I like better than Gaebler's paying! the half-elf smiles, but Ash's right, we have a few things to take care of today, like collecting on what we're owed; but could be very interested once we talk it over some.
Davil shrugged. "I've always got something that needs doing. Come back when you need some extra coin in your pocket." He gestured at the now somewhat shorter line for the kitchen. "Breakfast here is pretty good, but their coffee is even better. Supposedly they get their beans straight from Stormreach."
Illendur weighs his pouch mentally, damn bail this morning, shouldn't buy coffee, but here we are...
Good to know Davil, he thanks the elf, heading into line for coffee and some breakfast to-go.
Once he has his morning food, Illendur returns to the party, Shall we go over to the Dwarf then? Gaebler might've left a message there for us. Plus I want to talk to Goggh.
Ash nodded to Davil, and again to Illendur once the elf suggested their next stop.
"Sounds about right. Let's go." With a final long look at the food line, Ash went out with the others.
The ratfolk had kind of shrugged at Dok's question about Davil, almost trying to avoid the question. As a way out, she saw Illendur eventually join the string of folks neatly arranging themselves for food.
"Is Dok hungry?" She asked. "I can get you some nibbles?"
She politely excused herself from their bench then, and moved to grab some sustenance. It looked like the team was all going to leave soon, but the concept of munching as they walked was a much better prospect than walking on an empty tummy.
Grabbing some food for the road, the group headed back out into the muggy morning. The unnaturally warm temperatures had Dock Ward smelling particularly fragrant, the scent of decaying fish, rotting wood, hot tar, and unwashed bodies growing ever stronger as they strolled down Snail Street toward the Keelhauled Dwarf and their loot from the night before.
The docks rose earlier than the rest of the city, with Dock Ward residents liking to say they did more before 9 in the morning than the rest of the city did all day. Of course, Trades Ward residents liked to remind everyone that they were the Ward that never slept, so that was a bit of a contested title. In any case, the tightly packed and malodorous streets of Dock Ward were already bustling where North Ward and Castle Ward had only been starting their morning routines.
Creaking ropes and shouting longshoremen could be heard all the way down on the piers, and carts and wagons were moving goods laboriously up the steep and cramped streets. The group was nearly to the Dwarf when they heard the commotion from up the hill just behind them on Pressbow Lane.
"Look out!" Turning to see what was happening, people were jumping out of the way- and some unfortunates had been knocked to the street- by a cart laden with apples careening down the hill right toward the group. Riding on top of the cart was a tiefling boy with an eye patch gesturing furiously and screaming at the top of his lungs. "Get out of the way!"
Damn, look out! the half-elf cries, jumping onto the side of a building out of the way of the cart.
"Look out brothers!" Dok cries as he barely avoids the crashing cart.
Apples! Jixel loved apples! But not apples coming right at her, complete with cart and driver. She barely got out of the way actually, because... well... food was always a little distracting.
Was there anything else she could do? It didn't feel like it, being small and unarmed with anything that might stop a cart.
Zander had been caught up in fascination with all that he had witnessed so far this morning, and only managed to become fully aware of the cart as it hit him.
"OUT OF THE WAY!" Ash bellowed, grabbing a tentpole from a nearby vendor and launching it at the wagon's wheelspokes.
The piratical tiefling boy grimaced as the cart ran smack into Zander. "Oof! Sorry!"
The tiefling lost his balance on top of the cart and went flying, right at Ash. "Ahhhhh!"
Uh oh. LOL
Ash braced himself to catch the boy, but he was still off-balance from throwing the pole, and merely provided a cushion as he was smacked into, falling over backwards.
"Are you alright, kid?" Ash groaned from under the boy.
Ash and the boy went tumbling to the cobblestones, the eye-patched tiefling shaking his head and sitting up woozily on Ash's chest, visibly shaken up by the ordeal.
Uh oh, LOL!
I'd actually spaced on him even having a belt pouch, but it's part of his kit, so: let's say his money is in it (17.4 galifars), along with the glass cutter, his new ID papers, and the flint and steel.
Zander was caught full-on by the cart, but J'r-V'zz managed to activate the suit that was part of them both, and even as the weight of the cart began to roll over the Warforged, so, too, did the liquid-crystalline suit.
Zander planted his feet and began to heave, trying to stop the cart, before it completely crushed him - or anyone else.
Gleaming with astral energy, Zander stopped the cart cold, sending a wave of apples tumbling to the street.
The tiefling boy started to get up, crying with relief and patting himself all over in disbelief at his good fortune. "Oh thank you, mister! Thank you! You saved my life!"
A pair of other children came hustling down the street, screaming and running to thank the group. One, a chubby little one in clothes a little bit better than you'd expect for a street kid, including a purple cloak fringed in gold that looked like a castoff from some noble boy's closet, went to hug Ilendur. "You saved him, you saved him!"
The other, a lanky, older looking girl with a wooden toy sword, goes to hug Dok Tarley, tears streaming down her face.
"Hold up, kids. There's something I have to tell you." Ash grabbed the tiefling boy by the hem of his pants and pulled him back, fishing a belt pouch out of there.
Bending down to eye level with the boy, he rumbled, "You wouldn't want to make anyone on the street angry with your antics, right? Especially if you have to run them down first. Stay out of trouble."
Without letting go, he eyed the other kids. "Put 'em back, kids."
Illendur's hand snaps down on the child's wrist holding the knife, Thank you, no. he says firmly, looking down at the small person trying to profit off of him.
The half-elf's body posture doesn't change, and his hands don't even stray toward his weapons, but his powerful frame seems ready to explode as need be.
"Don't be gettin' up to no good and being in trouble there kids!" Dok says with a smile.
Zander was preoccupied with the cart. Once he was certain it wasn't going to move further, he set it down and turned to check the status of the cadet that had been riding on the top of the apples.
Jixel was sooo pleased to have got out of the way of this mess. Big carts and small rat-formed folk weren't a great combination to meet with each other at high velocity. Surely the ratfolk lass was blessed this day, for she also seemed to have avoided losing any of her personal effects!
Soon enough, she stepped back to eye her friends, before scooping up a loose apple into a tiny clawed hand.
"Hold up, kids. There's something I have to tell you." Ash grabbed the tiefling boy by the hem of his pants and pulled him back, fishing a belt pouch out of there.
Bending down to eye level with the boy, he rumbled, "You wouldn't want to make anyone on the street angry with your antics, right? Especially if you have to run them down first. Stay out of trouble."
Without letting go, he eyed the other kids. "Put 'em back, kids."
Ash grabbed the tiefling boy by the arm and pulled his belt pouch out of the back of the kid's pants. The tears instantly stopped and he started tugging against the shifter's iron grip. "Hey, let go! I didn't do nothing!"
Illendur's hand snaps down on the child's wrist holding the knife, Thank you, no. he says firmly, looking down at the small person trying to profit off of him.
The half-elf's body posture doesn't change, and his hands don't even stray toward his weapons, but his powerful frame seems ready to explode as need be.
The boy in the cloak froze, eyes widening at Ilendur's fierce expression and deadly tone. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it," he said in a small, defeated voice. He didn't drop the small knife- only big enough to cut purse strings or maybe give someone a deep scratch- but immediately leaned away, his body language indicating surrender.
"Don't be gettin' up to no good and being in trouble there kids!" Dok says with a smile.
The tall girl's tears also immediately dried up. While she didn't say anything, she did drop Dok's spell component pouch onto the street at Dok's feet and looked over at her friends to see how they were faring. She made a few gestures with her hands at the two boys and the chubby one in the cloak raised his voice and said "Okay, okay! Just let us go!"
Illendur releases his grip on the child, Easy kid, there are better ways to earn some coin rather than trying to steal from a bunch of heavily armed people, ya know? Why are you trying?
He steps a half step away from the young man, his hands held out open ahead of him, but knowing his gauntlets would protect him from any perceived foolishness from the kid.
Ash's brow furrowed. "Wait. I've heard that children have gone missing lately. If you can tell us anything about that, we'll let you go. No harm done."
He didn't really intend to turn the children in if they didn't talk... but they didn't need to know that.
Dok picks up his pouch and speaks up:
"Tell my friend Ash here something that's interesting and we can make it worth your while."
It was good to see that nobody had been injured and that Illendur noticed his pouch being at risk. Some discipline and questioning seemed to be following, and Jixel was startled by how astute and convincing the dreadlocked Dok was with these kittens! It was enough to keep the ratfolk quiet for now, not wanting to interrupt anyone's progress.
Maybe later, she could ask who actually owned the cart and the apples, so that they could try and return them to their rightful owners.
Crunch!
Jixel took a bite of her apple, considering it pre-payment for their good deeds...
Zander merely stood, watching and listening, fascinated by the byplay between his companions and the cadets. J'r-V'zz scanned the immediate area for additional threats - or accomplices.
Illendur releases his grip on the child, Easy kid, there are better ways to earn some coin rather than trying to steal from a bunch of heavily armed people, ya know? Why are you trying?
He steps a half step away from the young man, his hands held out open ahead of him, but knowing his gauntlets would protect him from any perceived foolishness from the kid.
"Okay, thanks, dad," muttered the kid in the cloak. He took a few steps away from Ilendur but didn't run, his eyes on the tall girl instead.
Dok picks up his pouch and speaks up:
"Tell my friend Ash here something that's interesting and we can make it worth your while."
The tiefling boy took a few steps back from Ash, too, but also didn't run. Like his friend, his eyes were on the tall girl. She was watching Dok.
After a second she made some more gestures with her hands and the chubby boy spoke up. "You're the one who runs that clinic over in Fishgut Court? You're Tia and Tamara's uncle, right?"
Dok crouches down and looks the kids in the eye.
Gemba, the rat, climbs out of his coat pocket and clambers up on his shoulder.
"I do be a healer and I be helpin' folk over at Fishgut...." he says.
"I has got so many nieces and nephews that I has been losin' track of them. Tia and Tamara could be part of I'se family."
The tall girl nodded and made a few more hand signs. The boy continued to translate. "Okay. We're sorry. Nat says we wouldn't have tried that if we saw you first. Just a mistake, okay?"
"I don't know anything about missing kids, unless you mean those kids who been going to the Homes. Our friend Red Susie was staying at one of 'em for a while but we ain't seen her for a while." The tall girl- Nat- swatted the chubby boy on the shoulder.
He whirled to face her, looking hurt. "I thought you said he was friendly!" They had a brief conversation, whispered on one side and gestured on the other side, until finally the boy turned back to Dok.
While Nat and the boy were arguing, the tiefling boy tried to slip away into the shadows but accidentally tripped over an apple and ended up falling on his butt on the street.
The chubby boy shook his head at Dok. "We don't know anything about any missing kids, Dok. We're gonna go now, okay?"
"Wait ... here." Dok says as he pulls a few silvers out of a pouch tiucked under his coat.
He offers up the silvers to the chubby kid and asks in a low voice.
"What home did Red Susie go to? It sounds like she might need someone to check on her."
The chubby boy clutches at the silvers like he's holding onto a lifeline and nods eagerly. "The one up on Book Street. She said she could see the Knight from the window." He shot Dok a sweet, surprisingly hopeful smile. "Thanks, Dok! We'll leave you and your friends alone next time, okay?"
The tiefling boy started to get to his feet and the girl- Nat- started to back away, watching the adults closely as her little crew prepared to make their exit.
Illendur will pick up a discarded apple from the ground, and proceed to bite into it. Interesting friends you got there Dok, think there's anything to that story? Worth checking into later? the half-elf asks.
"I don't be knowin'" Dok says.
"Are we looking for the missing children?"
Jixel intermittently took breaks from nibbling her apple. First, when a small rat appeared from Dok's coat, and then again as it seemed these children knew him... Dok, not the rat.
By the time a few more bites were taken of her fruit, the kiddos were departing, and it seemed there was something of a new conspiracy related to missing children to discuss.
"I wonder if we should. We need to look for our missing payment too, let's not forget. Dok... what is your handsome little friend's name?"
She pointed to his rat, to make it sure that she wasn't referring to the chubby kid making a hasty exit.
"And this cart with fruit. We should find its owner?"
Illendur shrugs at Dok's question, It's Ash's story, not mine. I'll let him tell you, since I don't know squat.
The half-elf turns back to Jix, half-eaten apple in his hand, Yep, she's right, we still need to get paid. So let's see about that, and then if Ash wants we can look into these missing kits or whatever they are called. He grins at the shifter, trying to lighten the mood some, knowing that it weighs heavily on his new friend.
This much fruit Jix, we should be long gone by the time the owner shows up, he'll only be cranky some kids stole his cart. the warrior concludes, Now, into the Dwarf, let's see what Goggh was able to glean for us!
Ash nodded to Illendur and Dok, pleased that they'd been interested in the same issue he'd originally joined for. "I don't know too much about it either - most of what I heard came from that warforged we met the other day - but I'll tell you what I know."
He regarded the cart dubiously, half in agreement with Jixel, half worried that an irate cart owner would make trouble for him. With a sigh, he shook his head. Since when was doing the right thing wrong, even if it was inconvenient? He had to get a grip on himself.
"You all find Goggh - Jixel and I will catch up, after we find that cart owner. They can't be far off, with their whole cart stolen."
:O
The whole incident hadn't taken more than a minute, and the kids were already turning the corner at the far end of a nearby alley when the group heard what was likely the cart owner, cursing up a storm as he got closer to the scene of the would-be crime.
It was probably only a matter of seconds before the man spotted them and his cart and its scattered apples.
Illendur waits with Ash and the others for the arrival of the angry cart owner. Better to be here and tell him what happened, rather than be seen fleeing the scene...
Illendur waits with Ash and the others for the arrival of the angry cart owner. Better to be here and tell him what happened, rather than be seen fleeing the scene... Plus the cart nearly ran Jixel over, and that's his fault for letting go of it. the half-elf winks at the others.
Ash shot Illendur a grateful look and nodded. "An excellent point. Let's get off on the right foot with the man."
He spent a few moments checking his pockets... just in case. Those kids... sheesh!
Waiting until the cart owner came into view, Ash hailed him. "Hoy there! Is this your cart? It nearly ran us all over! And it did hit our friend, the warforged."
Dok picks up two apples, one he tosses into the cart to be helpful.
The other he drops in the pocket of his coat.
Jixel stopped nibbling her apple and followed Dok's lead, pocketing it too as the cart's driver arrived on-site.
"These folks speak true, friend. That was a near squishing for me! Anyway, the perpetrators are long gone I'm afraid. We're glad to see you reunited with your cart and its goodies though."
Zander, standing next to the cart - which had a Zander-shaped indentation in the front panel - simply looked at the man.
"How is it that you would use a wheeled conveyance to transport your means of livelihood, and not secure it against the effects of gravity on a steep street? Then angle of the surface, combined with the low friction coefficient, clearly indicate the wisdom of implementing traction-improving equipment on the cart itself, as well as chalks and/or other equipment to immobilize the wheels while parked. Ensuring that the wheels are aligned perpendicular to the roadway would also be indicated."
The cursing man was soon on the group. "My apples! Where's that damned kid!? I turn around for one second and he steals my cart!" He looked around for the children, but they were already well out of sight.
Waiting until the cart owner came into view, Ash hailed him. "Hoy there! Is this your cart? It nearly ran us all over! And it did hit our friend, the warforged."
"What? Of course it's my cart! Why would I..." He glanced at Zander, who seemed perfectly fine. "He seems fine," the apple seller muttered. Getting back on track and seeming to dismiss Zander from his mind, he looked around again. "Did you see that dlourrh-spawned kid? Which way did he go?"
Jixel stopped nibbling her apple and followed Dok's lead, pocketing it too as the cart's driver arrived on-site.
"These folks speak true, friend. That was a near squishing for me! Anyway, the perpetrators are long gone I'm afraid. We're glad to see you reunited with your cart and its goodies though."
"Sovereigns above, that's a day's worth of sales gone! If I ever see that imp again I'm taking it outta his hide!" The fruit seller looked around at the scattered apples and the depleted state of his stock. He looked at Jixel, registering what she said. "I saw the little one, the red one. What did the other ones look like?"
Looking around, the peddler seemed to notice Illendur for the first time. "Any chance you have a few coins to spare, young lord? Just a galifar or two? Enough to get a man on his feet?"
Zander, standing next to the cart - which had a Zander-shaped indentation in the front panel - simply looked at the man.
"How is it that you would use a wheeled conveyance to transport your means of livelihood, and not secure it against the effects of gravity on a steep street? Then angle of the surface, combined with the low friction coefficient, clearly indicate the wisdom of implementing traction-improving equipment on the cart itself, as well as chalks and/or other equipment to immobilize the wheels while parked. Ensuring that the wheels are aligned perpendicular to the roadway would also be indicated."
The man wheeled on Zander. "Listen here, clanker! When I was in the service you little Cannith toys knew their place. You watch your rusty mouth when you talk to real people!" He shook his head furiously, now angrier than ever. "Of course I had chocks under the wheels! I don't need a gearbrain like you telling me how to ply my trade!"
Illendur sighs, Should have let the kids take my purse... withdrawing a single gailfar and tossing it to the peddler, See that you keep a better eye on your things, but here's for your losses. Never let it be said that a D'Phiarlan didn't help those in greater need than he.
The man wheeled on Zander. "Listen here, clanker! When I was in the service you little Cannith toys knew their place. You watch your rusty mouth when you talk to real people!" He shook his head furiously, now angrier than ever. "Of course I had chocks under the wheels! I don't need a gearbrain like you telling me how to ply my trade!"
"I believe," Zander said, his voice calm but firm, "that you may have mistaken me for someone else. My name is not 'Clanker.' It is, in fact, Whurzander, though I do answer to the shortened form, 'Zander.' I would prefer that you use either name when addressing me in the future, rather than 'gearbrain,' or 'toy.' Especially as neither of those words are accurate. Nor is 'rusty mouth,' but I believe you know that to be true, and were attempting to be deliberately insulting. Curiously, there was no overt cause given to provoke such insults, so one must wonder what non-visible damages you may be suffering from that catalyzed your decision to attempt to be offensive. I do hope that whatever the damage is, you are able to get it repaired. If I can be of assistance in this effort, please do not hesitate to inform me."
Zander tilted his head again. "It is unfortunate that you do not seem to be able to determine what is and is not a 'real person,' as I am, I assure you, very real. I have heard of a number of persons who served in the wars having suffered internal damages that have led to irrational, unprovoked feelings of sadness, anger, and anxiety, as well as hallucinations and moments of disorientation, including the belief that they are - temporarily or otherwise - actually still engaged in battles that they experienced years and leagues distant from their actual locations in time and space. Again, if you are suffering from such damages, I offer my sympathies, as well as my hopes that the damage can be successfully repaired."
And then, because he was who he was, Zander could not help himself.
"Where did you serve? With which units, and in service to whom? Which battles did you participate in? I am told that it is sometimes helpful for those who suffer from such internally damaged states to share their experiences with others in narrative form. If it would be helpful for you to do so, I would be happy to listen."
The street peddler snatched the coin out of the air and slipped it into his coin purse with surprising dexterity. "Thank you, Lord d'Phiarlan. I'll let everyone know of your generosity."
He glowered at Zander, standing a bit straighter and prouder as he responded. "I'll have you know I earned the Bone Cross at Fort Bright and have two clusters on my Cold Heart, puppet. We had to work with things like you during the War when we couldn't get good, solid skeleton warriors, and every one of you could drop into the Sound for all I care. The fact that they gave you things..." The apple vendor suddenly clamped his mouth shut and shook his head, turning back to Illendur.
"Apologies for the outburst, my lord. I've had some bad experiences with your servant's type before. I'm sure this one is fine. I'll get out of your way." The apple seller bobbed his head at Illendur, Jixel, Ash, and Dok, pointedly not looking at Zander. "Thank you for your assistance, my friends. Come see me next time you want some fresh produce!"