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GUARD TRAINING GROUNDS - LATE MORNING
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Narrator: Dressed in light (Though fancy) robes, the curious, white cat known as Teis is rather out of place at the training grounds. With her recent conviction about being to defend herself, Teis is opting to practice honing her otherwise utility based magical knowledge into a more offensive direction on one of the wooden dummies, instead of random objects back at the estate. Elizabeth's curses were great for gaining distance and escaping if need be, though, Teis felt something was. . .Missing. She'd desired something of a more threatening nature, should the curses fail or escape otherwise prove unlikely. To that end, A book, courtesy of Aurelius and his Library, floats nearby Teis, ahead of her but off to the side about 30 degrees. With fluid and swirling arm movements and words chanted from an ancient time, Teis moves both of her hands ahead of her towards the dummy. A ray of frost fires forth from her paws at the wooden dummy.
Gareth has been observing Teis a bit as he's helped the guards continue their training to condition them for upcoming combat. The last several minutes, however, he's just been observing her activities. He hums quietly to himself at the display of magic, but doesn't comment yet as to not distract her mid-practice.
Narrator: The wooden dummy audibly cracks as the beam collides with it, caking it in an increasingly thickening layer of ice. It certainly isn't nothing, though a far cry from being useful against anything but the most basic of foes. Still, a building block for the future. She lowers her arms, sighing a little to herself and taking a break. She brings out a purple mana crystal, clutching it in her paw, a visible soft glow emitting as she begins to absorb the energy within it. "Just a few, Teis. . .Don't push it. . ." She mumbles to herself. She begins to pace back and forth, her book staying in place as she does, occasionally looking at the text within and murmuring to herself further.
Gareth hums as he gets up from his spot near the edge of the training area and makes his way over. "Ye know, never thought I'd see a mage trainin' like this in the grounds. Are ye a new hire or somethin', lass?"
Teis glances over from her book to Gareth, her pacing slowing but not stopping. "Hm? No. Just. . .Picking up some self defense." Teis replies. "Figure with all. . .Y'know." Teis rolls her hand, vaguely motioning 'everything'. "There's enough statistics as it is. . ." Teis sighs.
Gareth hums and nods. "Nothin' wrong with wantin' to protect yerself, aye. Still, hopefully we can get things settled sooner rather than later, what with how many folks are out there somewhere, waitin'."
Teis: "I hope so too. . ." Teis wistfully replies, mind immediately flooding back to the conversation with Della, shaking it off a moment later. "You don't look like one of the guards, either. Not like the ones that I've seen hanging around Nesseth anyway. Who're you?" Teis tilts her head.
Gareth tilts his head curiously, then dips into a slight bow. "Gareth Gwynn, at yer service if ye happen to need someone handy with a blade or pistol. Bounty hunter, former pirate, and currently makin' sure the rest o' these guards don't end up on the sharp side o' a blade."
Teis: "Oh. So. . .Like probably someone Sis'll be interested in then. Maybe. I'm Teis. Just Teis." And nothing else. "I'm, ah. More of a scholar. Magically so. Nice you're able to directly help the town like this. Wish I could do more. ."
Gareth hums thoughtfully. "Yer sis would be interested? Why's that, Miss Teis?" He shrugs after a moment, "As fer directly helpin', well... I've got a bit o' a bone to pick with one o' those reptiles, so better I put that towards helpin' these fine folk than goin' off on me own."
Teis: "She's. . .Just. . .All business. Likes having people who're 'doers'. That's all." Teis replies. "Mm. Well, here's. . .Hoping that your efforts save lives."
Gareth hums and nods. "Heh, won't get more o' a doer than a bounty hunter, so long as the price is right. Though, in this case... I'm willin' to make an exception, but I still won't say no to payment if the guards decide me services warrant it."
Teis nods, the crystal in her hand noticeably losing it's glow, becoming dull and gray. With that, Teis pockets the crystal back within her robes. She nods at Gareth, though begins to stare at him silently, notably at his scarred eye.
Gareth notices Teis staring pretty openly at his face, and he decides to have a little fun. He tries to keep his face straight, but the corners of his mouth do quirk up a little in amusement. "Uh... somethin' catchin' yer eye, Miss Teis?"
Narrator: Unfortunately, despite all of that 'proper' upbringing, Teis can sometimes be as blunt as a hammer. She nods. "Your eye." She pauses a moment. "Wait, muffins. Is that rude? Sis'd say that's rude." Teis skews her lip.
Gareth laughs and waves a hand. "Nah, feel free to ask anythin' about it ye want, lass. I'm not exactly coverin' it, after all."
Teis: "Okay, good." Teis sighs slightly in relief. "How, um. You can fight well? Is having a wound like that a sign that you're a good bounty hunter, or. . ." Teis alludes.
Gareth shrugs. "Honestly, can't say, lass. I got this before I became a bounty hunter, back when I was still sailin' the seas as a pirate. Had this thing fer..." He trails off, thinking for a moment, "Somethin' like 20 years, now. The fact that I'm not dead probably speaks more to me abilities than this sort o' injury."
Teis: "Couldn't imagine not having a something. But. . .Hm." Teis thinks to herself momentarily. Enver has a missing hand, Gareth has a missing eye, Tarbin had no eyes. . .And Elizabeth has no magic! "Iunno. Maybe the secret to strength is having an arm cut off or something."
Gareth laughs a bit and shakes his head. "I wouldn't count on it, Miss Teis. At least, don't go thinkin' ye should lop a limb off just because. Keep what ye got and enjoy usin' it. Lackin' a limb or anythin' else is a challenge more than anythin', at least until ye get used to it."
Teis skews her lip some, finding herself increasingly irked by something just enough that it's time to address it. "Hey Gareth?"
Gareth tilts his head a bit, smiling. "Yes, Miss Teis?"
Teis: "It's just Teis. No Miss. Juuuuuuust Teis." Teis stresses.
Gareth blinks, then nods. "Teis it is, then. Somethin' on yer mind?"
Teis: "No, just that. I'm just, ah. I've had enough of it? Sorry, I think you weren't trying to mean anything by it or anything. . .It just. . .Bothers me." Teis replies.
Gareth hums. "Mmh, sorry if that's not somethin' ye like, lass. I didn't mean anythin' by it, and it's more just out o' habit than anythin' else."
Teis hums to herself. Lass is nice. She likes Lass. Way less. . .Formal. Teis nods. "Good."
Gareth glances around a bit. "So... did ye need any pointers or anythin' since yer here, trainin'? I know yer just doin' defensive stuff, but it never hurts to know a bit on how to move if ye happen to get caught out in a bad spot."
Teis: "If you're, um. Able to help? I'm not exactly sure though. The Arcane arts require a lot of. . .Precision. Lotta. . .Control over energy. I can't really move that much, or I risk messing up the spell. Though with enough practice. . ." Teis clicks her fingers, summoning a small jet of flame at the tip of her claw. "But. . .Not exactly at this level yet with anything strong enough to actually hurt someone."
Gareth shakes his head. "Afraid I don't know much about magic at all, Teis. I mean more footwork and movin' yer body. Magic is good, right up until ye get hit, then yer on the ground and probably at the mercy o' whoever hit ye."
Teis: "Mm. I know what you meant." Teis replies, waving her hand rapidly, the fire disappearing. "I'm, just. I, ah. I use my magic in a lab setting mostly? Not a lot of movement required. In fact better that I'm not. . .So, yeah. I appreciate the offer, but your efforts are just going to be wasted on me. Better you train up the guards like you said. . .Maybe I'll take you up on that offer when life is a little more. . .Normal."
Gareth shrugs and nods. "Sure, unless things go bad, I'll still be around town after all this is over. Most likely, I'll probably keep helpin' out with the guard here and there if I don't have anythin' pressin' fer bounties and the like."
Teis: "Mm. . .Well, here's hoping that they don't." Teis sighs again. "I'm gonna get back to it. It's been nice talking."
Gareth smiles kindly. "A pleasure chattin' with ye, Teis. Good luck with yer magic practice." His ears flick and he looks around for a moment when he hears a loud clatter of armor and wood, only to see two guards fumbling against each other as they get tangled during their sparring, "...And speakin' o' helpin' the guards... I already see some folks in dire need o' instruction. Talk to ye later, lass."
Teis' ears flick and she startles some at the sudden noise, though she settles and smiles at Gareth with a nod. With her reserves full again, she turns back to the dummy. "Right. . ." Teis mutters to herself, flicking some pages in the book. "Lets work a bit on the fire. . ."
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RESPITE FALLS - PLUME'S CLINIC - AFTERNOON
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Phoebe swallows, glancing around the waiting room. She's sorta made an appointment? Though she's admittedly nervous about it all, trying to figure stuff out without tipping anyone off to what she may or may not be. Now, she's just waiting patiently, not being able to read or write makes doing any of the paperwork rather daunting.
Doc Plume finishes up with their last patient and sees them out, looking along the bench on the porch which now serves as a de facto waiting room. "Phoebe?" They call out, the name unfamiliar to them.
Phoebe is a rather unkempt looking wolf, lean, with a little bit of a menacing edge, like she's always looking out for an incoming attack. She slowly stands up, eying the Doctor cautiously. "I'm Phoebe, yeah. Here."
Doc Plume nods to the wolf, giving them a cursory look over. "Come inside, please..." They hold the door for her, give a friendly nod to the others waiting outside, and then follow Phoebe inside.
Phoebe glances around, then steps through the door, looking around as if ready for an attack at any moment, definitely jumpy. She's twitchy, nervous, uncertain.
Doc Plume leads Pheobe over to the examination table. "Please, sit up on the table. What's bothering you?" They step back to the sink to sanitize their hands and fetch a couple of basic tools.
Phoebe hops up on the table, taking a few breaths. "Err... dunno. Came in on that last caravan. The one that got attacked... probably needed a checkup, just to be sure... see if anything... else is wrong." She leaves that last statement hanging curiously.
Doc Plume gives a nod. "All right. Were you injured in the attack?" Their hands carefully move in to start gently touching around her head and neck, searching for sore spots, bleeds, lumps, or other such things.
Phoebe hesitates. "Got speared..." She points down to her side, where a shallow wound seems to have been patched up, "Got pulled out of the wagon and they threw a net over me. I cut free and hid. Bit of bleeding, nothing else."
Doc Plume lifts up Phoebe's shirt to examine the wound. "Yes, seems to be healing fine." They nod a bit. "I need you to undress so I can do a full exam."
Phoebe hesistates, then nods, "Err... pardon the knives..." She takes out a few blades from her tunic, setting them on the examination table before she removes the tunic itself, followed by her undershirt. She seems a bit anxious about it, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Doc Plume gives a little smirk at the knives. "Never hurts to be prepared these days... though most folks usually just carry one hidden." Their skilled hands move through Phoebe's fur, prodding occasionally as the examination continues. "Other than the spear wound, I'm not seeing anything on your upper body..."
Phoebe hmphs. "Gotta keep safe all over..." She doesn't seem sorry, though perhaps a bit embarrassed about all of this. "I... uh, never been to a doctor before. I don't really know what might be... unusual?" It's a little oddly phrased.
Doc Plume blinks. "Never? Where is it you're from?" They cock their head a bit as they take a step back. "There doesn't seem to be too much odd about you. Heterochromia of the eyes, but that doesn't affect anything... and you're definitely underweight..."
Phoebe hesistates a moment before she answers, "Sarn... I just... never had the chance. Guess I don't eat as much as I should? I can fix that, I think. There's just so much to do, you know?"
Doc Plume nods. "Please disrobe fully now." As Phoebe does so, the doctor remarks on the previous items. "The best way to put on healthy weight is to eat more fat and protein, but focus on the protein. Lean game meat like deer would be ideal."
Phoebe halts their progress as they give Plume a nasty look. It's only there for a moment before Phoebe manages to hide the reaction. "Yeah, well... what if I can't? I mean... I can... but like..." She seems torn between shutting up and asking a real question, "Like, maybe I do want a nice lean steak or something right? But some days meat doesn't always... agree with me. What then?"
Doc Plume cocks their head again. "Well, there are some other foods high in protein... beans and legumes, nuts, dairy... but a balanced diet and enough food is what's important."
Phoebe: "I hadn't thought of those... might be worth trying some of that, if I can find them around here. I'll try to think of something to do about meat as well. I'm worried about staying healthy but not, uh... not trying to be a saint or anything."
Doc Plume gives a kind smile to the wolf. "Honestly, what's most important is that you just enough food, so anything that you can enjoy or even... keep down... is what I would recommend. Now then, I really must insist that you finish undressing..."
Phoebe sighs, uncrossing her arms, "Fine." She continues to undress, clearly uncomfortable feeling as she is at last fully exposed in front of the Doctor.
Doc Plume quickly moves over more sensitive areas for the sake of Phoebe's nerves before focusing on her legs and moving down. "Hmm... interesting... your leg muscles are..." They trail off as they stand up, moving to grab some measuring gear and a notepad.
Phoebe frowns, reacting strangely defensively, "Eh? What? What about my legs?"
Doc Plume starts noting down the measurements. "Your muscles just seem more like those in an unguligrade leg rather than a digitigrade one. Do you walk on your toes a lot? Even if you do, it shouldn't be this pronounced..."
Phoebe seems confused, some of the larger words going over her head, "Eh? I don't know what you're talking about with that. I walk... how I walk!" She's certainly telling the truth, but the evasiveness points to something else being hidden by the wolf.
Doc Plume frowns a bit. "Well, it's just an irregularity... no damage or anything, I've just never seen anything like it before." They stand up and look the wolf over. "But everything seems fine beyond the wounds from the attack. You can get dressed again. Is there anything non-physical bothering you? How's your sleep? Your memory?"
Phoebe starts to put her clothes back on, slipping in the knives she removed back to their hiding spots. "Mph, sleep's fine... memory's... fine." She glances at the Doctor again. "I worry that I..." She bites her lip, still uncertain about who she can trust. "No, it's fine. Just general health stuff, I guess. Maybe a better diet will help."
Doc Plume has stepped back to the sink to wash their hands again. "Hmm? If you have any worries, I'm here to hear them, but I can't force you of course." They step back from the sink and smile at Phoebe. "Honestly, I know things are very tense right now, but you should try to relax and take care of yourself. Get more food and more rest."
Phoebe nods, giving a small snort. "Tense is one word for it. Didn't know I'd be moving into a damn war. But I'm doing my best. I don't..." She pauses, then shakes her head again. "Gotta make do with the time we've got, yeah? So... yeah. Doing my best."
Doc Plume just nods. "That's all I can ask. Please come back if anything else comes up. I'm here to help everyone in town." They wait for Phoebe to finish dressing and then escort her back to the door. "I promise you, Respite is a nice town normally..."
Phoebe chuckles, letting Plume lead her to the exit. "Eh, it's still better than Policaster to me. Smells less... dirty. It'll do. Thanks, Doctor... if anything comes up, I'll be back, alright?" She pauses again. "I... might make an appointment for my partner... when she gets the chance to stop by. She's still too scared to come out after everything that happened to the caravan."
Doc Plume nods to Phoebe. "Of course. I look forward to meeting her..." They open the door to let Phoebe out and then call in the next patient, the line of folks on the bench having gotten longer during the wolf's appointment.
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THIRSTY MINNOW - LATE AFTERNOON
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Piper steps into the now-familiar tavern once again, still steaming a little bit from her encounter with Gareth, though she's begun the second phase of beating herself up a bit over it. She angles straight for her usual spot at the bar, but it's currently taken by a number of patrons. Folks just looking for a place to be while stuck within the walls of the city. She hesitates, looking about the tavern for pretty much anywhere else the considerable lass can fit without causing issues.
Beef is seated in a dark corner at a table too tall for anyone but big folk. He's just by himself and drinking an appropriately sized beer for someone his size. It looks like the big ox had been exerting himself, from sweat dampening his coat.
Piper notices the ox, recognizing him from the caravan. She also notices that the table has three open spots unlike most of the others. With a grunting shrug, she heads for the table, setting her hand on the back of a favorably sized seat. "Hey. You were there, mh? Crowded place. Mind if I sit?"
Beef looks up from his drink. He takes a moment to blink in the dimness of the bar and nods to the croc. "Yeah, sit with me." He smiles a bit. "Hoped to see you again after that. You fight good."
Piper is thankful for the low light, hiding her embarrassed blush as she takes the seat across from Beef. "I-Yeah... You do too. You pull carts well, too." She clears her throat a little, looking aside to find a waiter as she internally questions that strange compliment.
Beef takes a big swig of beer to hide his own bit of a blush. "Thanks. Bet you would too, though." He spots her eyes searching and nods to the other side of the bar where the server is currently delivering an order to a full table. "You stuck here too? Or got business?"
Piper catches Beef's nod, humming as she turns back to him. "Business, of sorts. Investigating a murder. Not one like our caravan, though." She tilts her head slightly, lowering her voice appropriately. "You're with the Silver-Talon company, mh? Caught the brand on the crates." She knows it's likely a half-secret they're there.
Beef blinks then nods after a moment. "Yeah. They pay me good, respect me too. Better than working for hire where everyone is scared or takes me for stupid."
Piper chuckles, nodding. "Same. Steady work, but glad to have it. Too many offers for brawling. Like fighting." She hesitates, turning her eyes aside a bit. "Not killing... Even for our lives, still regret that day..."
Beef nods in agreement. "Yeah. Prefer pulling, lifting, maybe scaring folk a bit if they get stupid. Killing isn't good. At least you're a predator. Smell of blood tweaks something bad in my head. Makes me want to run."
Piper gives Beef a raised eyebrow. "Running is not bad. Stopping... Too much blood, becomes hard to stop. Friends might look less friendly." She shakes her head, grimacing. "Either one. Not a good way to arrive."
Beef gives an acknowledging snort and drains the last of his beer. "Agreed. What's your name, big one?"
Piper smiles faintly at the ox, nodding. "Piper Hatnay. Good to meet formally."
Beef offers a big hand. "Everyone calls me Beef. I got another name, but folks don't forget Beef." He smiles a bit, then cocks his head just a touch. "Murder you said. Who?"
Piper takes his hand in her slightly smaller, scaly hand, giving him an oddly gentle handshake. "Beef... Ay, very memorable." She hesitates slightly at his question. "Mh... A bounty hunter. Named James. James Hatnay."
Beef shakes back with equal care before flagging down the server for more beer. "Hatnay, same as you. Kin?"
Piper nods slowly, looking out for the server for a moment. "Older brother. Smart, strong, stupid, runt. Loyal." She chuckles, turning back to Beef. "Depends on perspective. Fun to beat him at everything."
Beef frowns. "Sorry to hear. Had a sister. She died in childbirth a few years back. Kid survived at least."
Piper nods solemnly, lifting a large tankard of... Not the best ale after they are delivered. "Family."
Beef raises up his own tankard and bumps it with Pipers. "Family, yes." He takes a long swig, going quiet for a bit as he thinks. Once he speaks again, he asks, "Can I help? Stuck here until caravans go again, might as well help if I can."
Piper takes a swig, giving the ale a brief look of distaste before blinking up to Beef. "Hm? I... Could use help, yes. Have found little. Guards too busy to find their record. Understandable. Other leads are cold." She sighs quietly.
Beef nods. "OK. Can find me here." He looks over at the stairs leading up to the rooms. "Room 16." He looks back at Piper. "You came with the wolf and the sea lady?"
Piper nods, a grunt escaping at the mention of Gareth. "Ay, Gareth and Sammi. Good people. Despite what may be said." She looks toward the stairs as well, chuckling quietly. "Same. Normally return late, leave early. Room 4. Not many places to stay, so many from outside."
Beef nods some before taking another big drink of ale. The subject switches to more idle talk about the caravan journey before the attack and then onto other light subjects as the two get to know each other and share some time drinking poorer beer than normally served here.