is true, I am not so well-traveled as other men. Yet I know at least one northern axiom, for it is oft spoken - Praise not the day until evening has come, a woman until she is burnt, a sword until it is tried, a maiden until she is married, ice until it has been crossed, nor beer until it has been tasted - aye, indeed," he says with a shrug.
And speaking of which, forget not that I have and still do call him my friend Talar. To call him unwise is to insult my friend.
And, I ask thee, what would you do if you stood in attendance and a man called your own brother a fool? Would you thank him for it?
Or would you council that caution and softer words should be the course henceforth?"
Samir turns from Talar and looks at the ceiling a moment, as if thinking something.
"Talar and I have stood askance before, yet we have spilled blood together and I am loathe for naught but hard words to sunder that faith. You suggest I insult him? Hmm... Then I can only respond and say to you this; mayhap you should let your friend decide if he is first insulted before you elect to lay that claim?"
Then he turns his gaze from the ceiling and speaks to Mal directly.
"To answer you truly, I shall say this - if my brother behaved the fool I should surely tell him; for he is my brother, and if I saw him error it would be remiss in my fraternal duty to refuse to correct him."
"A brother - a good brother - has no fear of truth from his kin. Further, though it may be that my words are not as laced with lavish praise as others, surely a true brother would, after cooling from hot speech a bit, respect that even such statements were meant not as an attack, but rather, a means to improve his lot in life - if he indeed acted as a fool."
"Yet you spoke of a stranger?"
"Aye; very good," he says with a small shrug.
Samir leans back comfortably in his chair, his hand casually adjusting the hilt of his weapon as he does so.
"If I saw my brother act a fool and a stranger called him on that action; and my brother truly had acted a fool, assuredly I should agree with the stranger and add my own opinion to the lot, for I do not care for foolishness, and less so when it festers in my family."
"Yet in any case, were a man to insult my brother I should do naught but watch my brother, and see how he responds. It may be that my brother wishes to slay the man for this insult; in which case, I may aid him in the task, if my brother's honor was agreeable to this."
"Another thought is that it may be that my brother is simply used to speaking to certain folk a certain way; for not all men are as flowery and prosaic with their kin as others."
"Even so; I would yet watch, and wait and listen. That is often the wisest course, until one learns the nature of a thing, especially in the company of strangers."
His hand casually taps the hilt of his own dagger in a thoughtful cadence, then rises easily from the table and seems to stretch a bit, then he smiles at Mal as his hand rests easily on the hilt of his weapon.
"Say you, friend Talar, is it time for mid-day meal? Perhaps a slab of smoking viands is called for?"
Samir's eyes glance at the table with the plates of olives, figs, dried breads and drinks and then he turns to Talar.
Talar frowns at Samir. "Mal is his own man. I hope things go well and he does not have cause to betray us, but if it comes to that I cannot take the burden of making the decisions that he chose to. Simply the inevitable responsibility it will be to hunt him down and deliver him to the god's mercies for daring to put me further from my sister."
Samir strokes his chin thoughtfully, as if considering something, then he responds.
"You hired this man to aid you in finding your sister. You know I support you in this cause, for whatever grievances a man may have with another, surely all men can respect the love a man has for his family? Indeed, I left the others to come with you for that very purpose."
"But I say to you this; you made the decision to hire this man; thus, I deem you are already satisfied that he is no spy nor threat? For he sits now in our home, sharing our councils and this so shortly after our recent trials."
"I accept men fully when I have reason to do so. I was unsure in the tavern; yet I honored your choice."
"If it turns out that he is true, I have no quarrel. If he proves false, surely you will not be surprised if we others ask - of all men you might have hired - why you chose him, instead of another?" he presses, the question not seeming critical, but rather what Samir seems to feel is a normal recourse.
He shrugs and smiles a little at Talar.
"Yet while it is wise to be wary of a thing untried, it is wrong to judge a man traitor until the deed is done."
"Do not mistake me," he says in a conciliatory way "I do not say you are at fault for his actions, I merely suggest caution in who you bring into our private councils, at least so soon, for you know clearly the troubles we are beset with."
"In any case, I am not used to guests speaking as he does to those who invite them into their house and offer food and drink. Perhaps that has effected my judgement somewhat," he adds with a wry tone.
He then looks at the company directly.
"We have learned many things this morning, yet I deem a good amount of those things have given rise to new questions. That said, I wish to go speak to that priest Darius, for he seemed learned in lore when we spoke last to him."
"Further, that Thoth-Apep - he has the manners of a scorpion and the guile of a viper. That he mistrusts Darius gives me hope that this man might be useful in deciphering our recent troubles."
"The day is young and it is only two hours past noon. Would any wish to come with me to speak this man?" he says, then pauses to see if any will come with him.
Farrokh, who has remained silent throughout, his dislike for Samir obvious to all who know him, now turns to Paten.
"Your pardon, lord; but if this guest of our friend Talar is here to honor his request to find his sister this may be a blessing?"
"Surely he is more versed with parts of the city more accustomed to more... unconventional... methods of speaking," he says with a glance at Samir, who rolls his eyes at Farrokh's words, then he turns back to Paten.
"Our company is a like a many-fingered hand; when clenched together we may do hard knocks as a strong fist. Yet in certain times, to evade the tooth of a cobra, is it not wise to spread the fist into well-splayed fingers so to avoid the fang of the serpent?" he presses.
Samir grunts at Farrokhs words.
"What do you mean?" he says, his tone somewhat impatient with Farrokh.
"Only this," Farrokh responds, turning his remaining eye to look hard at Samir.
"Some of this company are more accustomed to certain places and have our own needs, besides. Yet all of us are of like mind that it may be wise to expand our knowledge in more locations in this city."
"Further, if we fear that we may be watched, as - indeed - we no doubt are; it is wisest to divide, for moving in smaller groups is a better way to allude the eyes of a predator, rather than congregating in a large company," he says in a patient voice, but with a touch of condescension to respond to Samir's lack of understanding, or intentional inability to grasp what it is that he had suggested.
Samir grunts in response at this as Farrokh's good eye narrows.
"Very well; that seems wise," he says at last.
"I am of the mind to go to this priest Darius and consult with him, for whatever troubles we may have, he has no guile in him."
"Talar wishes to explore avenues to find his sister; yet, no doubt, as he does so he may seek to find further details as to the rogues who we faced two nights ago. Their purpose; plans, policies and if they have allies yet in the city unmarked."
"Surely while he seeks his sister he can add that lot to his questioning, and so we may yet pool our knowledge more wisely."
Farrokh continues to watch, but it is clear on his face that his opinion of Samir restating his own suggestion annoys him. Even so, he does not say anything on the matter.
Instead, he looks at Paten and speaks to him directly.
"My lord, the temple that this priest Darius is in may be a good place to search. Yet mayhap you might wish to visit other regions? The... the woman we were to have met with the other night?" he says hesitatingly, not divulging full details on that conflict yet "she was versed in poisons, and we saw them to great effect. Further, her, her companion - he was an Ikuna warrior; they are not frequent here, yes?"
"You are versed in elixirs, tonics, potions and other such things. Finding out where the poison was acquired, or produced, may prove useful in learning more of her purpose? And those used to the Ikuna folk may be better at finding were those sorts frequent?" he adds then offers a quick glance to Yasala.
"In any case, as this brief reunion has not been as gracious as it might, perhaps another walk in the city may cool our heads and give us more experience with each other?" he adds.
Patenemheb takes several long, slow sips as the others speak.
He makes no obvious response when Yasala speaks words in Zadjite.
That said, he does seem to understand those words.
Finally, he breaks his pause, turning to Mal with a slight smile:
"Mal Steelcutter, you have your answer on my thoughts on the nature and acquisition of knowledge, for now. The matter of Talar's sister and your involvement with this company is more pressing. We have a few more kinks in the sheets to work out though. As much potential as you offer, you gamble with your words in the manse of people unknown to you. My companions have raised concerns and points that should not be batted aside but instead addressed. I for one would support your involvement in rescuing Talar's sister, for reasons I shall elaborate upon."
He turns to Talar:
"Talar, I have no doubt in your skills having witnessed them exercised repeatedly. If what you have witnessed of Mal Steelcutter shows you a road to your sister's rescue, I would support it."
He turns to Samir:
"Samir, you voice concerns and not unfounded. Mal Steelcutter is known somewhat to Talar, and less so to us. That said, there is risk in all endeavours and there is much risk in ignoring opportunities. If this second Northman proves worthy, he would be a valuable addition to our company. If not, it would not be the first time that a member has departed, in more or less pleasant situations."
He turns to Farrokh:
"Farrokh, I arranged to meet Darius this late morning. It would be most amiss of me to not follow through, even with the finest of reasons. That said, the places where elixirs and potions are crafted and sold may well prove a fruitful avenue for us to wander through after that meeting, and it is a suggestion with which I concur."
He turns more, looking around the room:
"What say ye?"
Feeling that Paten understood her questions and assuming that no response meant that no immediate actions were needed, Yasala saunters into the room and takes a seat with the others.
"So it seems that we each have our own paths, at least for a little while. I agree with Talar. I recall that you" nodding at Tairin and Paten "have been good enough to trust me even though I have not shared all of my own history. It would be remiss of me to not give our new companion a chance to prove himself before making judgement."
"As I understand it, Talar will be pursuing news of his sister with Mal's assistance, and Paten is to visit Darius. I will take some time for my own inquiries as well. Let us plan together. As has been proposed thrice already, we can support each other even while meeting our individual needs."
Having settled in to relax, she takes a glass and sips thoughtfully as she continues, speaking slowly as if she is carefully choosing her words.
"At this time, I seek several things. My primary goal is to seek out information of any southern brethren in the city who might be known to me from Azimba, or in the absence of that any connections from this place to that. My interests are not merely formal diplomatic ties, but also, and possibly more so, connections that might be less overt."
"As I have already mentioned to Talar, there is a possibility that I might learn of connections involving the trade of flesh and therefore find information useful in his search. Additionally, as Farrokh stated, I might learn more of the Ikunan warrior of our recent interaction and his role here. I will be sure to share any knowledge gained, and would ask that any news other might learn of connections to the southern lands might be passed on to me?"
She sets her glass down and looks around the group. "My search will take me through several tiers of this good city, and I expect to consort with officials as well as those that are not quite as savory, searching through formal treaties and trade agreements as well as what I might find in taverns and back alleys. Now you know what I will be doing; may I ask about everyone else's plans so that we might assist each other?"
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Talar lapses into silence as the others levy a veritable novel of questions and concerns onto him. Finally he slips, his newfound patience wearing thin. "I hired him because I am desperate+" He cries, slamming a hand onto the table. "For weeks I have sought her, and before that months on my own! I have tirelessly chased down lead after lead, always ending with naught but dust in my hands! And patience is a shit virtue when every day she's gone it increases the chance I will never see her again!" He roars, tears stinging at his eyes. "I know the rescue of my sister is some secondary chore for the rest of you to pay me back for my fighting, but for me it's all that there is. There has been enough talk, enough diplomacy, enough pussy-footed politicking around this!" He jabs a finger at Mal. "This man has shown more compassion for my sister in the last hour than anybody else has in weeks! Either I will trick the slavers into revealing her, or I will carve a river of blood and hope that with enough corpses under my feet I can see her."
He is shaking by the end of it. Clearly his anger had been mounting, and the monumental patience he had expressed lately had been an active struggle for him.
Yasala sits patiently during Talar's outburst, then carefully responds in an attempt to calm him down.
"I cannot pretend to understand how hard it is for you, as I was orphaned at a young age and have never had any familial connections. I do understand your frustration however."
She then looks directly into his eyes so that he can understand she is serious with what she is saying.
"As I had mentioned to you several days ago, one of my specific interests is in a local group of slavers. I will make seeking out information on them my first task and not delay it with other concerns, and will let you know anything that I find out about them, their activities, or their connections. I will start on that immediately but I can make no promises about results."
Patenemheb listens to Talar, thinking.
Hmmm. While I have acted to smooth along Mal's service and minimise risk, it is possible that I have been insensitive to Talar's disposition and the stress of having lost a loved one. It has been some time after all since I have had that occur.
He turns to Talar:
"Talar, you have my support as I just stated, and I as I stated some time ago, I am willing to contribute financially to that end. Unfortunately, these other matters in the city could prove deadly to all of us, thus I do not promise my full attention to any one matter here."
Tairin had observed the discussion in relative silence since her opening words. Standing and reaching out to collect Sabra in her arms, she looked to Mal and simply stated with a nod of her head, "You have answered my questions." Looking to Talar, she added, "Since you have decided you shall have this man to aid you in your familial quest, and, will pay him using your own coin, there is nothing more I will add, except to wish you well in your search for Aisha. Perhaps this new inquiry will lead to the answers which you seek, Talar. Your love and loyalty toward your sister is a credit to you."
Moving away from the dining table, Tairin looked to Samir and then Patenemheb, "I have a meeting with the Yadaran priest, Darius, myself this day. I will withdraw to my personal chamber to prepare and then I shall meet you in the courtyard in due course." Gesturing to Hanala, she spoke quietly to the maid, "Please bring a bowl of scented water and fresh towels to my bedchamber immediately."
Tairin then made her way to the staircase to ascend to the top floor and her room to ready herself. Sabra's emerald green eyes stared thoughtfully at the other companions in the room a moment or two before leaning her head against her mistress' hand as Tairin pet the feline on their way to the upper floor of the manse.
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"YES!" Mal roars with a barbaric yop as the veneer of civilization wears off and Talar at last cuts to the meat. "There we are! A little fire in the belly! THAT is tip of the spear, the edge of the knife, the heart of the matter!" he states, pounding the table. "Here is another saying--A knife at midnight is better than a thousand swords at dawn!'
Talk is all well and good, but if you want a thing that another person does NOT want to give up, for that you must needs have a man who is not afraid to get their hands dirty.
Amongst the learned, there is a well-known poem called The Road Of Kings. My favorite such verse goes:
'What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie?
I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky.
The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing;
Rush in and die, dogs--I was a man before I was a king.'
Ha! There we are, Talar! Even the ancient kings knew that the subtle tongue was all well and good, but to do Great Deeds? That beseeches the blow come quick and the blood run red!"
"As I had mentioned to you several days ago, one of my specific interests is in a local group of slavers. I will make seeking out information on them my first task and not delay it with other concerns, and will let you know anything that I find out about them, their activities, or their connections. I will start on that immediately but I can make no promises about results."
Mal then pauses, as if remembering something important. "Ah, Yasmala, speaking of great deeds. You know, just as a matter of facts, it may be that my work will parallel yours--slavery and the flesh trade being what they are.
Would you be interested in pooling our information? It may be that we, each of us, may, even by accident, come across some tidbit of data that will greatly aid the other."
Talar, with teeth gritted, nods in thanks to Yasala, who he does remember having promised her help.
However Tairin and Paten's responses only seem to make him bristle more. Distant, business-like responses. Virtue signalling their support while offering nothing of substance. He remembers why he hates such people, focused on their politicking and deception as they were.
He also remembers that despite knowing them for longer, overall he hasn't know anybody in this group much longer than the others.
"Then we move at dawn." He sneers, addressing Mal and Yasala.
Seeing that Tairin returns for the moment Bjoern started to walk the perimeters of the house. Checking all doors and noting improvements for their safety. A block of wood to strenghten the door, Shutters for the windows, and a dozen other minor things.
Once she had refreshed her person and attire, Tairin returned to the main foyer, Sabra now settled inside the shawl pouch around her body. Giving instruction to Ben Kara as to her whereabouts and when she should be expected back at the house, Tairin made her way out the front door and down the steps to the courtyard below. Looking to Samir, Patenemheb (?) and Farrokh(?), she uttered, "I am ready, if you are," then turning to search for Bjoern working in the grounds of the manse, she mindfully called out, "Bear, I leave now for the smaller Yadaran temple. Do you wish to join me or would you rather stay and tend to whatever tasks you have found, here?" Once she received an answer from the Tharagian, Tairin made her way down and out the gates of the manse and began to make her way toward the temple in question and her first meeting with Darius Turan. Her eyes discreetly glanced about the surroundings, in an effort to gauge if their progress was being followed by someone outside their small, trusted group.
Swiping his hands on a rag Bjoern nods to Tairin.
"Mylady, just give me a moment."
Running to his room Bjoern quickly prepares for a sortie and adds an extra dagger to his boot. He then quickly joins Tairin.
"I will also be taking my leave. Good luck in your own efforts, all.", Patenemheb addresses the room.
With Tairin, Bjoern, and Farrokh, he prepares to leave to visit Darius Turan. He also keeps eyes and ears open for any shadowers.
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As the two men are left to their own devices once again, Mal calls over the kitchen maid. "Darling, I've been smelling roast goat ever since I came here. Is there any of the succulent beast left, bitte? If I don't eat meat at every meal I'm surly as a desert lion."
That done, he leans over toward Talar and starts talking. "Okay, now, I've given this some thought. Our first step should be to make a good tour of the city and write down every brothel there is. We can't very well look everywhere if we don't know where everywhere is, eh?
Then, I wanna start in the smaller places. Not only will that give us a chance to try the act, but hopefully we'll be able to start to build our base of information. Like, from idle chatter we should be able to learn who owns which house--for I assume that many of them are owned by one person or group, but not all are--so when we look at one house, we're actually looking at several.
Also, I'll want to know the names so that I can play them off against each other. 'Oh, well the girls at the Sweet Doomed Angel are much nicer than yours. If you have none others to offer I'll just take my coin there.'
Also, I'll need two things: A mortar and pestle, and a few small gems. No great things, perhaps just poor emeralds worth about 50 coins. I'll need to bribe a few hands, and sometimes being able to do it subtly, with but a hand-pass, is easier than handing over a great bag of clinking coins. I need neither of these things now, but eventually.
As we walk about town we should become familiar with some silent signals, so that we can talk to each other without talking to each other.
In the same vein, if you have any opportunity to learn Thargarian at some point, please do so. To have a language we both understand but few others do would be helpful.
One of your signals must be 'We are being followed'. Whenever that happens, one of us will continue, seemingly unawares, and the other will turn a corner, before rounding about and taking our pursuer in the rear. Then the other of us will come back to help.
Also, heh, it may be that we are separated, and the disguise I wear last is not the one you saw me in. Should that happen, we will have a password. It is simple. You will say a number. The correct answer is the number that, when added together, make 10. Hence, if you say "3!" I must say "7!" Anything else, it is an impostor and you must kill him.
I think that is good for now. Do you wish to begin the now, or on the morrow?
I would think sooner is better, but I surrender, in all things, to thy council."
"Yes...let us canvas the city, scouting the brothels. I know of a few of the more prominent ones, but I have far from an exhaustive list." Talar pauses, then finds a piece of parchment and starts making ntoes.
"Mortar and pestle...gems..." He nods, writing everything down. "Thargarian...well with so many speaking it in the group already." He grimaces. Learning languages had never been a particular strength OR weakness of his, but he knew it could be a process.
"Being followed...if I scratch the mole on my face." Talar says, pointing under his right eye. "I normally avoid touching it because it can get easily irritated."
He nods to the simple but effective password scheme. "Now." He says, steel in his eyes. "Let's begin canvasing."
During the first week of downtime, Yasala is going to begin looking for connections to the Azimban organization she worked for. Priority is to find any local organizations that might have connections to it, or any official trade agreements between the city and anything in Azimba that might be a front for their activities.
To hopefully help out Talar, she will also be trying to focus on anything involving the slave trade, or of any information about the slave encampment outside the city that she originally came to work with.
First half of the week she will visit taverns and black markets, mostly eavesdropping while drinking and shopping, but carefully asking questions when it is appropriate and maybe speaking with anyone who seems a safe contact.
Second half of the week she will visit both local government offices and what might approximate any merchant guilds, under the guise of an envoy from Azimba looking to inspect existing trade agreements and perhaps discuss the creation of new ones.
Each night she will return to the mansion and take the time to read through her skill books and change her dress/appearance to fit her activities for the following day.
I will make what rolls you deem appropriate once you tell me what you want :)
Mal Steelcutter
Ala’Ihys the Archer
Alistar Viletooth
Azrin
